The History of Noonan Syndrome

Early in her career, Jacqueline Noonan, a pediatric cardiologist, recognized that a number of children with valvular pulmonary stenosis had similar facial features. Dr. Noonan reported the clinical characteristics of this condition including short stature, hypertelorism, ptosis, mild mental retardation, undescended testes, and skeletal malformations. Further characterization of Noonan Syndrome led to the development of clinical criteria for the diagnosis of the condition. Identification of the first genetic cause of Noonan Syndrome, mutation of ptpn11 was reported in 2001. Multiple subsequent genes have been identified as causes of Noonan Syndrome and the related Rasopathies.