Patient's question:
During in vitro fertilization, the embryo developed with an extra 5th chromosome and a missing 18th chromosome. Which chromosome abnormality is the most severe?Doctor's answer:
Whether it is a 5 or an 18, it is relatively serious. The genetic disease caused by the partial deletion of chromosome 5 is also known as Cri-du-chat syndrome. Patients with Cri-du-chat syndrome have widely spaced eyes, low-set ears, delayed growth and development, and severe intellectual disability. Females are generally more affected than males, and there is growth and intellectual developmental retardation. The main malformations of 18 trisomy syndrome include abnormalities of the mesoderm and its derivatives (such as bones, urinary and reproductive systems, and the heart, which are most prominent).