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Warburg micro syndrome 3(WARBM3)

MedGen UID:
481833
Concept ID:
C3280203
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: MICRO SYNDROME 3; WARBM3
 
Gene (location): RAB18 (10p12.1)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0013638
OMIM®: 614222

Disease characteristics

Excerpted from the GeneReview: RAB18 Deficiency
RAB18 deficiency is the molecular deficit underlying both Warburg micro syndrome (characterized by eye, nervous system, and endocrine abnormalities) and Martsolf syndrome (characterized by similar – but milder – findings). To date Warburg micro syndrome comprises >96% of reported individuals with genetically defined RAB18 deficiency. The hallmark ophthalmologic findings are bilateral congenital cataracts, usually accompanied by microphthalmia, microcornea (diameter <10), and small atonic pupils. Poor vision despite early cataract surgery likely results from progressive optic atrophy and cortical visual impairment. Individuals with Warburg micro syndrome have severe to profound intellectual disability (ID); those with Martsolf syndrome have mild to moderate ID. Some individuals with RAB18 deficiency also have epilepsy. In Warburg micro syndrome, a progressive ascending spastic paraplegia typically begins with spastic diplegia and contractures during the first year, followed by upper-limb involvement leading to spastic quadriplegia after about age five years, often eventually causing breathing difficulties. In Martsolf syndrome infantile hypotonia is followed primarily by slowly progressive lower-limb spasticity. Hypogonadism – when present – manifests in both syndromes, in males as micropenis and/or cryptorchidism and in females as hypoplastic labia minora, clitoral hypoplasia, and small introitus. [from GeneReviews]
Authors:
Mark Handley  |  Eamonn Sheridan   view full author information

Additional description

From OMIM
Warburg Micro syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive syndrome characterized by microcephaly, microphthalmia, microcornea, congenital cataracts, optic atrophy, cortical dysplasia, in particular corpus callosum hypoplasia, severe mental retardation, spastic diplegia, and hypogonadism (summary by Morris-Rosendahl et al., 2010). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of Warburg Micro syndrome, see 600118.  http://www.omim.org/entry/614222

