Adducted thumbs are an uncommon congenital malformation. It can be an important clinical clue in genetic syndromes, e.g. the L1 syndrome. A retrospective survey was performed including patients... Show moreAdducted thumbs are an uncommon congenital malformation. It can be an important clinical clue in genetic syndromes, e.g. the L1 syndrome. A retrospective survey was performed including patients with adducted thumbs referred to the Department of Clinical Genetics between 1985 and 2011 by perinatologists, (child) neurologists or paediatricians, in order to evaluate current knowledge on the genetic etiology of adducted thumbs. Twenty-five patients were included in this survey. Additional features were observed in 88% (22/25). In 25% (4/16) of the patients with adducted thumbs and congenital hydrocephalus L1CAM gene mutations were identified. One patient had a mosaic 5p13 duplication. Recommendations are made concerning the evaluation and genetic workup of patients with adducted thumbs. Show less
Objectives To develop a comprehensive mutation analysis system with a high rate of detection, to develop a tool to predict the chance of detecting a mutation in the L1CAM gene, and to look for... Show moreObjectives To develop a comprehensive mutation analysis system with a high rate of detection, to develop a tool to predict the chance of detecting a mutation in the L1CAM gene, and to look for genotype-phenotype correlations in the X-linked recessive disorder, L1 syndrome. Methods DNA from 367 referred patients was analysed for mutations in the coding sequences of the gene. A subgroup of 100 patients was also investigated for mutations in regulatory sequences and for large duplications. Clinical data for 106 patients were collected and used for statistical analysis. Results 68 different mutations were detected in 73 patients. In patients with three or more clinical characteristics of L1 syndrome, the mutation detection rate was 66% compared with 16% in patients with fewer characteristics. The detection rate was 51% in families with more than one affected relative, and 18% in families with one affected male. A combination of these two factors resulted in an 85% detection rate (OR 10.4, 95% CI 3.6 to 30.1). The type of mutation affects the severity of L1 syndrome. Children with a truncating mutation were more likely to die before the age of 3 than those with a missense mutation (52% vs 8%; p=0.02). Conclusions We developed a comprehensive mutation detection system with a detection rate of almost 20% in unselected patients and up to 85% in a selected group. Using the patients' clinical characteristics and family history, clinicians can accurately predict the chance of finding a mutation. A genotype-phenotype correlation was confirmed. The occurrence of (maternal) germline mosaicism was proven. Show less
