Thanatophoric dysplasia (TD) is considered one of the
lethal skeletal dysplasias and is due to de novo changes in
the FGFR3 gene. The characteristic features include large
head size, extremely short limbs, and narrow chest with
underdeveloped lungs. Among those who are born alive,
most die soon afterward due to respiratory failure. As the
skeletal findings are quite striking, TD is often diagnosed
antenatally on fetal ultrasound. In 1988, MacDonald et al.
[1] submitted a manuscript to the American Journal of
Medical Genetics describing two unrelated, prolonged
survivors with TD, patient 1 and patient 2. At the end of
the published article, there was an addendum that stated
that patient 1 had died at 5.2 years of age. Patient 2 is
still living and is in her late twenties. She is older than
the other reported prolonged survivor [2] by a few years.
We present her history, skeletal findings, and comment
on the natural history of this condition.