Duane syndrome: Associated anomalies
Edward R. O'Malley, M.D.
"Duane Syndrome Plus" is Duane Syndrome associated with skeletal abnormalities of spine and limbs, otologic defects from the external ear to the acoustic nerve, and the ocular malformations. In a study done by Marilyn Miller in Sweden in patients who manifest thalidomide embryopathy, it was concluded that a disturbance in development results in Duane Syndrome.
As more pieces are added to the Duane syndrome puzzle, the identity of its origin becomes more clear. The association of Duane syndrome with congenital anomalies of the limbs, head and neck supports the theory of a single teratogenic event as the cause of the observed malformations. Clustering of congenital anomalies has permitted the construction of timetables which define the most sensitive periods during which an embryonic disturbance can produce a given malformation.
© 1993 The Board of Regents of the University of Wisconsin System