Genetics Flashcards
Dysmorphology
- Aspect of clinical genetics that involves the syndrome diagnosis in children who have unusual facial features, congenital malformations and often have associated cognitive and motor delays.
- >3500 syndromes
- Some are instinctive recognized by past experience
- Others involve pieces of puzzles
Blaschko’s Lines
lines of embryologic ectodermal development
Chromosomal Disorders
- Part or whole chromosome is missing or duplicated
- Example: Down syndrome
- Tested by Karyotype
•Microdeletion or microduplication syndromes
- A very small piece of chromosome is missing or duplicated
- Cannot be seen on karyotype
- Examples: DiGeorge, velocardiofacial; williams syndrome
- Fish/ Array comparative hybridization (ACGH)
Single Gene Disorders
•Dominant (AD), recessive (AR), X-linked
- A mutation in a single gene causing a disorder
- AD: Marfan syndrome, neurofibromatosis, type 1
- AR: cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, Tay Sachs disease
- X-linked: Duchenne Muscular dystrophy
- Testing: Mutation analysis, DNA sequencing and or deletion testing
Triple Repeat Disorders
- Trinucleotide repeats in certain genes exceeding the normal, stable threshold which differences for each gene.
- Results may be interference of the normal gene or gene product
- Example: Fragile X, Huntington disease
- DNA tests for number for repeats
Multifactorial Disorder
- A combination of genetics and environment
- Examples: Cleft lip and palate; clubfeet; pyloric stenosis
- No current testing available
Epigenetic Disorder
- Changes are not in the sequencing but in the expression of the DNA
- Examples: Prader Willi; Beckwith-Weidman syndrome
- Testing by Methylation analysis
Receiving a genetic dx helps you to
- Informs reproductive decision
- Preventative strategies
- Explanation of what you can do
- Massive parallel sequencing will explain what is causing the patient’s problem
- Take an 11 year old who has a sudden cardiac arrest.
- Genome would tell the patient’s need for implant
Sequences
•A defect occurs and subsequent development is abnormal
•VACTERLS Association
- V – vertebral anomalies / dysgenesis, vascular anomalies
- A – anal atresia
- C – Cardiac anomalies
- T – trachea-esophageal (T-E) fistula
- E – esophageal atresia
- R – renal anomalies, radial dysplasia
- L – Limb anomalies
- S - Single umbilical artery
CHARGE
- C” for coloboma
- “H” for heart defects
- “A” for atresia choanal
- “R” for retardation of growth and development
- “G” for genitourinary problems
- “E” for ear abnormalities
Complexes
•Abnormalities in adjacent structures
•Goldenhar syndrome
- Affects one side of the face only. :
- Partially formed or totally absent ear (microtia)
- Chin may be closer to the affected ear
- One corner of the mouth may be higher than the other
- Benign growths of the eye
- Missing eye
•Major Anomalies
Easily identified
Involve easily identified malformations
•Congenital abnormalities
- Present at birth
- Does not imply cause
Minor Anomaly
- Physical difference that occur in fewer than 4% of the population
- More commonly in areas that are more variable and complex: face, hand
- 70% in these two area
Normal phenotypic variant
•Present in 4% or more of the population
•Some minor anomalies are markers for occult major malformations
- Sacral tuft of hair or deep sacral dimple: associated with occult spinal dysraphism
- Many genetic syndromes are specific patterns of minor anomalies occurring together
- Specific minor abnormalities of face, hands, feet-Down syndrome
Assess for Major malformation when…
•Three or more minor anomalies increased risk of having major malformation
Most common external anomalies
Face
Auricle
Hands
Feet
Normal Phenotypic Variant (10)
- Saddle (mildly upturned nose)
- Mild to moderate in bowing of lower leg
- Sacral dimple, not deep
- Mild syndactyly of second and third toes
- Toenail hypoplasia in the newborn
- Hydrocele of the testicle
- Epicanthal folds
- Unilateral epicanthal fold is indicative of torticollis
- Slanting of the palpebral fissures
- Brushfield spots (20% of normal newborns)
Frequent newborn findings
Stork bite
•Fine non-elevated pink to red capillary hemangioma at nape of neck, over central forehead and eyelids and in the lumbosacral region
Skull Physical Assessment findings
- Asymmetrical head or face
- Brachycephaly
- Flattened occiput
- Fontanels too large or small
- Overlapping sutures