Probable Marden-Walker syndrome: evidence for autosomal recessive inheritance

Two first cousins, the offspring of consanguineous marriages, had features suggestive of Marden-Walker syndrome. Phenotypic similarities and differences for Schwartz-Jampel syndrome have been discussed. Main features of the Marden-Walker syndrome are failure to thrive, marked motor and mental retardation, and multiple malformations in the form of peculiar facies associated wilth poor muscle mass, mild congenital joint contractures, pigeon breast, kyphoscoliosis and arachnodactyly. Peculiar facies is due to blepharophimosis, congenital ptosis, hypoplastic mandible and low-set and malformed ears. Posterior median cleft of the palate as well as cardiac and renal anomalies were noted in the case reported by Marden and Walker. Our Case 2 had dextrocardia. The present report suggests autosomal recessive inheritance of this syndrome.