[The Holt-Oram syndrome. Entelechy or clinical entity? A mild form of familial presentation]

According to the description made by Holt and Oram in 1960, a wide group of associated skeletal and cardiac malformations was named as syndrome of Holt-Oram. The morpho-anatomic and functional expression of the syndrome are so great in extension, that it is possible to think of several clinical entities with common manifestations; or perhaps, in a common entity with different clinical and functional expressions. Undoubtedly, the interest in the knowledge and diagnostic of the disease is due mainly to the hereditary condition, as demonstrated in a great number of cases, though they had been observed some generations without antecedents, with the possible explanation of genetic mutation. In this paper, are demonstrated the descriptive findings in a patient, male, 32 years old, with the diagnostic of Holt-Oram syndrome, and also the results of the study of the near members of his family. This study allowed to find other affected persons with manifestations that probably can be the result of new mutations. The paper is completed with a wide review of the pertinent bibliography.