Wildervanck Syndrome

Wildervanck syndrome is a condition that affects the bones in the neck, the eyes, and the ears. It is characterized by Klippel-Feil anomaly (in which the bones of the neck fuse together), Duane syndrome (an eye movement disorder), and hearing loss. Wildervanck syndrome occurs primarily in females. In most cases, Wildervanck syndrome occurs randomly for unknown reasons in a family with no prior history (sporadically), though a deletion on the X chromosome was identified in one individual with Wildervanck syndrome. X-linked dominant inheritance has been suggested due to the high prevalence of affected females. Treatment is specific to each symptom and may include physical therapy, surgical intervention for skeletal, ocular, auditory, and cardiac abnormalities, and utilization of hearing aids.