FGFR mutations and plagiocephaly.

FGFR genes have important effects on bone development, and mutations in 4 "hot spot" exons of FGFR1-3 are found in many patients with craniosynostosis and some with synostotic plagiocephaly. To test the hypothesis that sequence variation in those exons predisposes toward developmental bone deformation, we assayed 160 children with nonsynostotic plagiocephaly by temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis. No sequence variation was found, indicating that mutations in the "hot spot" exons are not associated with this common developmental condition; however, we did not assay most of the exons or related genes.