MedGen

Achondroplasia is the most common cause of disproportionate short stature. Affected individuals have rhizomelic shortening of the limbs, macrocephaly, and characteristic facial features with frontal bossing and midface retrusion. In infancy, hypotonia is typical, and acquisition of developmental motor milestones is often both aberrant in pattern and delayed. Intelligence and life span are usually near normal, although craniocervical junction compression increases the risk of death in infancy. Additional complications include obstructive sleep apnea, middle ear dysfunction, kyphosis, and spinal stenosis. [from GeneReviews]

CHD7 disorder encompasses the entire phenotypic spectrum of heterozygous CHD7 pathogenic variants that includes CHARGE syndrome as well as subsets of features that comprise the CHARGE syndrome phenotype. The mnemonic CHARGE syndrome, introduced in the premolecular era, stands for coloboma, heart defect, choanal atresia, retarded growth and development, genital hypoplasia, ear anomalies (including deafness). Following the identification of the genetic cause of CHD7 disorder, the phenotypic spectrum expanded to include cranial nerve anomalies, vestibular defects, cleft lip and/or palate, hypothyroidism, tracheoesophageal anomalies, brain anomalies, seizures, and renal anomalies. Life expectancy highly depends on the severity of manifestations; mortality can be high in the first few years when severe birth defects (particularly complex heart defects) are present and often complicated by airway and feeding issues. In childhood, adolescence, and adulthood, decreased life expectancy is likely related to a combination of residual heart defects, infections, aspiration or choking, respiratory issues including obstructive and central apnea, and possibly seizures. Despite these complications, the life expectancy for many individuals can be normal. [from GeneReviews]

Sotos syndrome is characterized by a distinctive facial appearance (broad and prominent forehead with a dolichocephalic head shape, sparse frontotemporal hair, downslanting palpebral fissures, malar flushing, long and narrow face, long chin); learning disability (early developmental delay, mild-to-severe intellectual impairment); and overgrowth (height and/or head circumference =2 SD above the mean). These three clinical features are considered the cardinal features of Sotos syndrome. Major features of Sotos syndrome include behavioral problems (most notably autistic spectrum disorder), advanced bone age, cardiac anomalies, cranial MRI/CT abnormalities, joint hyperlaxity with or without pes planus, maternal preeclampsia, neonatal complications, renal anomalies, scoliosis, and seizures. [from GeneReviews]

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS) is characterized by distinctive facial features, broad and often angulated thumbs and halluces, short stature, and moderate-to-severe intellectual disability. The characteristic craniofacial features are downslanted palpebral fissures, low-hanging columella, high palate, grimacing smile, and talon cusps. Prenatal growth is often normal, then height, weight, and head circumference percentiles rapidly drop in the first few months of life. Short stature is typical in adulthood. Obesity may develop in childhood or adolescence. Average IQ ranges between 35 and 50; however, developmental outcome varies considerably. Some individuals with EP300-RSTS have normal intellect. Additional features include ocular abnormalities, hearing loss, respiratory difficulties, congenital heart defects, renal abnormalities, cryptorchidism, feeding problems, recurrent infections, and severe constipation. [from GeneReviews]

Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome (SLOS) is a congenital multiple-anomaly / cognitive impairment syndrome caused by an abnormality in cholesterol metabolism resulting from deficiency of the enzyme 7-dehydrocholesterol (7-DHC) reductase. It is characterized by prenatal and postnatal growth restriction, microcephaly, moderate-to-severe intellectual disability, and multiple major and minor malformations. The malformations include distinctive facial features, cleft palate, cardiac defects, underdeveloped external genitalia in males, postaxial polydactyly, and 2-3 syndactyly of the toes. The clinical spectrum is wide; individuals with normal development and only minor malformations have been described. [from GeneReviews]

Campomelic dysplasia (CD) is a skeletal dysplasia characterized by distinctive facies, Pierre Robin sequence with cleft palate, shortening and bowing of long bones, and clubfeet. Other findings include laryngotracheomalacia with respiratory compromise and ambiguous genitalia or normal female external genitalia in most individuals with a 46,XY karyotype. Many affected infants die in the neonatal period; additional findings identified in long-term survivors include short stature, cervical spine instability with cord compression, progressive scoliosis, and hearing impairment. [from GeneReviews]

