Pfeiffer syndrome: a clinical review.

The combination of bicoronal craniosynostosis, broad thumbs and great toes, and partial variable soft tissue syndactyly of the hands and feet (i.e., Pfeiffer syndrome) classically followed a benign clinical course. A review of the clinical features of those Pfeiffer syndrome patients presenting to our unit confirm another subgroup in whom the craniofacial and associated manifestations are more extreme, with a significant risk of early demise. The early aggressive surgical management of craniostenosis, hydrocephalus, exorbitism, faciostenosis, and upper airway obstruction has provided the potential for prolonged useful survival in these cases.