DiGeorge Syndrome

Overview :

The prevalence of DiGeorge syndrome is debated; the estimates range from 1:4000 to 1:6395. Because the symptoms caused by the chromosomal abnormality vary somewhat from patient to patient, the syndrome probably occurs much more often than was previously thought. DiGeorge syndrome is sometimes described as one of the "CATCH 22" disorders, so named because of their characteristics—cardiac defects, abnormal facial features, thymus underdevelopment, cleft palate, and hypocalcemia—caused by a deletion of several genes in chromosome 22. The specific facial features associated with DiGeorge syndrome include low-set ears, wide-set eyes, a small jaw, and a short groove in the upper lip. The male/female ratio is 1:1. The syndrome appears to be equally common in all racial and ethnic groups.