View clinical trials related to Congenital Abnormalities.
Filter by:The purpose of this study is to better understand the genetic factors related to the Chiari I malformation. In people with this abnormality, the lower part of the skull is smaller than normal. As a result, the lowest part of the brain, called the cerebellar tonsils, protrudes out of the hole at the bottom of the skull into the spinal canal. This study will try to discover the location of the genes responsible for the malformation. Candidates for this study are: 1) Patients with Chiari I malformation who also have a family member with the abnormality or a family member with syringomyelia (a cyst in the spinal cord that is often associated with the Chiari I malformation). 2) Family members of patients with the Chiari I malformation. Participants will have a medical history and physical and neurologic examinations. They will undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain and cervical (neck) spinal cord to measure the size of the head and determine the presence of the Chiari I malformation and syringomyelia. A small blood sample (about 2 tablespoons) will be drawn for DNA studies relating to the Chiari I malformation.
OBJECTIVES: I. Identify latent hypoparathyroidism in normocalcemic adult survivors with repaired conotruncal cardiac defects, by evaluating parathyroid gland secretory function after induced hypocalcemia. II. Determine the relationship of parathyroid hormone secretion to microdeletions in the same region of chromosome 22q11 as found in patients with DiGeorge anomaly.
The purpose of this research is to study a new way to test for chromosome abnormalities. Chromosomes are strands of DNA (the genetic material in the cell nucleus) that are made up of genes-the units of heredity. Chromosome abnormalities are usually investigated by staining the chromosomes with a dye (Giemsa stain) and examining them under a microscope. This method can detect many duplications and deletions of pieces of chromosomes and is very accurate in diagnosing certain abnormalities. It is not useful, however, for identifying very small abnormalities. This study will evaluate the accuracy of a test method using 24 different dyes for finding small chromosome abnormalities. Children and adults with various chromosome abnormalities may be eligible for this study, including, for example, people with developmental delay or mental retardation, abnormal growth features or growth retardation, and certain behavioral disorders. Participants will be evaluated in the clinic over a 1- to 3-day period, depending on their symptoms. All participants will be examined by a genetics specialist and will have a physical examination and possibly X-rays, computerized tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound studies and medical photography. Blood will be drawn for chromosome testing-about 3 tablespoons from adults and 1 to 3 teaspoons from children. When the test results are available, participants will return to the clinic for follow-up evaluation and review of the test findings. The genetic and medical evaluations, along with their implications, will be discussed.
The objective of this study is to discover the genes responsible for the development of hereditary cataracts in families. A cataract is clouding of the lens of the eye that obstructs the passage of light and may impair vision. Information from this study may provide a better understanding of why hereditary cataracts form and perhaps lead to the development of a test that can predict who will likely be affected and to what degree. Patients or family members of patients with inherited cataracts who participate in this study will be asked questions about their family history, especially concerning eye disease or cataracts, and a family tree will be drawn. They will undergo a complete eye examination, including photographs to document the clarity or opacity of the lens. In addition, a small blood sample will be drawn for use in gene mapping studies of inherited cataract.
We aim to delineate the range of severity, natural history, molecular etiology, and pathophysiology of Pallister-Hall syndrome (PHS), Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome (GCPS), McKusick-Kaufman syndrome (MKS), Bardet-Biedl syndrome (BBS), Oro-facial digital syndromes (OFDs), and other overlapping phenotypes. These disorders comprise a syndrome community of overlapping manifestations and we hypothesize that this is a reflection of a common mechanistic pathway. This hypothesis be addressed by a combined clinical-molecular approach where we bring up to 50-100 patients with each disorder to the NIH clinical center for a comprehensive clinical evaluation with follow-up at a frequency appropriate to the disorder. Specimens will be collected and evaluated in the laboratory by linkage analysis, physical mapping, candidate gene characterization, mutation screening, and cell biologic studies of normal mutant proteins.
