Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome: clinical and etiopathogenic aspects of a model genomic imprinting entity

Diagnosis, treatment, and research status of rare diseases related to birth defects

Rare diseases are diseases that occur at low prevalence, and most of them are chronic and serious diseases that are often life-threatening. Currently, there is no unified definition for rare diseases. The diagnosis, treatment, and research of rare diseases have become the focus of medicine and biopharmacology, as well as the breakthrough point of clinical and basic research. Birth defects are the hard-hit area of rare diseases and the frontiers of its research. Since most of these defects have a genetic basis, early screening and diagnosis have important scientific value and social significance for the prevention and control of such diseases. At present, there is no effective treatment for most rare diseases, but progress in prenatal diagnosis and screening can prevent the occurrence of diseases and help prevent and treat rare diseases. This article discusses the progress in genetic-related birth defects and rare diseases.

Novel Insights Into the Genetic Causes of Short Stature in Children

Short stature is a common reason for consulting a growth specialist during childhood. Normal height is a polygenic trait involving a complex interaction between hormonal, nutritional and psychosocial components. Genetic factors are becoming very important in the understanding of short stature. After exclusion of the most frequent causes of growth failure, clinicians need to evaluate whether a genetic cause might be taken into consideration. In fact, genetic causes of short stature are probably misdiagnosed during clinical practice and the underlying cause of short stature frequently remains unknown, thus classifying children as having idiopathic short stature (ISS). However, over the past decade, novel genetic techniques have led to the discovery of novel genes associated with linear growth and thus to the ability to define new possible aetiologies of short stature. In fact, thanks to the newer genetic advances, it is possible to properly re-classify about 25–40% of children previously diagnosed with ISS. The purpose of this article is to describe the main monogenic causes of short stature, which, thanks to advances in molecular genetics, are assuming an increasingly important role in the clinical approach to short children.

Fibroepithelial Breast Tumors in a Teenager with Beckwith-Wiedemann Syndrome: A Case Report and Review of Literature

Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) is a human genomic imprinting disorder that presents with a wide spectrum of clinical features, including overgrowth, abdominal wall defects, macroglossia, neonatal hypoglycemia, and predisposition to embryonal tumors. Its diagnosis is based on molecular tests or clinical signs. However, in children with features of BWS who do not fulfill the clinical diagnostic criteria, the molecular tests may play an important role in the diagnosis. There is an increased risk of embryonal tumors in patients with BWS, but few case reports have been reported on benign breast tumors in female adolescents with this syndrome. To our knowledge, this is the first case report in the literature that describes the imaging findings of fibroepithelial breast tumors (phyllodes tumor and fibroadenomas) in a 13-year-old female with BWS, highlighting the need for lifelong tumor surveillance in this patient population.