Cardiac anomalies in individuals with the 18q deletion syndrome; report of a child with Ebstein anomaly and review of the literature

Individuals with the 18q deletion syndrome are presented with various clinical characteristics, including cardiac anomalies in 24-36% of the reported cases. Nonetheless, genotype-phenotype correlations for cardiac anomalies in the 18q deletion syndrome have rarely been reported. We report on two girls with a terminal 18q deletion, one in whom an Ebstein anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome were detected and the other with multiple valve stenosis and a ventricular septal defect. The genotype and cardiac abnormalities of these girls and 17 other individuals with a de novo 18qter deletion reported in the literature are reviewed. All 19 individuals shared a small overlapping deletion region between 18q22.3q23. The most common cardiac defects detected were pulmonary valve anomalies and atrial septal defects. Ebstein anomaly, a rare cardiac malformation, was diagnosed in two individuals. Additional molecularly based genotype-phenotype studies are needed in order to pinpoint candidate genes within this region that contribute to normal cardiac development. A careful cardiac evaluation consisting of physical examination, ECG and ultrasound examination should be performed in all individuals diagnosed with the 18q deletion syndrome. (C) 2013 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.