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Prenatal diagnosis of Pallister-Killian syndrome

S Soukup1, K Neidich

  • 1Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital, Cincinnati, Ohio.

Insights

Pallister-Killian syndrome was identified via amniocentesis by detecting i(12p). This chromosomal abnormality, isochromosome 12p, was present in multiple fetal tissues, indicating mosaicism.

Area of Science:

  • Genetics
  • Prenatal Diagnosis
  • Human Pathology

Background:

  • Pallister-Killian syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by specific physical features and developmental delays.
  • The syndrome is typically caused by an extra copy of the short arm of chromosome 12, often in a mosaic form.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To report a case of Pallister-Killian syndrome diagnosed prenatally.
  • To describe the cytogenetic findings in fetal tissues.

Main Methods:

  • Routine amniocentesis for prenatal diagnosis.
  • Karyotyping of amniotic fluid cells.
  • Post-mortem examination of fetal tissues.

Main Results:

  • Amniocentesis revealed isochromosome 12p (i(12p)).
  • Analysis of four fetal tissues showed mosaicism with varying percentages of 46/47 + i(12p) cells.
  • Autopsy identified some minor anomalies consistent with Pallister-Killian syndrome, despite the absence of major malformations.

Conclusions:

  • Prenatal diagnosis of Pallister-Killian syndrome is feasible through amniocentesis and cytogenetic analysis.
  • Isochromosome 12p with mosaicism can be detected in multiple fetal tissues.
  • The presence of minor anomalies in the absence of major malformations highlights the variable expressivity of the syndrome.

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