Definition:

Choanal atresia and lymphoedema is a rare congenital malformation caused by loss-of-function mutation in PTPN14 encoding a nonreceptor tyrosine phosphatase. PTPN14 has been shown to interact with the vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 3 (VEGFR3), a receptor tyrosine kinase that is essential for lymphangiogenesis. The mechanism responsible for the development of choanal atresia is not clear but believed to be failure of the breakdown of the bucconasal membrane during embryogenesis.