Velo-cardio-facial (Shprintzen's) Syndrome, violence and schizophrenia

Shprintzen's Syndrome, or Velo-cardio-facial Syndrome (VCFS), is an autosom al dominant multiple anomaly disorder linked to a hemizygous interstitial d eletion of chromosome 22q11. We believe this is the first reported case of schizophrenia coexisting with VCFS in a patient whose genotype does not sho w the characteristic micro-deletion. Second, the association of VCFS with v iolent fantasies and dangerous behaviour has not been reported and provides an interesting dimension to the study of 'dangerousness'. It is important that psychiatrists keep in mind the possibility that dangerous behaviour ma y be associated with specific, though perhaps rare, clinical syndromes. How ever, the nature of the association between the two needs to be established .