Clinical features

From HPO
Decreased testicular size
MedGen UID:
66027
Concept ID:
C0241355
Finding
Reduced volume of the testicle (the male gonad).
Small scrotum
MedGen UID:
141577
Concept ID:
C0455792
Finding
Apparently small scrotum for age.
Hypoplastic labia minora
MedGen UID:
376558
Concept ID:
C1849295
Finding
Micropenis
MedGen UID:
1633603
Concept ID:
C4551492
Congenital Abnormality
Abnormally small penis. At birth, the normal penis is about 3 cm (stretched length from pubic tubercle to tip of penis) with micropenis less than 2.0-2.5 cm.
Ankle clonus
MedGen UID:
68672
Concept ID:
C0238651
Finding
Clonus is an involuntary tendon reflex that causes repeated flexion and extension of the foot. Ankle clonus is tested by rapidly flexing the foot upward.
Clinodactyly of the 5th finger
MedGen UID:
340456
Concept ID:
C1850049
Congenital Abnormality
Clinodactyly refers to a bending or curvature of the fifth finger in the radial direction (i.e., towards the 4th finger).
Postnatal growth retardation
MedGen UID:
395343
Concept ID:
C1859778
Finding
Slow or limited growth after birth.
Macrotia
MedGen UID:
488785
Concept ID:
C0152421
Congenital Abnormality
Median longitudinal ear length greater than two standard deviations above the mean and median ear width greater than two standard deviations above the mean (objective); or, apparent increase in length and width of the pinna (subjective).
Polymicrogyria
MedGen UID:
78605
Concept ID:
C0266464
Congenital Abnormality
Polymicrogyria is a congenital malformation of the cerebral cortex characterized by abnormal cortical layering (lamination) and an excessive number of small gyri (folds).
Hypoplasia of the corpus callosum
MedGen UID:
138005
Concept ID:
C0344482
Congenital Abnormality
Underdevelopment of the corpus callosum.
Spastic tetraplegia
MedGen UID:
98433
Concept ID:
C0426970
Disease or Syndrome
Spastic paralysis affecting all four limbs.
Bilateral tonic-clonic seizure
MedGen UID:
141670
Concept ID:
C0494475
Sign or Symptom
A bilateral tonic-clonic seizure is a seizure defined by a tonic (bilateral increased tone, lasting seconds to minutes) and then a clonic (bilateral sustained rhythmic jerking) phase.
Global developmental delay
MedGen UID:
107838
Concept ID:
C0557874
Finding
A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.
Inability to walk
MedGen UID:
107860
Concept ID:
C0560046
Finding
Incapability to ambulate.
Lower limb spasticity
MedGen UID:
220865
Concept ID:
C1271100
Finding
Spasticity (velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes with increased muscle tone and hyperexcitable tendon reflexes) in the muscles of the lower limbs, hips, and pelvis
Primitive reflex
MedGen UID:
333065
Concept ID:
C1838319
Finding
The primitive reflexes are a group of behavioral motor responses which are found in normal early development, are subsequently inhibited, but may be released from inhibition by cerebral, usually frontal, damage. They are thus part of a broader group of reflexes which reflect release phenomena, such as exaggerated stretch reflexes and extensor plantars. They do however involve more complex motor responses than such simple stretch reflexes, and are often a normal feature in the neonate or infant.
Absent speech
MedGen UID:
340737
Concept ID:
C1854882
Finding
Complete lack of development of speech and language abilities.
Intellectual disability, profound
MedGen UID:
892508
Concept ID:
C3161330
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Profound mental retardation is defined as an intelligence quotient (IQ) below 20.
Ventriculomegaly
MedGen UID:
480553
Concept ID:
C3278923
Finding
An increase in size of the ventricular system of the brain.
Myoclonic seizure
MedGen UID:
1385980
Concept ID:
C4317123
Sign or Symptom
A myoclonic seizure is a type of motor seizure characterized by sudden, brief (<100 ms) involuntary single or multiple contraction of muscles or muscle groups of variable topography (axial, proximal limb, distal). Myoclonus is less regularly repetitive and less sustained than is clonus.
Cerebral cortical atrophy
MedGen UID:
1646740
Concept ID:
C4551583
Disease or Syndrome
Atrophy of the cortex of the cerebrum.
Micrognathia
MedGen UID:
44428
Concept ID:
C0025990
Congenital Abnormality
Developmental hypoplasia of the mandible.
Brachycephaly
MedGen UID:
113165
Concept ID:
C0221356
Congenital Abnormality
An abnormality of skull shape characterized by a decreased anterior-posterior diameter. That is, a cephalic index greater than 81%. Alternatively, an apparently shortened anteroposterior dimension (length) of the head compared to width.
Flexion contracture
MedGen UID:
83069
Concept ID:
C0333068
Anatomical Abnormality
A flexion contracture is a bent (flexed) joint that cannot be straightened actively or passively. It is thus a chronic loss of joint motion due to structural changes in muscle, tendons, ligaments, or skin that prevents normal movement of joints.
Secondary microcephaly
MedGen UID:
608952
Concept ID:
C0431352
Finding
Head circumference which falls below 2 standard deviations below the mean for age and gender because of insufficient head growth after birth.
Kyphoscoliosis
MedGen UID:
154361
Concept ID:
C0575158
Anatomical Abnormality
An abnormal curvature of the spine in both a coronal (lateral) and sagittal (back-to-front) plane.
Decreased muscle mass
MedGen UID:
373256
Concept ID:
C1837108
Finding
Enlarged cisterna magna
MedGen UID:
344031
Concept ID:
C1853377
Finding
