Williams Syndrome
How we have come to an understanding of Williams syndrome as a multisystem disorder is reminiscent of the seven blind men and the elephant. Cardiologists such as Williams et al and Beuren described the cardiovascular manifestations of the condition, particularly supravalvular aortic stenosis, in 1961. Earlier, Fanconi et al and others reported cases of idiopathic hypercalcemia of infancy primarily from an endocrinologic point of view. In 1963, Black and Carter described the association of the two conditions with a set of dysmorphic facial features which, unfortunately, has been labeled `elfin' facies. The syndrome was described further in the 1970s by Jones and Smith. In 1978, because of the work of Bennett et al, the behavioral phenotype began to become known.