Background: Turner syndrome is a relatively common chromosomal disorder. The disease affects only females, causing hypogonadism and short stature. Early treatment can improve short stature and hypogonadism. The study aims to describe chromosomal abnormalities, clinical characteristics and its relationship with chromosomal abnormalities in patients with Turner syndrome.
Methods: A total of 213 patients with Turner syndrome diagnosed in National Hospital of Pediatrics, Hanoi. A cross section study was used.
Results: Mean age on diagnosis was 12.2±4.9 years. Monosomy 45,XO occupied 54,31%; 45,X/46,XX was seen in 14.66%; 27.59% had structural disorders of chromosome X. Short stature was found in all patients aged more than 15 years. Severity of short stature and percentage of patients with short stature went up with age. There was no difference in term of height between karyotype groups. In group aged ≥12 years, 95.2% of cases had hypogonadism. Other symptoms frequently seen were nail hypoplasia (77.4%), cubitus valgus (74.7%), broad chest (69.2%)/abnormalities in face and neck were epicanthic fold (55.6%), low posterior line (51.3%), excessive skin in the back of the neck/webbed neck (42.5%). In a group aged <1 year, lymphoedema of hands/feet, epicanthic fold, broad chest, cubitus valgus were found in 100%. Majority of symptoms, congenital defects of heart/kidney were seen more frequently in 45,X group.
Conclusions: Lymphoedema of hands/feet in infants, low growth velocity, delayed puberty, abnormalities in face and neck, and other symptoms should be checked to early diagnose and treat Turner syndrome. Patients with 45,X had more severe presentation compared to patients with 45,X/46,XX and structural abnormalities of X chromosome.
