Child and adolescent psychiatry: Williams syndrome: practice question

A Psychiatry question in the style of the NEET PG paper. Answer it first, then read why the right option is right and why each of the others is wrong.

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Psychiatry · Child and adolescent psychiatry: Williams syndrome

Sample item

A 6-year-old has elfin facies, is very friendly with strangers, speaks fluently, but has poor visuospatial skills and mild intellectual disability. Echocardiography shows supravalvular aortic stenosis. Which syndrome is this?

Original practice item, not a recalled exam question. Nothing here is recorded.

The answer and the reasoning

D. Williams syndrome

Williams syndrome is caused by a deletion at 7q11.23 involving the elastin gene. It features elfin facies, supravalvular aortic stenosis, hypercalcaemia, mild intellectual disability with relatively good verbal ability, and an overly sociable personality.

Option by option

  • A. Noonan syndrome

    Noonan syndrome has webbed neck, short stature and pulmonary valve stenosis.

  • B. Turner syndrome

    Turner syndrome occurs in girls with short stature, webbed neck and coarctation of the aorta.

  • C. Down syndrome

    Down syndrome has hypotonia, upslanting palpebral fissures and atrioventricular canal defects.

  • D. Williams syndrome (correct)

    Correct. Elfin facies, supravalvular aortic stenosis and sociability define Williams syndrome.

Source note: Original NextPrep sample item — pending expert review. This item is original practice material awaiting independent expert review, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.

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Questions about this Psychiatry question

What is the answer to this Psychiatry question?

The best answer is D, Williams syndrome. Williams syndrome is caused by a deletion at 7q11.

Why is "Noonan syndrome" not the answer?

Noonan syndrome has webbed neck, short stature and pulmonary valve stenosis.

Why is "Turner syndrome" not the answer?

Turner syndrome occurs in girls with short stature, webbed neck and coarctation of the aorta.

Why is "Down syndrome" not the answer?

Down syndrome has hypotonia, upslanting palpebral fissures and atrioventricular canal defects.

What concept does this question test?

It tests Child and adolescent psychiatry: Williams syndrome in Psychiatry. 23 involving the elastin gene. It features elfin facies, supravalvular aortic stenosis, hypercalcaemia, mild intellectual disability with relatively good verbal ability, and an overly sociable personality.

How hard is this question?

We tag it as an application question: it asks you to use a fact on a patient or a finding. The tag is our own editorial judgement, not an official difficulty rating, so read the reason for every option, not only the answer.

How should I study Child and adolescent psychiatry: Williams syndrome?

Learn each diagnosis by its core features and its first-line treatment. Then use the flashcards and the other Psychiatry questions on this site to test what stuck.

Is this a real NEET PG question?

No. It is an original practice item (editorial status: sample, version 1). NextPrep does not publish recalled or leaked questions, and independent faculty review of this item has not been completed yet, so confirm important facts in a standard textbook.