Genetics rounds

by Robert Marion

Marion (pediatrics and obstetrics and gynecology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, and clinical genetics, Montefiore Medical Center and Blythedale Children's Hospital) shares stories of cases he has been involved with during his career as a geneticist, such as conjoined twins who shared a skull and were successfully separated; a child whose broken bones were found to be a genetic condition rather than child abuse; a baby with a genetically-transmitted absence of sweat glands; a child suffering from Sanfilippo syndrome; and a child who died of spinal muscular atrophy. He offers insight into the roles clinical geneticists play, the human side of genetics, ethical dilemmas he has faced, mysteries he has solved, and aspects of academic medicine. Some of the essays have been previously published. Annotation c2009 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com).