Pallister Hall Syndrome: How common is it?

Pallister hall syndrome affects the development of body parts. People with this condition may have extra fingers or toes or the skin between the some fingers may be fused. The main characteristic of this Syndrome is an abnormal growth called hypothalamic hamartoma in the brain.  These growths do not cause any medical problems but some hypothalamic hamartomas may cause seizures or hormone abnormalities that can be fatal at times.

Symptoms

Some of the common symptoms of Pallister hall syndrome include :

• Abnormal head, neck and facial areas
• inhibited flow of cerebrospinal fluid in the brain
• short limbs, extra fingers or toes
• Fused fingers or toes
• Respiratory abnormalities
• Congenital heart defects
• mild mental retardation
• spinal abnormalities

Diagnosis

Family history and clinical examination are used to diagnose this syndrome.  Prenatal testing can be done by ultrasound but it is not an effective option to detect Pallister-Hall syndrome.

Treatment

The treatment for Pallister-Hall syndrome includes replacement of hormones secreted by the target galand.

How common is it?

This syndrome is very rare and its prevalence is not known yet.

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