The genetics of common disorders – Congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract

Congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH) is a common birth defect with a high mortality and morbidity. Although numerous chromosomal aberrations and gene mutations have been associated with CDH, the etiology of the diaphragmatic defect is identified in less than 50% of patients. This review discusses the some of the more frequent, recurrent karyotypic abnormalities in which CDH is a feature, including 15q26, 8p23.1 and 4p16.3 deletions and tetrasomy 12p (Pallister–Killian syndrome), together with some of the syndromes in which CDH is a relatively common feature, including Fryns syndrome, Matthew-Wood syndrome, overgrowth syndromes and Donnai–Barrow syndrome. In the era of genomic technologies, our knowledge of the genes and chromosome regions involved in pathogenesis of CDH is likely to advance significantly.