Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome is a developmental disorder that affects many parts of the body. This condition is characterized by extremely weak muscle tone (hypotonia) in infancy and early childhood, intellectual disability, distinctive facial features, sparse hair, areas of unusual skin coloring (pigmentation), and other birth defects.

Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome is usually caused by the presence of an abnormal extra chromosome called an isochromosome 12p or i(12p). An isochromosome is a chromosome with two identical arms. Normal chromosomes have one long (q) arm and one short (p) arm, but isochromosomes have either two q arms or two p arms. Isochromosome 12p is a version of chromosome 12 made up of two p arms.

Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome appears to be a rare condition, although its exact prevalence is unknown. This disorder may be underdiagnosed because it can be difficult to detect in people with mild signs and symptoms. As a result, most diagnoses are made in children with more severe features of the disorder. More than 150 people with Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome have been reported in the medical literature.

Pallister-Killian mosaic syndrome is not inherited. The chromosomal change responsible for the disorder typically occurs as a random event during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs or sperm) in a parent of the affected individual, usually the mother. Affected individuals have no history of the disorder in their families.

Published Date: June 01, 2015
Published By: National Institutes of Health