Evidence that AEC syndrome and Bowen--Armstrong syndrome are variable expressions of the same disease

Several clinical disorders combine ectodermal dysplasia (ED) and cleft lip and/or palate (CL/P). These conditions have been recognized as a group of diseases with a narrow phenotypic spectrum and multiple points of overlap. We report a patient with a clinical diagnosis of AEC syndrome (ankyloblepharon, ectodermal defects, and CL/P) who additionally has some features observed in a different ED-CL/P disorder, Bowen-Armstrong syndrome. Because of this clinical overlap, we suggest that AEC syndrome and Bowen-Armstrong syndrome may be variable manifestations of the same pathologic entity.