Genetic Disorders
Sickle Cell Anemia: A-to-Z Guide from Diagnosis to Treatment to Prevention
Introduction to sickle cell anemia: Normal red blood cells are soft, gel-like discs that can squish as needed to slip through the tiny capillaries of the body. In sickle cell anemia, the red blood cel…
Diagnosis in the 21st Century
Back in 1995, a man died tragically when he was only 42 years old. The official diagnosis was liver failure from alcoholic cirrhosis. No autopsy was done. The body was cremated. No clues remained. End…
DiGeorge Anomaly
Dr. Greene's Answer: It boggles my mind. The development of a single fertilized egg into the trillion-fold complexities of a crying newborn baby with absolutely unique fingerprints and toeprints amaze…
Hemihypertrophy and Cancer
Dr. Greene's Answer: Hemihypertrophy, also called hemihyperplasia, is a greater-than-normal asymmetry between the right and left sides of the body. It can occur as an independent condition (isolated …
Hemihypertrophy & Hemihyperplasia
Dr. Greene's Answer: Vonda, I'm so glad you asked! Most people are not aware of this medical condition. Hemihypertrophy, also called hemihyperplasia, is a greater-than-normal asymmetry between the rig…
Hemihypertrophy
Dr. Greene's Answer: Hemihypertrophy, also called hemihyperplasia, is a greater-than-normal asymmetry between the right and left sides of the body. This difference can be in just one finger; just one …
Dupuytren’s Contracture and Plantar Fibromatosis
Dr. Greene's Answer: Robi, most parents hold the deep, unquestioned belief that over the next several years we will watch our children grow ever more independent and more mobile as they walk out of ou…
Dupuytren’s Contracture
Dr. Greene's Answer: In the palms of our hands and the soles of our feet, we each have a tough fibrous layer called fascia (the palmar fascia and plantar fascia, respectively). In Dupuytren's contract…
Grebe Syndrome
Dr. Greene's Answer: Pregnancy is one of the most vivid seasons of human life, a time when a woman is sharing an experience with her ancestors all the way back to those before recorded history. In jus…
Chances Of Having A Second Baby With Trisomy 13
Dr. Greene's Answer: Melissa, quite a lot has happened since I wrote you last week. On Wednesday, I drove about an hour and a half to Santa Rosa, California to be present when my sister had a baby. Sh…
Information on Trisomy 13
Dr. Greene's Answer: Melissa, one of my most vivid memories from my pediatric residency was sitting with a mom while she rocked her son who was born with trisomy 13. We were in the Intensive Care Nurs…
The Complex and Profound Effects of Trisomy 13
Dr. Greene's Answer: The 13th chromosome contains blueprints that direct a baby's development in the early weeks following conception. When a child has an extra 13th chromosome, as is the case in tris…
XYY Boys
Dr. Greene's Answer: My hat is off to you, Mary. Your instinct is leading you to an often unrecognized root of many problems in very active boys. Mothering four children is a huge task -- all the more…