Zellweger spectrum disorder (ZSD) is a phenotypic continuum ranging from severe to mild. While individual phenotypes (e.g., Zellweger syndrome [ZS], neonatal adrenoleukodystrophy [NALD], and infantile Refsum disease [IRD]) were described in the past before the biochemical and molecular bases of this spectrum were fully determined, the term "ZSD" is now used to refer to all individuals with a defect in one of the ZSD-PEX genes regardless of phenotype. Individuals with ZSD usually come to clinical attention in the newborn period or later in childhood. Affected newborns are hypotonic and feed poorly. They have distinctive facies, congenital malformations (neuronal migration defects associated with neonatal-onset seizures, renal cysts, and bony stippling [chondrodysplasia punctata] of the patella[e] and the long bones), and liver disease that can be severe. Infants with severe ZSD are significantly impaired and typically die during the first year of life, usually having made no developmental progress. Individuals with intermediate/milder ZSD do not have congenital malformations, but rather progressive peroxisome dysfunction variably manifest as sensory loss (secondary to retinal dystrophy and sensorineural hearing loss), neurologic involvement (ataxia, polyneuropathy, and leukodystrophy), liver dysfunction, adrenal insufficiency, and renal oxalate stones. While hypotonia and developmental delays are typical, intellect can be normal. Some have osteopenia; almost all have ameleogenesis imperfecta in the secondary teeth. [from GeneReviews]

Gaucher disease (GD) encompasses a continuum of clinical findings from a perinatal lethal disorder to an asymptomatic type. The identification of three major clinical types (1, 2, and 3) and two other subtypes (perinatal-lethal and cardiovascular) is useful in determining prognosis and management. GD type 1 is characterized by the presence of clinical or radiographic evidence of bone disease (osteopenia, focal lytic or sclerotic lesions, and osteonecrosis), hepatosplenomegaly, anemia and thrombocytopenia, lung disease, and the absence of primary central nervous system disease. GD types 2 and 3 are characterized by the presence of primary neurologic disease; in the past, they were distinguished by age of onset and rate of disease progression, but these distinctions are not absolute. Disease with onset before age two years, limited psychomotor development, and a rapidly progressive course with death by age two to four years is classified as GD type 2. Individuals with GD type 3 may have onset before age two years, but often have a more slowly progressive course, with survival into the third or fourth decade. The perinatal-lethal form is associated with ichthyosiform or collodion skin abnormalities or with nonimmune hydrops fetalis. The cardiovascular form is characterized by calcification of the aortic and mitral valves, mild splenomegaly, corneal opacities, and supranuclear ophthalmoplegia. Cardiopulmonary complications have been described with all the clinical subtypes, although varying in frequency and severity. [from GeneReviews]

Ethylmalonic encephalopathy (EE) is a severe, early-onset, progressive disorder characterized by developmental delay / mild-to-severe intellectual disability; generalized infantile hypotonia that evolves into hypertonia, spasticity, and (in some instances) dystonia; generalized tonic-clonic seizures; and generalized microvascular damage (diffuse and spontaneous relapsing petechial purpura, hemorrhagic suffusions of mucosal surfaces, and chronic hemorrhagic diarrhea). Infants sometimes have frequent vomiting and loss of social interaction. Speech is delayed and in some instances absent. Swallowing difficulties and failure to thrive are common. Children may be unable to walk without support and may be wheelchair bound. Neurologic deterioration accelerates following intercurrent infectious illness, and the majority of children die in the first decade. [from GeneReviews]

Fanconi anemia (FA) is characterized by physical abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and increased risk for malignancy. Physical abnormalities, present in approximately 75% of affected individuals, include one or more of the following: short stature, abnormal skin pigmentation, skeletal malformations of the upper and/or lower limbs, microcephaly, and ophthalmic and genitourinary tract anomalies. Progressive bone marrow failure with pancytopenia typically presents in the first decade, often initially with thrombocytopenia or leukopenia. The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia is 13% by age 50 years. Solid tumors – particularly of the head and neck, skin, and genitourinary tract – are more common in individuals with FA. [from GeneReviews]

