Conditions Associated With Webbed Hands & Feet

Crouzon Syndrome

Crouzon syndrome is the most common of the craniosynostosis syndromes and affects sixteen out of every million newborns. In this condition, the infant’s skull bones fuse prematurely and cause various deformities. They will also have shallow eye sockets with bulging, wide-set eyes, an underdeveloped lower jaw, and a beak-like nose. Affected infants often have dental problems like crowded teeth caused by their poorly developed lower jaw. Some patients have abnormally narrow ear canals that cause hearing loss. Some patients are also born with a cleft palate or lip. In a variant form called type II Crouzon syndrome, the patient will also have webbed digits.

The condition is caused by a mutation of the gene FGFR2, which causes the skull bones to fuse too early. Infants and children with the disorder undergo several surgeries to both prevent brain damage and to correct their deformities. If the operation is performed soon enough, the child can enjoy normal intelligence and an average lifespan.