Limb pterygium syndromes: a review and report of eleven patients

Conditions with limb pterygia and congenital contractures were reviewed as part of a study of over 350 infants with arthrogryposis. Emphasis was placed on inheritance and variability of distinct pterygium conditions. Eleven patients with limb pterygia were recognized in our study and are described here. Seven of the 350 patients with congenital contractures had the autosomal recessively inherited multiple pterygium syndrome (Patients 1-7). Three of the seven are sibs, a fourth was born to consanguineous parents, and three were chance isolated cases. These seven had multiple joint webs, unusual finger contractures, syndactyly, rocker bottom feet, ptosis, antimongoloid slant of palpebral fissures, epicanthal folds, highly arched palate, scoliosis, and short stature. There is intrafamilial variability. Three patients from one family had a lethal multiple pterygium syndrome. Two were monozygotic twins. They had webbing and contractures of the elbows, knees, neck, and fingers, calcaneovalgus deformity of the feet, and an unusual facial appearance: hypertelorism, flat nose, antimongoloid slant of palpebral fissures, apparently low-set ears. One had a cleft palate. Internal malformations included: bilateral pulmonary hypoplasia, small heart, absence of the appendix, and attenuation of the ascending and transverse colon. One sporadic case of lethal popliteal pterygium with facial clefts was studied. Multiple anomalies included: ankyloblepharon filiforme adnatum, upslanting palpebral fissures, hypoplasia of nasal cartilages, frenula, clefts into the oropharynx lateral to the mouth, apparently low-set ears with slit-like canals, large popliteal pterygia, syndactyly with fusion of all digits in hands and feet, and hypoplastic labia.

Diffraction-limited recording scheme in astigmatic rainbow holography

A lensless single-slit imaging system is employed in the recording scheme of the astigmatic rainbow holographic process. The resulting hologram forms an acceptable deep bright image under white-light illumination.

Aperture conjugation technique in astigmatic rainbow holography

A slit image conjugation technique using an astigmatic reference beam in astigmatic rainbow holography is developed. When the primary image is reconstructed with a white light point source, a wide-view orthoscope quasi-monochromatic holographic image will be revealed. Experimental results are also included.

Psychosocial aspects of patients with the Ullrich-Turner syndrome

Family and social background and psychosexual and psychomotor development were studied on 24 patients with the Ullrich-Turner syndrome ranging in age from 9 months to 18 years. Infancy is often characterized by mild feeding problems and sleeping difficulty. Early motor development is normal or mildly delayed but acquisition of speech and toilet training appear to be appropriate for age. Social skills are excellent. Psychopathology is not a significant aspect of the Ullrich-Turner syndrome. Psychological tests support the findings of verbal IQ exceeding performance IQ, space-form perceptual deficits, and visual motor deficit. No difference of intelligence was found between apparently nonmosaic and mosaic types of Ullrich-Turner syndrome. The degree of parental understanding and appropriate attitudes toward the patient and the syndrome largely depend on good family relationships, the socioeconomic level of the family, parents' personalities and their ability to cope with the implications of the syndrome, and appropriate physician's counseling.

Diffraction-limited imaging through a phase-distorting medium

An achromatic method of seeing through a phase-distorting medium, such as a turbulent atmosphere, utilizes a grating interferometer. Measurements are made at sample points throughout the region of fringe formation. A set of nonlinear simultaneous equations is generated and then solved by computer.

Achondrogenesis: a review with special consideration of achondrogenesis type II (Langer-Saldino)

We describe two dwarfed infants with large head, short neck and chest, prominent abdomen, and short limbs. Both died neonatally. Radiographic and morphologic characteristics identified the Langer-Saldino form of achondrogenesis (type II). Review of type II achondrogenesis documented distinctive clinical and anthropometric manifestations (fewer stillbirths, longer survival time and gestation period, larger size of the baby, longer limbs, and characteristic craniofacial features) as compared with type I achondrogenesis (Parenti-Fraccaro).

Interferometric construction of circular gratings

Low noise diffraction gratings are constructed with the aid of a circular grating interferometer illuminated with a polychromatic or extended source.

