Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) is characterized by upper-limb defects, congenital heart malformation, and cardiac conduction disease. Upper-limb malformations may be unilateral, bilateral/symmetric, or bilateral/asymmetric and can range from triphalangeal or absent thumb(s) to phocomelia. Other upper-limb malformations can include unequal arm length caused by aplasia or hypoplasia of the radius, fusion or anomalous development of the carpal and thenar bones, abnormal forearm pronation and supination, abnormal opposition of the thumb, sloping shoulders, and restriction of shoulder joint movement. An abnormal carpal bone is present in all affected individuals and may be the only evidence of disease. A congenital heart malformation is present in 75% of individuals with HOS and most commonly involves the septum. Atrial septal defect and ventricular septal defect can vary in number, size, and location. Complex congenital heart malformations can also occur in individuals with HOS. Individuals with HOS with or without a congenital heart malformation are at risk for cardiac conduction disease. While individuals may present at birth with sinus bradycardia and first-degree atrioventricular (AV) block, AV block can progress unpredictably to a higher grade including complete heart block with and without atrial fibrillation.

The phenotypic spectrum of SHOX deficiency disorders, caused by haploinsufficiency of the short stature homeobox-containing gene (SHOX), ranges from Leri-Weill dyschondrosteosis (LWD) at the severe end of the spectrum to nonspecific short stature at the mild end of the spectrum. In adults with SHOX deficiency, the proportion of LWD versus short stature without features of LWD is not well defined. In LWD the classic clinical triad is short stature, mesomelia, and Madelung deformity. Mesomelia, in which the middle portion of a limb is shortened in relation to the proximal portion, can be evident first in school-aged children and increases with age in frequency and severity. Madelung deformity (abnormal alignment of the radius, ulna, and carpal bones at the wrist) typically develops in mid-to-late childhood and is more common and severe in females. The phenotype of short stature caused by SHOX deficiency in the absence of mesomelia and Madelung deformity (called SHOX-deficient short stature in this GeneReview) is highly variable, even within the same family.

Juberg-Hayward syndrome (JHS) is characterized by cleft lip and palate, rhizomelia of the upper limbs with limited elbow extension due to humeroradial synostosis or dislocation of the radial head, and digital anomalies, including shortened thumbs and index and fifth fingers. Microcephaly has been observed in some patients (Kantaputra et al., 2020).

Liebenberg syndrome is an upper limb malformation characterized by the combination of dysplastic elbow joints and the fusion of wrist bones with consequent radial deviation (summary by Spielmann et al., 2012).

Microcephalic primordial dwarfism, Dauber type is a rare, genetic developmental defect during embryogenesis characterized by severe pre- and postnatal growth retardation, severe microcephaly, severe developmental delay and intelletual disability, severe adult short stature and facial dysmorphism (incl. hypotelorism, small ears, prominent nose). Other reported features include skeletal anomalies (Madelung deformity, clinodactyly, mild lumbar scoliosis, bilateral hip dysplasia) and seizures. Absence of thelarche and menarche is also associated.