Primary microcephaly (MCPH) is a clinical diagnosis made when an individual has a head circumference more than 3 standard deviations below the age- and sex-matched population mean and mental retardation, with no other associated malformations and with no apparent etiology. Most cases of primary microcephaly show an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance (Woods et al., 2005).
For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of primary microcephaly, see MCPH1 (251200). [from
OMIM]