Kinetics of DNA replication in a dicentric X chromosome formed by long arm to long arm fusion

Utilizing the 5-bromo-deoxyuridine (BrdU) incorporation technique, we have recently studied the DNA replication kinetics in a dicentric X chromosome, formed by long arm-to-long arm fusion at band q23, for a 16-year-old black female with primary amenorrhea. The patient has a karyotype 45,X/46,X,dic(X)(q23). In the buccal smear the presence of X chromatin was found in 33% of the cells examined. The Barr bodies are large and 21% of them are bipartite. DNA replication studies were performed on the patient's lymphocytes by the thymidine pulse (T-pulse) method and confirmed comparatively by the BrdU pulse (B-pulse) method. The results indicate that the dicentric X chromosome is always late-replicating. The replication pattern is symmetric on both sides of the breakpoint and the replication sequence is, in order, p11, p22, q1(1-3), q22, q23, p21, and q21. This finding is comparable to those of other investigators and supports the theory that there exist two inactivation centers in the dicentric X chromosome, located on or near the q21 band.

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita. A comparative study of chondrocytic inclusions

Spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia congenita is a short-trunk chondrodysplasia trait. The abnormalities are present at birth and involve primarily the spine, the epiphyses of long bones, and the pelvis. Postmortem examinations of two patients with this disease who died shortly after birth showed a mild disorganization of chondrocytic columnization in the physeal growth zone. The chondrocytes contained PAS-positive cytoplasmic inclusions after diastase digestion to eliminate glycogen. Ultrastructural examination of the inclusions in one patient showed them to be accumulations of finely granular material in dilated cisterns of rough endoplasmic reticulum. To our knowledge, similar findings have been seen only in three other types of chondrodysplasia. The inclusions, which therefore are of diagnostic importance, may be of importance also in reflecting the primary metabolic abnormality.

Multiple pterygium syndrome

We describe a sporadic case and four sibs from a consanguineous Nicaraguan family affected with the multiple pterygium syndrome. Clinical manifestations included normal intelligence; short stature; pterygia of neck, axillary, antecubital, popliteal, digital, and intercrural areas; multiple joint contractures with a crouched stance; a flat, sad, motionless facial appearance; and cleft palate. Males had small penis and scrotum and cryptorchidism; females had apparent aplasia of labia majora and small clitoris. Skeletal anomalies included fusion of cervical vertebrae, scoliosis, flexion contractures of fingers and "rocker-bottom" feet with vertical talus. This review documents genetic heterogeneity: Autosomal recessive inheritance in many cases, autosomal dominant determination in others, and sporadic occurrence.

Kniest dysplasia: neonatal death with necropsy

We describe a premature female infant with Kniest dysplasia, who died shortly after birth. This appears to be the first autopsy performed in this condition. Manifestations included neonatal respiratory distress, large head, midface hypoplasia, flat nasal bridge, short nose, micrognathia, cleft palate, short neck, micromelia, and mildly bowed limbs. Roentgenologic findings included short, slightly bowed tubular bones with metaphyseal flare; mild platyspondyly, with vertical clefts of vertebral bodies; small iliac bones with increased acetabular angles; and inadequate ossification of pubic rami. Histopathologic findings of cartilage included focal "Swiss-cheese" pattern; disorganized physeal growth zone; and PAS-positive, diastase-resistant intracytoplasmic inclusions, which corresponded to finely granular material accumulated in dilated cisterns of rough endoplasmic reticulum.

Short rib-polydactyly syndrome, Majewski type

A term infant had dwarfism with characteristic skeletal and extraskeletal changes of the short rib-polydactyly syndrome type 2 (Majewski). The skeletal changes included extremely short horizontal ribs, extreme micromelia with disproportionately short ovoid tibiae, and pre- and post-axial polydactyly. Microscopically, cartilage showed markedly stunted and disorganized endochondral ossification. Extraskeletal manifestations were hydrops, cleft lip, malformed larynx with hypoplastic epiglottis, pulmonary hypoplasia, glomerular and renal tubular cysts, ambiguous genitalia, pachygyria and small cerebellar vermis. Parental consanguinity supports the hypothesis of autosomal recessive inheritance of the condition.

