Williams Syndrome

Williams syndrome (syndrome of "faces of the elf") is a syndrome arising as a consequence of inherited chromosome rearrangement, sufferers of which have a specific appearance and are characterized by General retardation in the development of certain areas of intelligence.

Howard Lenhoff from the University of California suggested that the prototype image of the elves are people with a genetic deviation called Williams syndrome. This disease was first documented in 1961 in New Zealand.

Patients have a particular facial structure that reminds the person of the elves in their traditional folk version.

They are characterized wide forehead, the movement of the eyebrows in the midline, down full cheeks, a large mouth with full lips (especially the lower), flat noseband, original nose shape with a flat blunt end, small, somewhat pointed chin.

The eyes are often bright blue, with a stellate pattern of the iris and the sclera bluish color. The shape of the eyes are peculiar, with swelling around the eyelids. A convergent strabismus.

For older children characterized by long, sparse teeth. With age, the patients is somewhat different: there the massiveness of the zygomatic arches, is less pronounced pasty face, no flat nose bridge and epicasta. Noteworthy is the increased distance from the base of the nose to the upper lip.

The similarity reinforces individuals smile, which further emphasizes the appearance of puffiness, and the peculiar structure of the mouth.

None of these features is not mandatory, but their overall combination is always present.

Mental retardation in all cases, Williams syndrome is observed. The lack of visual-figurative thinking, abstract thinking is almost completely absent.

Translated by «Yandex.Translator»