Potential involvement of vascular endothelial growth factor in pathophysiology of Turner syndrome

Cases of prenatal cervical hygroma like in Turner syndrome show both hydrops and cardiac defects. We hypothesize that excess VEGF formed in the wall of the distended jugular sacs (cervical hygroma's) results in other abnormal features characteristic for Turner syndrome such as short stature and gonadal dysgenesis. This implicates that if excess VEGF could be limited prenatally, the phenotypical expression of Turner syndrome can possibly be reduced.