Multiwavelength rainbow holographic interferometry

Although the two-step rainbow holographic process of Benton [S. A. Benton, J. Opt. Soc. Am. 50, (1969)] offers a significant improvement in holographic displays, its scientific applications are somewhat limited. It is primarily due to the awkardness of the two-step process. We have demonstrated [H. and F. T. S. Yu, Opt. Lett. 2, 85 (1978)] a one-step process which greatly simplifies the procedure in making rainbow holograms. In this paper, the applications of the one-step process to holographic interferometry is demonstrated. A unique multiwavelength holographic interferometric technique is also introduced. This multiwavelength process enables the study and comparison of more than one physical effect. The holographic interference fringe patterns due to different effects can be displayed individually, or together different colors. This capability further extends the usefulness and versatility of holographic interferometry.

H-Y antigen-positive male pseudohermaphroditism with 45,X/46,XYq-mosaicism

A 42-year-old male had short stature, microphallus, hypospadias, a bifid scrotum, abdominal undifferentiated testes, a uterus, bilateral fallopian tubes, and 45,X/46,XYq-mosaicism in his blood, skin, and germinal tissue and tissue surrounding the tests as determined by means of G-, Q-, and C-banding. An H-Y antigen assay on skin fibroblasts was positive, indicating that the locus for this antigen is not located in the brightly fluorescent region of the Y chromosome.

Omphalocele and partial trisomy 1q syndrome

A male infant with partial trisomy 1q syndrome (46,XY,der(21),t(1;21)(q25;q22)pat) is described. Clinical findings include small for gestational age, hypoglycemia, ocular hypertelorism, microphthalmia, coloboma of the iris, low-set ears, beak nose, micrognathia, micropenis, cryptorchidism, presacral dimple, flexion contractures of the fingers, bifid thumb, Simian crease, and overriding toes. In addition, he had a large omphalocele not previously seen in trisomy 1q. Postmortem findings include underdeveloped cerebellum, a thymus with moderate depletion of thymocytes, a large PDA, ASD, small adrenal, and fatty change of the liver. The grandfather, father, and a male sibling have translocation t(1;21)(q25;q22). A family history of repeated spontaneous abortions is present.

Development of a laboratory EXAFS facility

The EXAFS technique is a powerful new structural tool, particularly useful for studies of disordered or otherwise complex materials for which x-ray diffraction techniques are difficult or unfeasible. At the present time, most EXAFS experiments are carried out at a synchrotron facility because of the larger fluxes available. We have developed an in-laboratory apparatus utilizing a focusing crystal technique which increases available fluxes two to three orders of magnitude over previous laboratory facilities, so that EXAFS measurements can be carried out quickly and accurately in the laboratory. We will discuss the principles of the focusing monochromator and we will also illustrate the experimental method with examples, including studies of chemical solutions, defect crystalline solids, and high-temperature superconductors.

White-light pseudocolor density encoder

A simple technique utilizing a white-light processing system for the pseudocolor encoding of photographic materials by density is presented. Pseudocolored output of many different color codes is obtained by selectively spatial filtering the dispersed colors of the various high-diffraction orders of a halftone input. Besides permitting a large variety of color codes, this white-light technique would also eliminate all coherent artifact noises that plague coherent systems. Experimental results are presented, and comparison with the coherent technique is provided.

Color blur of the rainbow hologram

The color blur of the rainbow hologram is calculated from first-order holographic theory. The result is applicable to most of the rainbow holographic processes, including the one-step recording technique. Horizontal color blur approaches zero if the rainbow hologram image is near the optical axis of the hologram aperture.

Double aneuploidy: partial trisomy 21 and XO/XXX in a family with 12/21 translocation

A female patient with mild mental retardation with spatial perceptual difficulties, microcephaly, depressed nasal root, receding chin, webbed neck, low hairline, shield chest, cubitus valgus, scoliosis and dermatoglyphic findings not characteristic of Down's syndrome is reported. In addition to X/XXX, she had a partial trisomy 21 of the short arm-centromere-proximal long arm segment due to maternal t(12;21) translocation. Two phenotypically normal siblings carried the balanced translocation.