Increase in size of the cisterna magna, one of three principal openings in the subarachnoid space between the arachnoid and pia mater, located between the cerebellum and the dorsal surface of the medulla oblongata.
Axial hypotonia
MedGen UID:
342959
Concept ID:
C1853743
Finding
Muscular hypotonia (abnormally low muscle tone) affecting the musculature of the trunk.
Microcephaly
MedGen UID:
1644158
Concept ID:
C4551563
Finding
Head circumference below 2 standard deviations below the mean for age and gender.
Blepharophimosis
MedGen UID:
2670
Concept ID:
C0005744
Congenital Abnormality
A fixed reduction in the vertical distance between the upper and lower eyelids with short palpebral fissures.
Narrow palate
MedGen UID:
278045
Concept ID:
C1398312
Finding
Width of the palate more than 2 SD below the mean (objective) or apparently decreased palatal width (subjective).
Low anterior hairline
MedGen UID:
331280
Concept ID:
C1842366
Finding
Distance between the hairline (trichion) and the glabella (the most prominent point on the frontal bone above the root of the nose), in the midline, more than two SD below the mean. Alternatively, an apparently decreased distance between the hairline and the glabella.
Short nose
MedGen UID:
343052
Concept ID:
C1854114
Finding
Distance from nasion to subnasale more than two standard deviations below the mean, or alternatively, an apparently decreased length from the nasal root to the nasal tip.
Downturned corners of mouth
MedGen UID:
356471
Concept ID:
C1866195
Anatomical Abnormality
A morphological abnormality of the mouth in which the angle of the mouth is downturned. The oral commissures are positioned inferior to the midline labial fissure.
Hypertrichosis
MedGen UID:
43787
Concept ID:
C0020555
Disease or Syndrome
Hypertrichosis is increased hair growth that is abnormal in quantity or location.
Wide intermamillary distance
MedGen UID:
473489
Concept ID:
C1827524
Finding
A larger than usual distance between the left and right nipple.
Developmental cataract
MedGen UID:
3202
Concept ID:
C0009691
Congenital Abnormality
A cataract that occurs congenitally as the result of a developmental defect, in contrast to the majority of cataracts that occur in adulthood as the result of degenerative changes of the lens.
Microphthalmia
MedGen UID:
10033
Concept ID:
C0026010
Congenital Abnormality
Microphthalmia is an eye abnormality that arises before birth. In this condition, one or both eyeballs are abnormally small. In some affected individuals, the eyeball may appear to be completely missing; however, even in these cases some remaining eye tissue is generally present. Such severe microphthalmia should be distinguished from another condition called anophthalmia, in which no eyeball forms at all. However, the terms anophthalmia and severe microphthalmia are often used interchangeably. Microphthalmia may or may not result in significant vision loss.\n\nPeople with microphthalmia may also have a condition called coloboma. Colobomas are missing pieces of tissue in structures that form the eye. They may appear as notches or gaps in the colored part of the eye called the iris; the retina, which is the specialized light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye; the blood vessel layer under the retina called the choroid; or in the optic nerves, which carry information from the eyes to the brain. Colobomas may be present in one or both eyes and, depending on their size and location, can affect a person's vision.\n\nPeople with microphthalmia may also have other eye abnormalities, including clouding of the lens of the eye (cataract) and a narrowed opening of the eye (narrowed palpebral fissure). Additionally, affected individuals may have an abnormality called microcornea, in which the clear front covering of the eye (cornea) is small and abnormally curved.\n\nBetween one-third and one-half of affected individuals have microphthalmia as part of a syndrome that affects other organs and tissues in the body. These forms of the condition are described as syndromic. When microphthalmia occurs by itself, it is described as nonsyndromic or isolated.
Miosis
MedGen UID:
6409
Concept ID:
C0026205
Disease or Syndrome
Abnormal (non-physiological) constriction of the pupil.
Nystagmus
MedGen UID:
45166
Concept ID:
C0028738
Disease or Syndrome
Rhythmic, involuntary oscillations of one or both eyes related to abnormality in fixation, conjugate gaze, or vestibular mechanisms.
Optic atrophy
MedGen UID:
18180
Concept ID:
C0029124
Disease or Syndrome
Atrophy of the optic nerve. Optic atrophy results from the death of the retinal ganglion cell axons that comprise the optic nerve and manifesting as a pale optic nerve on fundoscopy.
Cataract
MedGen UID:
39462
Concept ID:
C0086543
Disease or Syndrome
A cataract is an opacity or clouding that develops in the crystalline lens of the eye or in its capsule.
Microcornea
MedGen UID:
78610
Concept ID:
C0266544
Congenital Abnormality
A congenital abnormality of the cornea in which the cornea and the anterior segment of the eye are smaller than normal. The horizontal diameter of the cornea does not reach 10 mm even in adulthood.
Shallow anterior chamber
MedGen UID:
602215
Concept ID:
C0423276
Finding
Reduced depth of the anterior chamber, i.e., the anteroposterior distance between the cornea and the iris is decreased.
Cerebral visual impairment
MedGen UID:
890568
Concept ID:
C4048268
Pathologic Function
A form of loss of vision caused by damage to the visual cortex rather than a defect in the eye.