Arteriovenous malformations (AVM) are abnormally formed blood vessels that can be located throughout the brain and spinal cord. Patients with abnormalities of the blood vessels located in and around the spinal cord can develop many neurological problems. Some problems include, weakness, pain, difficulty walking, paralysis, and even death. The treatment for these AVMs depends on their location, the type of malformation, the area of the spine involved, and the condition of the patient at the time of treatment. The treatment is aimed at stopping the neurologic problems from worsening and possibly correcting the existing problems. There are two commonly used treatments for AVMs, surgery and embolization (blocking off of blood flow to the AVM). However, researchers have limited experience treating these conditions because they are rare. In addition, it has been difficult to classify different kinds of AVMs and to develop new treatments for them. This study is designed to increase researchers understanding of AVMs by admitting and following patients diagnosed with the condition. By increasing the amount of patients studied diagnosed with spinal blood vessel abnormalities, researchers can begin to develop new management plans for patients with AVMs.
The development of the brain in females is a result of a combination of factors. During puberty estrogen plays a role in influencing brain development. Cultural and environmental factors also play a role in the development of the brain. Female patients with Turner syndrome lack the ability to produce estrogen due to undeveloped ovaries. Therefore, Turner syndrome is the perfect condition to study how estrogen (or the lack of estrogen) influences a person's behavior and thinking. This study will compare cognitive differences (visual motor skills, visual-spatial, psychosocial behavior, and visual memory) of patients with Turner syndrome to normal patient controls. Researchers will use the Weschler Intelligence Scale for Children-Revised (WISC-R) along with other tests and scales to measure different aspects of the patient's cognitive ability. In addition the study will review patients with Turner syndrome who previously received estrogen replacement as infants and children in a related research study. Researchers hope to demonstrate that estrogen replacement will improve cognition and behavior in girls with Turner syndrome.
Turners Syndrome is a genetic condition in females that is a result of abnormal chromosomes. Girls with Turner syndrome are very short as children and as adults. Although their growth hormone secretion is almost always normal, giving injections of growth hormone to Turner syndrome girls may increase their rate of growth. In addition, most girls with Turner syndrome do not have normal ovaries. In normal girls the ovaries begin producing small amounts of the female sex hormone, estrogen at about 11 - 12 years of age. As girls grow older the level of estrogen increases. Estrogen is responsible for the changes in girls known as feminization. During feminization the hips grow wider, the breasts develop, there is an increase in the rate of growth, and eventually girls experience their first menstrual period. This study was designed to evaluate the effect of low dose estrogen, growth hormone, and the combination of low dose estrogen and growth hormone on adult height in girls with Turner syndrome. Patients will be entered into the study from ages 5 to 12 and will be randomly placed into one of four groups. 1. Group one will receive low dose estrogen 2. Group two will receive growth hormone 3. Group three will receive both low dose estrogen and growth hormone 4. Group four will receive a placebo "sugar pill" Once started, the treatment will continue until the patients approach their adult height, and growth slows to less than 1/2 inch over the preceding year. This usually occurs by the age of 15 or 16. Patients will be seen at the outpatient clinic every 6 months during the study and will receive a routine check-up with blood and urine tests, and hand/wrist X-rays to determine bone age. On patient's yearly visits they will have the density of bone measured in their spine and forearm.
This study will investigate congenital or developmental eye abnormalities that affect the iris, cornea and lens, and are usually accompanied by elevated pressure within the eye. These disorders can cause vision loss, and the increased eye pressure can lead to glaucoma, a condition that may also cause loss of eyesight. Patients with eye anterior chamber eye disease, such as Axenfeld's syndrome, Rieger's anomaly, Peter's anomaly, iridocorneal endothelial syndrome, megalocornea, ocular hypertension, and others, are eligible for this study. Participants will have a medical examination, family history, and comprehensive eye examination. Tests and procedures may include photographs of the cornea, iris, and the structure through which fluid that normally circulates behind the cornea drains out of the eye. Some patients may undergo indentation tonography to measure how easily this fluid drains. In this procedure, the patient lies on an examination table and both eyes are numbed with eye drops. A small instrument (tonometer) is placed on the surface of one eye, and with the other eye, the patient looks at an overhead light. Other tests may include photographs of the back of the eye and ultrasound imaging of the structures of the eye. A blood sample may be drawn to study the genetic disorder responsible for the disease. Patients will have follow-up examinations every 6 months for the duration of the study. Medical or surgical therapy will be recommended, as appropriate, for patients who develop elevated eye pressure or vision loss.
To evaluate the effects (up to one year of age) of indomethacin on the clinical course of patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) in premature infants (24 hours old or less) and to assess the relative merits of indomethacin and surgery in infants with persistent respiratory distress who were not treated early with indomethacin. Two concurrent trials were performed.