A developmental assessment chart for non-institutionalized Down syndrome children

This prospective study was undertaken to present a test form utilizing the same test items as the Denver Developmental Screening Test in categories of personal-social, fine motor-adaptive, language, and gross motor attainment comparing the performance of an individual Down Syndrome child with that of similar children on whom the items were standardized. A developmental assessment chart was constructed based on 96 consecutive home-reared Down syndrome children (2 months to 8 years). This chart can be easily administered and the developmental status of a particular Down syndrome child evaluated.

A severe infantile micromelic chondrodysplasia which resembles Kniest disease

This paper describes 3 infants with a severe, generalized chondrodysplasia with short limbs, shortness of stature, relative micrognathia and neonatal respiratory distress in all cases, cleft palate in two and dislocation of lenses in one. They died at 7 and 10 weeks and at 17 months respectively. No autopsy was performed on any of the 3 patients. Roentgenological manifestations include short, broad tubular bones with metaphyseal widening, bowing of leg, thigh and forearm bones, neonatal accelerated carpal bone maturation, short, broad pelvis with wide, flared iliac wings, many gross vertebral abnormalities including most prominently coronal clefts of almost any vertebral body, and short ribs with flared anterior ends. Roentgenographically the condition has some similarities with Kniest disease, or more correctly, the Kniest chondrodysplasia. However, we think that the clinical and roentgenological manifestations are sufficiently unique to permit delineation of the condition of our 3 patients as a "new" entity different from the Kniest chondrodysplasia. Similar cases have been described by Rolland et al. from France and by Dinno et al. from the U.S.A. The later case and our 3 patients were sporadic cases, but the former had a probably affected sibling, suggesting that this disorder is an autosomal recessive trait.

Familial partial trisomy 6q syndromes resulting from inherited ins (5;6) (q33;q15q27)

Two cases are reported of familial partial trisomy 6q syndrome due to segregation of ins(5;6) (q33;q15q27) in three generations. The common clinical features include growth and mental retardation, feeding difficulty during infancy, microcephaly with downward slanting palpebral fissures, flattened nasal bridge with anteverted and flared nares, long philtrum, high arched palate, partially opened and protruding mouth with receding chin, deep transverse creases of the ears, three creases on the 4th fingers, clinodactyly of the 5th fingers with a single crease, and other dermatoglyphic findings. These characteristic features of two patients appear to make partial trisomy 6q a clinically recognizable syndrome.

An extra small metacentric chromosome identified as a deleted chromosome no. 17

In an 11-year-old girl with multiple congenital abnormalities and mental retardation, an extra, small, metacentric chromosome was identified by banding methods as a deleted chromosome No. 17. This represents the first reported case of partial trisomy 17.

Chronic nonspecific respiratory disease in Berlin, New Hampshire, 1967 to 1973. A further follow-up study

The 1967 sample of Berlin, New Hampshire was resurveyed in 1973 by means of a standard questionnaire on respiratory symptoms and by simple tests of pulmonary function. Measurements of the levels of air pollution showed a decrease in the number of suspended particulates and an increase in the concentration of sulfation. These values were close to the Federal Primary Standard. No differences in respiratory symptoms, prevalences of chronic, nonspecific respiratory disease, or pulmonary function were detected. Within the limitations of this study, we concluded that the Federal Primary Standards for sulfur dioxide and total suspended particulates are probably adequate to protect the public.

Triploidy syndrome. A report on two live-born (69, XXY) and one still-born (69, XXX) infants

Two live-born cases, 69,XXY and one stillbirth, 69,XXX are reported. Further evidence is presented to delineate the triploidy syndrome. Common external and internal features which characterize the triploidy syndrome are low-set ears, hypertelorism, colobomata, syndactyly, simian creases, microphallus, undescended testes, scrotal aplasia, anomalous heart and hypoplasia of kidneys and adrenals. The triploidy syndrome encompasses features found in trisomies 13, 18 and 21. We suggest that the abnormal development of the triploidy infants is the result of the mentioned trisomies and their subsequent effect on the remaining genome.