Mild mental retardation with classic somatic phenotype in the Brachmann-de Lange syndrome.

Severe mental retardation is the most handicapping disability for individuals with Brachmann-de Lange syndrome (BDLS). Reports of higher functioning patients with suspected BDLS have invariably described those with a "mild" BDLS somatic phenotype. Here we report on 2 high-functioning females, ages 3.7 and 10.6 years, with the classic BDLS somatic phenotype, i.e., all growth parameters at 4-5 standard deviations below the mean prenatally and postnatally. These 2 patients serve to extend the spectrum of classic BDLS to include cognitive function in the mild-to-moderate range of mental retardation.