Based on analysis of 15 cases, there appears to be a characteristic facial appearance and pattern of associated malformations that would allow clinical delineation of deletion of the distal bands of 1q. Characteristic manifestations include round face with prominent "cupid's bow" and downturned corners of the mouth, thin vermilion borders of lips, long upper lip with smooth philtrum, short and broad nose, epicanthal folds, apparently low-set ears, micrognathia, microcephaly, abnormal hands and feet, variable cardiac, genital, and other anomalies, moderate to severe mental retardation, and growth retardation. The deletion includes 1q42 or 1q43----qter and was a de novo defect in nine of 15 cases.

Supravalvular aortic stenosis (SVAS) can be inherited as an isolated autosomal dominant trait or can be a component manifestation of the Williams syndrome. Some consider the Williams syndrome to be due to more severe expression of the gene defect that causes isolated SVAS. We describe a family with isolated SVAS that is the largest thoroughly studied family with this disorder to our knowledge; no patients in this family had Williams syndrome. Five members of this family were reported by Lewis et al. (Dis Chest 55:372-379, 1969). We reevaluated this family and now include examinations of the parents, additional sibs and children of the original 5 patients. Twenty relatives had physical and echocardiographic examinations. In addition, information from outside sources was obtained on 7 relatives not personally evaluated. The SVAS showed marked variability of expression and was not associated with mental retardation or with the facial manifestations of Williams syndrome. We think that previous reports of Williams syndrome reputedly occurring within the same family as isolated autosomal dominant SVAS were inadequately documented. Based on our family and review of the literature, we suggest that isolated SVAS and Williams syndrome represent clinically distinct entities.

Potentially significant associations are presented between anomalous systemic venous return (including both left superior vena cava and left hepatic venous drainage to the coronary sinus), a history of atrial fibrillation and a forme fruste of cor triatriatum in an elderly woman. Lack of associated structural defects or functional deficits makes it difficult to assess the frequency of occurrence in the general population of bilateral superior venae cavae in association with a persistent left hepatic vein draining into the coronary sinus. However, the potential for these systemic venous anomalies needs to be considered when unexplained arrhythmias are encountered. More specifically, the size of the coronary sinus needs to be assessed in patients with arrhythmia.

Nonsyndromic familial supravalvular aortic stenosis is an autosomal dominant disorder. However, for many reported families, systematic study of all family members with echocardiographic or hemodynamic techniques has not been performed and degree of penetrance has not been assessed. The supravalvular stenosis in these family members usually is not associated with mental retardation or other characteristics of Williams syndrome. Although some believe that autosomal dominant supravalvular aortic stenosis is part of the spectrum of Williams syndrome, others believe that these are separate entities. Doppler echocardiograms were analyzed on 23 members of a 34 member family with several known to have supravalvular aortic stenosis; 20 studies were performed by the authors and 3 were done elsewhere and made available for review. No family member had mental retardation, characteristic facies or other findings of Williams syndrome. Three of the 34 had supravalvular aortic stenosis requiring surgery. Of 22 members examined echocardiographically who had not had prior surgical repair, 13 had supravalvular aortic stenosis. Echocardiographic findings ranged widely, from calcification of the ascending aorta in a 71 year old man with minimally increased flow velocity (1.7 m/s) to mild narrowing with mildly increased flow velocity in six members to significant narrowing with impressively increased flow velocity (2 to 4 m/s) in seven. In addition, four patients had mild narrowing of pulmonary artery branches and eight had peak pulmonary artery flow velocity above normal. This study demonstrates complete penetrance with extremely variable expression in this family with autosomal dominant supravalvular aortic stenosis and emphasizes the importance of using echocardiographic techniques in studying the family members who are suspected of having an inherited cardiovascular disease.