Observations suggesting allelism of the achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia genes.

It is argued that there are at least two alleles at the achondroplasia locus: one responsible for classic achondroplasia and one responsible for hypochondroplasia. Homozygosity for the achondroplasia gene produces a lethal skeletal dysplasia; homozygosity for hypochondroplasia has not been described. We report here a child considered to be a genetic compound for the achondroplasia and hypochondroplasia alleles.