Charge syndrome includes all except:
**Core Concept**
Charge syndrome, also known as acro-renal-ocular syndrome, is a rare genetic disorder characterized by multiple congenital anomalies, including craniofacial abnormalities, cardiac defects, and genitourinary malformations. The syndrome is caused by mutations in the _CHD7_ gene, which encodes a chromatin remodeling protein essential for embryonic development.
**Why the Correct Answer is Right**
The characteristic features of Charge syndrome include choanal atresia, coloboma, heart defects, and genitourinary anomalies, such as undescended testes or renal agenesis. The presence of these features, along with characteristic craniofacial abnormalities, is diagnostic of Charge syndrome. The _CHD7_ gene plays a crucial role in the development of multiple organ systems, and mutations in this gene lead to the characteristic features of the syndrome.
**Why Each Wrong Option is Incorrect**
**Option A:** Not a characteristic feature of Charge syndrome.
**Option B:** Not a characteristic feature of Charge syndrome.
**Option C:** Not a characteristic feature of Charge syndrome.
**Clinical Pearl / High-Yield Fact**
A common association is with hearing loss, which is present in up to 50% of patients with Charge syndrome. This is often due to inner ear malformations, such as cochlear aplasia or semicircular canal dysplasia.
**Correct Answer: B.**