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Deneubourg C, Ramm M, Smith LJ, Baron O, Singh K, Byrne SC, Duchen MR, Gautel M, Eskelinen EL, Fanto M, Jungbluth H
Autophagy 2022 Mar;18(3):496-517. Epub 2021 Aug 19 doi: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1943177. PMID: 34130600Free PMC Article

Diagnosis

Wang Q, Qin T, Wang X, Li J, Lin X, Wang D, Lin Z, Zhang X, Li X, Lin H, Chen W
Genes (Basel) 2022 Dec 14;13(12) doi: 10.3390/genes13122364. PMID: 36553631Free PMC Article
Deneubourg C, Ramm M, Smith LJ, Baron O, Singh K, Byrne SC, Duchen MR, Gautel M, Eskelinen EL, Fanto M, Jungbluth H
Autophagy 2022 Mar;18(3):496-517. Epub 2021 Aug 19 doi: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1943177. PMID: 34130600Free PMC Article
Xu W, Plummer L, Quinton R, Swords F, Crowley WF, Seminara SB, Balasubramanian R
Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud 2020 Jun;6(3) Epub 2020 Jun 12 doi: 10.1101/mcs.a005033. PMID: 32376645Free PMC Article
Kabzińska D, Mierzewska H, Senderek J, Kochański A
Folia Neuropathol 2016;54(3):273-281. doi: 10.5114/fn.2016.62537. PMID: 27764520
Asahina M, Endoh Y, Matsubayashi T, Fukuda T, Ogata T
Brain Dev 2016 Mar;38(3):337-40. Epub 2015 Oct 1 doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2015.09.006. PMID: 26421802

Prognosis

Deneubourg C, Ramm M, Smith LJ, Baron O, Singh K, Byrne SC, Duchen MR, Gautel M, Eskelinen EL, Fanto M, Jungbluth H
Autophagy 2022 Mar;18(3):496-517. Epub 2021 Aug 19 doi: 10.1080/15548627.2021.1943177. PMID: 34130600Free PMC Article
Asahina M, Endoh Y, Matsubayashi T, Fukuda T, Ogata T
Brain Dev 2016 Mar;38(3):337-40. Epub 2015 Oct 1 doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2015.09.006. PMID: 26421802

Clinical prediction guides

Asahina M, Endoh Y, Matsubayashi T, Fukuda T, Ogata T
Brain Dev 2016 Mar;38(3):337-40. Epub 2015 Oct 1 doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2015.09.006. PMID: 26421802
Park AK, Liegel RP, Ronchetti A, Ebert AD, Geurts A, Sidjanin DJ
BMC Genet 2014 Dec 5;15:135. doi: 10.1186/s12863-014-0135-2. PMID: 25476608Free PMC Article

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