Abnormal timing in the prenatal ossification of vertebral column and hand in Crouzon syndrome

We report on a radiographically examined fetus (gestational age 13 weeks) w ith Crouzon syndrome caused by a mutation in the gene encoding the fibrobla st growth factor 2 (FGFR2). We found an approximately S-week delay in verte bral body and hand ossification with normal vertebral arch ossification, su ggesting that regionally delayed skeletal maturation might be a manifestati on of FGFR2 mutation syndromes. The findings support other studies indicati ng that different signaling pathways control skeletal maturation in vertebr al bodies and vertebral arches. (C) 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.