- Turner syndrome (TS) affects approximately 1 out of every 2,000 girls in the US
- Turner syndrome was first discovered in 1938 by Dr. Henry Turner while studying a group of seven girls who all had the same unusual developmental and physical features.
- People with Turner syndrome have an abnormally short stature—the average height of a person with TS is 4 ft 8 in.
- Other distinctive physical features of TS include low-set ears, webbed neck (excess skin on the neck), scoliosis, and fingernails and toenails that turn upward.
- Turner syndrome is caused by a defect of the second female sex chromosome.
- Researchers believe TS is not an inherited condition. Also, they know that parents do not cause—and cannot prevent—Turner syndrome in their daughters.
- You can be diagnosed with TS at any age. It doesn't matter when you're diagnosed, the test used to determine Turner syndrome is the same—a karyotype. A karyotype is a blood test that produces an image of your chromosomes.
- People with Turner syndrome are at a higher risk of developing other medical problems, including heart and kidney abnormalities, hypothyroidism, and ear infections.
- It's rare for a woman with Turner syndrome to naturally conceive a child. Fortunately, there are many fertility treatments available to help a woman with TS have a baby
- There is no cure for TS, but human growth hormone and estrogen replacement therapy will help manage it.
Updated on: 10/12/10
