Binder's syndrome due to prenatal vitamin K deficiency: a theory of pathogenesis.

There is evidence that vitamin K-deficiency during human pregnancy can be caused by the therapeutic use of warfarin or phenytoin. The pregnancy histories of three cases of Binder's syndrome are reported. One was associated with warfarin exposure, one with phenytoin exposure and one with alcohol abuse. It is proposed that Binder's syndrome can be caused by prenatal exposure to agents that cause vitamin K-deficiency. Sprague-Dawley rats were treated from postnatal day 1 to 12 weeks with daily doses of warfarin (100 mg/kg) and concurrent vitamin K1 (10 mg/kg). This regimen creates a net extra-hepatic vitamin K-deficiency. The treated rats developed with a distinct facial appearance characterized by a markedly reduced snout. Histological examination showed that the normally non-calcified septal cartilage was extensively calcified. It is proposed that normal growth of the septal cartilage is necessary for the development of the profile of the nose and midface and that normal growth will only take place while the septal cartilage is uncalcified.