Congenital myopathy-1A (CMYP1A) with susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia is an autosomal dominant disorder of skeletal muscle characterized by muscle weakness primarily affecting the proximal muscles of the lower limbs beginning in infancy or early childhood, although later onset of symptoms has been reported. There is significant phenotypic variability, even within families, and the wide clinical diversity most likely depends on the severity of the RYR1 mutation. The disorder is static or slowly progressive; affected individuals typically show delayed motor development and usually achieve independent walking, although many have difficulty running or climbing stairs. Additional features often include mild facial weakness, joint laxity, shoulder girdle weakness, and skeletal manifestations, such as dislocation of the hips, foot deformities, scoliosis, and Achilles tendon contractures. Some patients present with orthopedic deformities. Serum creatine kinase is usually not elevated. Respiratory involvement is rare and there is no central nervous system or cardiac involvement. Patients with dominant mutations in the RYR1 gene are at risk for malignant hyperthermia and both disorders may segregate in the same family. Historically, patients with congenital myopathy due to RYR1 mutations were diagnosed based on the finding of pathologic central cores (central core disease; CCD) on muscle biopsy, which represent areas that lack oxidative enzymes and mitochondrial activity in type 1 muscle fibers. However, additional pathologic findings may also be observed, including cores and rods, central nuclei, fiber type disproportion, multiminicores, and uniform type 1 fibers. These histopathologic features are not always specific to RYR1 myopathy and often change over time (Quinlivan et al., 2003; Jungbluth et al., 2007; Klein et al., 2012; Ogasawara and Nishino, 2021). Some patients with RYR1 mutations have pathologic findings on muscle biopsy, but are clinically asymptomatic (Shuaib et al., 1987; Quane et al., 1993). Rare patients with a more severe phenotype have been found to carry a heterozygous mutation in the RYR1 gene inherited from an unaffected parent. However, in these cases, there is a possibility of recessive inheritance (CMYP1B; 255320) with either a missed second RYR1 mutation in trans or a genomic rearrangement on the other allele that is undetectable on routine genomic sequencing, since the RYR1 gene is very large and genetic analysis may be difficult (Klein et al., 2012). Genetic Heterogeneity of Congenital Myopathy See also CMYP1B (255320), caused by mutation in the RYR1 gene (180901) on chromosome 19q13; CMYP2A (161800), CMYP2B (620265), and CMYP2C (620278), caused by mutation in the ACTA1 gene (102610) on chromosome 1q42; CMYP3 (602771), caused by mutation in the SELENON gene (606210) on chromosome 1p36; CMYP4A (255310) and CMYP4B (609284), caused by mutation in the TPM3 gene (191030) on chromosome 1q21; CMYP5 (611705), caused by mutation in the TTN gene (188840) on chromosome 2q31; CMYP6 (605637), caused by mutation in the MYH2 gene (160740) on chromosome 17p13; CMYP7A (608358) and CMYP7B (255160), caused by mutation in the MYH7 gene (160760) on chromosome 14q11; CMYP8 (618654), caused by mutation in the ACTN2 gene (102573) on chromosome 1q43; CMYP9A (618822) and CMYP9B (618823), caused by mutation in the FXR1 gene (600819) on chromosome 3q28; CMYP10A (614399) and CMYP10B (620249), caused by mutation in the MEGF10 gene (612453) on chromosome 5q23; CMYP11 (619967), caused by mutation in the HACD1 gene (610467) on chromosome 10p12; CMYP12 (612540), caused by mutation in the CNTN1 gene (600016) on chromosome 12q12; CMYP13 (255995), caused by mutation in the STAC3 gene (615521) on chromosome 12q13; CMYP14 (618414), caused by mutation in the MYL1 gene (160780) on chromosome 2q34; CMYP15 (620161), caused by mutation in the TNNC2 gene (191039) on chromosome 20q13; CMYP16 (618524), caused by mutation in the MYBPC1 gene (160794) on chromosome 12q23; CMYP17 (618975), caused by mutation in the MYOD1 gene (159970) on chromosome 11p15; CMYP18 (620246), caused by mutation in the CACNA1S gene (114208) on chromosome 1q32; CMYP19 (618578), caused by mutation in the PAX7 gene (167410) on chromosome 1p36; CMYP20 (620310), caused by mutation in the RYR3 gene (180903) on chromosome 15q13; CMYP21 (620326), caused by mutation in the DNAJB4 gene (611327) on chromosome 1p31; and CMYP22A (620351) and CMYP22B (620369), both caused by mutation in the SCN4A gene (603967) on chromosome 17q23. [from OMIM]

SUCLG1-related mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) depletion syndrome, encephalomyopathic form with methylmalonic aciduria is characterized in the majority of affected newborns by hypotonia, muscle atrophy, feeding difficulties, and lactic acidosis. Affected infants commonly manifest developmental delay / cognitive impairment, growth retardation / failure to thrive, hepatopathy, sensorineural hearing impairment, dystonia, and hypertonia. Notable findings in some affected individuals include hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, epilepsy, myoclonus, microcephaly, sleep disturbance, rhabdomyolysis, contractures, hypothermia, and/or hypoglycemia. Life span is shortened, with median survival of 20 months. [from GeneReviews]

