Acro-cardio-facial syndrome: a microdeletion syndrome?

Acro-cardio-facial syndrome (ACFS) is an infrequently reported, variable condition characterized by split-hand and split-foot malformation and congenital heart defect (CHD), along with cleft lip and palate, genital anomalies, unusual face and intellectual disability. An autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance has been suggested because of affected sibs born to unaffected parents and parental consanguinity; the cause is unknown. We describe a newborn with the clinical manifestations of ACFS in whom a deletion of the region 6q21-q22.3 was detected by array CGH. We compare the clinical features of the present patient with earlier reported patients with similar 6q deletions and patients diagnosed with ACFS. The similarities between these patient groups suggest that ACFS may be a microdeletion syndrome caused by loss of the 6q21-22.3 region. The recurrence in families may be explained by prenatal germline mosaicism. Alternatively, ACFS may be a genetically heterogeneous disorder which can also be caused by biallelic mutations of an autosomal recessive gene.