Definition of Gorlin syndrome Gorlin syndrome: The nevoid basal
cell carcinoma syndrome, a genetic disorder inherited in an
autosomal dominant manner and characterized by a broad face, rib
malformations, and an extraordinary predisposition to basal cell
carcinoma, a type of skin cancer. The gene for Gorlin syndrome
has been mapped to chromosome 9 and has been identified as PTCH,
the human homolog of the Drosophila "patched" gene PTC. The
syndrome had been previously described but it was first
delineated in its full extent in 1960 by Robert J Gorlin and
Robert W Goltz. Although Dr. Gorlin described many syndromes,
none is more closely connected with his name than this syndrome.
It has also been called the basal cell nevus syndrome (BCNS),
nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome (NBCCS), and the Gorlin-
Goltz syndrome.. Last Editorial Review: 6/14/2012 Back to
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