Disorders of intracellular cobalamin metabolism have a variable phenotype and age of onset that are influenced by the severity and location within the pathway of the defect. The prototype and best understood phenotype is cblC; it is also the most common of these disorders. The age of initial presentation of cblC spans a wide range: In utero with fetal presentation of nonimmune hydrops, cardiomyopathy, and intrauterine growth restriction. Newborns, who can have microcephaly, poor feeding, and encephalopathy. Infants, who can have poor feeding and slow growth, neurologic abnormality, and, rarely, hemolytic uremic syndrome (HUS). Toddlers, who can have poor growth, progressive microcephaly, cytopenias (including megaloblastic anemia), global developmental delay, encephalopathy, and neurologic signs such as hypotonia and seizures. Adolescents and adults, who can have neuropsychiatric symptoms, progressive cognitive decline, thromboembolic complications, and/or subacute combined degeneration of the spinal cord. [from GeneReviews]

Nemaline myopathy-2 (NEM2) is an autosomal recessive skeletal muscle disorder with a wide range of severity. The most common clinical presentation is early-onset (in infancy or childhood) muscle weakness predominantly affecting proximal limb muscles. Muscle biopsy shows accumulation of Z-disc and thin filament proteins into aggregates named 'nemaline bodies' or 'nemaline rods,' usually accompanied by disorganization of the muscle Z discs. The clinical and histologic spectrum of entities caused by variants in the NEB gene is a continuum, ranging in severity. The distribution of weakness can vary from generalized muscle weakness, more pronounced in proximal limb muscles, to distal-only involvement, although neck flexor weakness appears to be rather consistent. Histologic patterns range from a severe usually nondystrophic disturbance of the myofibrillar pattern to an almost normal pattern, with or without nemaline bodies, sometimes combined with cores (summary by Lehtokari et al., 2014). Genetic Heterogeneity of Nemaline Myopathy See also NEM1 (255310), caused by mutation in the tropomyosin-3 gene (TPM3; 191030) on chromosome 1q22; NEM3 (161800), caused by mutation in the alpha-actin-1 gene (ACTA1; 102610) on chromosome 1q42; NEM4 (609285), caused by mutation in the beta-tropomyosin gene (TPM2; 190990) on chromosome 9p13; NEM5 (605355), also known as Amish nemaline myopathy, caused by mutation in the troponin T1 gene (TNNT1; 191041) on chromosome 19q13; NEM6 (609273), caused by mutation in the KBTBD13 gene (613727) on chromosome 15q22; NEM7 (610687), caused by mutation in the cofilin-2 gene (CFL2; 601443) on chromosome 14q13; NEM8 (615348), caused by mutation in the KLHL40 gene (615340), on chromosome 3p22; NEM9 (615731), caused by mutation in the KLHL41 gene (607701) on chromosome 2q31; NEM10 (616165), caused by mutation in the LMOD3 gene (616112) on chromosome 3p14; and NEM11 (617336), caused by mutation in the MYPN gene (608517) on chromosome 10q21. Several of the genes encode components of skeletal muscle sarcomeric thin filaments (Sanoudou and Beggs, 2001). Mutations in the NEB gene are the most common cause of nemaline myopathy (Lehtokari et al., 2006). [from OMIM]

Long-chain hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase (LCHAD) deficiency and trifunctional protein (TFP) deficiency are caused by impairment of mitochondrial TFP. TFP has three enzymatic activities – long-chain enoyl-CoA hydratase, long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, and long-chain 3-ketoacyl-CoA thiolase. In individuals with LCHAD deficiency, there is isolated deficiency of long-chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase, while deficiency of all three enzymes occurs in individuals with TFP deficiency. Individuals with TFP deficiency can present with a severe-to-mild phenotype, while individuals with LCHAD deficiency typically present with a severe-to-intermediate phenotype. Neonates with the severe phenotype present within a few days of birth with hypoglycemia, hepatomegaly, encephalopathy, and often cardiomyopathy. The intermediate phenotype is characterized by hypoketotic hypoglycemia precipitated by infection or fasting in infancy. The mild (late-onset) phenotype is characterized by myopathy and/or neuropathy. Long-term complications include peripheral neuropathy and retinopathy. [from GeneReviews]

