Marshall-Smith syndrome
Definition
Marshall-Smith syndrome is a childhood condition involving specific facial characteristics, bone maturation that is advanced for the individual's age, failure to grow and gain weight appropriate for the individual's age, and severe respiratory (breathing) problems.
Description
Marshall-Smith syndrome (MSS) was first described in two males seen in 1971 by Drs. Marshall, Graham, Scott, and Smith. They noticed changes in the skeletal system of these patients. Bones normally mature through several stages, naturally progressing through these stages with time. Specifically, a young child's bones have more cartilage and less calcium deposits than an adult's bones. A child's bones appear less "dense" on an x ray than an adult's bones. A constant feature of MSS is skeletal maturation that...
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