Clinical spectrum of silver - Russell syndrome

Silver - Russell syndrome is a clinically and genetically heterogenous condition characterized by severe intrauterine and postnatal growth retardation, craniofacial disproportion and normal intelligence downward curvature of the corner of the mouth, syndactyly and webbed fingers. Diagnosis of Silver - Russell syndrome remains clinical; no definite etiology or specific tests have been established. In the recent years, it has been shown that more than 38% of patients have hypomethylation in the imprinting control region 1 of 11p15 and one-tenth of patients carry a maternal uniparental disomy of chromosome seven. The pathophysiological mechanisms resulting in the Silver - Russell phenotype remain unknown despite the recent progress in deciphering the molecular defects associated with this condition. This case report describes the clinical features of Silver - Russell syndrome in a father and daughter.