1
|
Christiaens AB, Deprez PML, Amyere M, Mendola A, Bernard P, Gillerot Y, Clapuyt P, Godfraind C, Lengelé BG, Vikkula M, Nyssen-Behets C. Isolated bilateral transverse agenesis of the distal segments of the lower limbs at the level of the knee joint in a human fetus. Am J Med Genet A 2015; 170A:523-530. [PMID: 26544544 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.37462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2013] [Accepted: 10/15/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Congenital limb anomalies occur in Europe with a prevalence of 3.81/1,000 births and can have a major impact on patients and their families. The present study concerned a female fetus aborted at 23 weeks of gestation because she was affected by non-syndromic bilateral absence of the zeugopod (leg) and autopod (foot). Autopsy of the aborted fetus, X-ray imaging, MRI, and histochemical analysis showed that the distal extremity of both femurs was continued by a cartilage-like mass, without joint cavitation. Karyotype was normal. Moreover, no damaging variant was detected by exome sequencing. The limb characteristics of the fetus, which to our knowledge have not yet been reported in humans, suggest a developmental arrest similar to anomalies described in chicks following surgical experiments on the apical ectodermal ridge of the lower limbs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Antoine B Christiaens
- Pôle de Morphologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium.,Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre M L Deprez
- Ecole de Kinésiologie et Récréologie, Faculté des Sciences de la Santé et Services Communautaires, Université de Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada.,Atlantic Cancer Research Institute, Moncton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Mustapha Amyere
- Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Antonella Mendola
- Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Pierre Bernard
- Department of Obstetrics, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Yves Gillerot
- Centre for Human Genetics, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Philippe Clapuyt
- Department of Radiology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Catherine Godfraind
- Laboratory of Pathology, Cliniques Universitaires Saint-Luc, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Benoît G Lengelé
- Pôle de Morphologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Miikka Vikkula
- Human Molecular Genetics, de Duve Institute, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Catherine Nyssen-Behets
- Pôle de Morphologie, Institut de Recherche Expérimentale et Clinique, Université Catholique de Louvain, Brussels, Belgium
| |
Collapse
|