Most infants with short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (SCADD) identified through newborn screening programs have remained well, and asymptomatic relatives who meet diagnostic criteria are reported. Thus, SCADD is now viewed as a biochemical phenotype rather than a disease. A broad range of clinical findings was originally reported in those with confirmed SCADD, including severe dysmorphic facial features, feeding difficulties / failure to thrive, metabolic acidosis, ketotic hypoglycemia, lethargy, developmental delay, seizures, hypotonia, dystonia, and myopathy. However, individuals with no symptoms were also reported. In a large series of affected individuals detected on metabolic evaluation for developmental delay, 20% had failure to thrive, feeding difficulties, and hypotonia; 22% had seizures; and 30% had hypotonia without seizures. In contrast, the majority of infants with SCADD have been detected by expanded newborn screening, and the great majority of these infants remain asymptomatic. As with other fatty acid oxidation deficiencies, characteristic biochemical findings of SCADD may be absent except during times of physiologic stress such as fasting and illness. A diagnosis of SCADD based on clinical findings should not preclude additional testing to look for other causes. [from GeneReviews]

The phenotypes of dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) deficiency are an overlapping continuum that ranges from early-onset neurologic manifestations to adult-onset liver involvement and, rarely, a myopathic presentation. Early-onset DLD deficiency typically manifests in infancy as hypotonia with lactic acidosis. Affected infants frequently do not survive their initial metabolic decompensation, or die within the first few years of life during a recurrent metabolic decompensation. Children who live beyond the first two to three years frequently exhibit growth deficiencies and residual neurologic deficits (intellectual disability, spasticity, ataxia, and seizures). In contrast, isolated liver involvement can present as early as the neonatal period and as late as the third decade. Evidence of liver injury/failure is preceded by nausea and emesis and frequently associated with encephalopathy and/or coagulopathy. Acute metabolic episodes are frequently associated with lactate elevations, hyperammonemia, and hepatomegaly. With resolution of the acute episodes affected individuals frequently return to baseline with no residual neurologic deficit or intellectual disability. Liver failure can result in death, even in those with late-onset disease. Individuals with the myopathic presentation may experience muscle cramps, weakness, and an elevated creatine kinase. [from GeneReviews]

Congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) represents the extreme manifestation of autonomic nervous system dysregulation (ANSD) with the hallmark of disordered respiratory control. The age of initial recognition of CCHS ranges from neonatal onset (i.e., in the first 30 days of life) to (less commonly) later onset (from 1 month to adulthood). Neonatal-onset CCHS is characterized by apparent hypoventilation with monotonous respiratory rates and shallow breathing either during sleep only or while awake as well as asleep; ANSD including decreased heart rate beat-to-beat variability and sinus pauses; altered temperature regulation; and altered pupillary response to light. Some children have altered development of neural crest-derived structures (i.e., Hirschsprung disease, altered esophageal motility/dysphagia, and severe constipation even in the absence of Hirschsprung disease) and/or tumors of neural crest origin (neuroblastoma, ganglioneuroma, and ganglioneuroblastoma). Neurocognitive delay is variable, and possibly influenced by cyanotic breath holding, prolonged sinus pauses, need for 24-hour/day artificial ventilation, and seizures. Later-onset CCHS is characterized by alveolar hypoventilation during sleep and attenuated manifestations of ANSD. [from GeneReviews]

Infants with 3-MCC deficiency appear normal at birth but usually develop signs and symptoms in infancy or early childhood. The characteristic features of this condition, which can range from mild to life-threatening, include feeding difficulties, recurrent episodes of vomiting and diarrhea, excessive tiredness (lethargy), and weak muscle tone (hypotonia). If untreated, this disorder can lead to delayed development, seizures, and coma. Many of these complications can be prevented with early detection and lifelong management with a low-protein diet and appropriate supplements. Some people with gene mutations that cause 3-MCC deficiency never experience any signs or symptoms of the condition.

The characteristic features of 3-MCC deficiency are similar to those of Reye syndrome, a severe disorder that develops in children while they appear to be recovering from viral infections such as chicken pox or flu. Most cases of Reye syndrome are associated with the use of aspirin during these viral infections.

3-methylcrotonyl-CoA carboxylase deficiency (also known as 3-MCC deficiency) is an inherited disorder in which the body is unable to process certain proteins properly. People with this disorder have a shortage of an enzyme that helps break down proteins containing a particular building block (amino acid) called leucine. [from MedlinePlus Genetics]

Congenital myasthenic syndrome associated with AChR deficiency is a disorder of the postsynaptic neuromuscular junction (NMJ) clinically characterized by early-onset muscle weakness with variable severity. Electrophysiologic studies show low amplitude of the miniature endplate potential (MEPP) and current (MEPC) resulting from deficiency of AChR at the endplate. Patients with mutations in the CHRNE gene may have compensatory increased expression of the fetal subunit CHRNG (100730) and may respond to treatment with cholinergic agents, pyridostigmine, or amifampridine (summary by Engel et al., 2015). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of CMS, see CMS1A (601462). [from OMIM]