Saul-Wilson syndrome

Saul-Wilson syndrome is characterized by short stature (dwarfism) and other skeletal abnormalities. The growth problems in Saul-Wilson syndrome are called primordial, which means they begin before birth; affected individuals show slow prenatal growth (intrauterine growth retardation). After birth, affected individuals continue to grow at a very slow rate, with the average adult height being 3 feet, 6 inches (107 centimeters).

Individuals with Saul-Wilson syndrome have distinctive facial features that often include a prominent forehead, sparse scalp hair and eyebrows, prominent scalp veins, a narrow nasal bridge, a beaked nose, a wide area separating the nostrils (broad columella), a thin upper lip, and a small lower jaw (micrognathia). This combination of facial features can give affected individuals an appearance of premature aging, particularly in infancy, that is sometimes described as progeroid.

Additional skeletal abnormalities in Saul-Wilson syndrome include abnormalities in the structure of the long bones, short fingers and toes, an inward- and downward-turning foot (clubfoot), an abnormality of the hip joint that causes a decreased angle between the head and shaft of the upper leg bones (coxa vara), or flattened bones of the spine (platyspondyly) and other spinal abnormalities. Some affected individuals have bones that are unusually fragile, resulting in bone fractures that occur with little or no trauma. Adults with Saul-Wilson syndrome may experience joint pain (osteoarthritis) due to breakdown (degeneration) of the joints.

Children with Saul-Wilson syndrome often have hearing loss, clouding of the lenses of the eyes (cataracts), or a blue tint to the whites of the eyes (blue sclerae). They may also have retinitis pigmentosa, in which breakdown of the light-sensitive layer (retina) at the back of the eye can cause vision loss. Individuals with Saul-Wilson syndrome may have early delay of speech and motor development, but they usually have normal intelligence.

In Saul-Wilson syndrome, levels of white blood cells can vary from normal to low (intermittent neutropenia). Neutropenia makes it more difficult for the body to fight off foreign invaders such as bacteria and viruses, and may contribute to recurrent respiratory infections that occur in childhood in some individuals with Saul-Wilson syndrome.