The cause of Primrose syndrome is currently unknown. This condition is extremely rare and seems to spontaneously occur, regardless of family history.

In the case studied by Dalai et al. in 2010, it was found that an abnormally high amount of calcitonin, a hormone secreted by the thyroid gland to stabilize blood calcium levels, was present in the blood serum. This suggests that the thyroid gland is releasing an abnormal amount of calcitonin, resulting in the disruption of calcium level homeostasis. No molecular cause was found, but an expanded microarray analysis of the patient found a 225.5 kb deletion on chromosome 11p between rs12275693 and rs1442927. Whether or not this deletion is related to the syndrome or is a harmless mutation is unknown. The deletion was not present in the patient's mother's DNA sample, but the father's DNA was unavailable.

The frequency is unknown, but the disease is considered to be very rare.

Currently there are no open research studies for otodental syndrome. Due to the rarity of this disease, current research is very limited.

The most recent research has involved case studies of the affected individuals and/or families, all of which show the specific phenotypic symptoms of otodental syndrome. Investigations on the effects of FGF3 and FADD have also been performed. These studies have shown successes in supporting previous studies that mutations to FGF3 and neighboring genes may cause the associated phenotypic abnormalities. According to recent studies involving zebrafish embryos, there is also support in that the FADD gene contributed to ocular coloboma symptoms as well.

Future research studies are required in order to better grasp the specific relationship between the gene involved and its effect on various tissues and organs such as teeth, eyes, and ear. Little is known and there is still much to be determined.

The common symptoms in all reported cases of primrose syndrome include ossified pinnae, learning disabilities or mental retardation, hearing problems, movement disorders (ataxia, paralysis, and parkinsonism among others (likely due, in part, to calcification of the basal ganglia), a torus palatinus (a neoplasm on the mouth's hard palate), muscle atrophy, and distorted facial features. Other symptoms usually occur, different in each case, but it is unknown whether or not these symptoms are caused by the same disease.

Otodental syndrome is a rare condition that is genetically inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Although there is no specific biological mechanism for otodental syndrome, what is recognized is that there is a genetic mutation, known as haploinsufficiency, that occurs in the fibroblast growth factor 3 (FGF3) gene (11q13). This is the alleged cause of the physical abnormalities and symptoms associated with otodental syndrome. Although in individuals with signs of ocular coloboma, a microdeletion in the Fas-associated death domain (FADD) gene (11q13.3) was also found to be responsible. There is variable penetrance and variable gene expression within these genetic mutations. Individuals with sensorineural hearing loss are believed to have a local lesion in the auditory segment of the inner ear, known as the cochlea. The biological mechanism for this is currently unknown as well.

Currently, research is focusing on identifying the role of the genes on 18p in causing the signs and symptoms associated with deletions of 18p. This will ultimately enable predictive genotyping.

TGIF-Mutations and deletions of this gene have been associated with holoprosencephaly. Penetrance is incomplete, meaning that a deletion of one copy of this gene is not in and of itself sufficient to cause holoprosencephaly. Ten to fifteen percent of people with 18p- have holoprosencephaly, suggesting that other genetic and environmental facts play a role in the etiology of holoprosencephaly in these individuals.

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SUCLA2 and RRM2B related forms result in deformities to the brain. A 2007 study based on 12 cases from the Faroe Islands (where there is a relatively high incidence due to a founder effect) suggested that the outcome is often poor with early lethality. More recent studies (2015) with 50 people with SUCLA2 mutations, with range of 16 different mutations, show a high variability in outcomes with a number of people surviving into adulthood (median survival was 20 years. There is significant evidence (p = 0.020) that people with missense mutations have longer survival rates, which might mean that some of the resulting protein has some residual enzyme activity.

RRM2B mutations have been reported in 16 infants with severe encephalomyopathic MDS that is associated with early-onset (neonatal or infantile), multi-organ presentation, and mortality during infancy.

The incidence is estimated to range from 0.1–1.2 per 10,000 live births, though the true incidence is unknown. As of 2005, the highest prevalence was found in Canada and estimated at 1 in 8,500 live births.

The TK2 related myopathic form results in muscle weakness, rapidly progresses, leading to respiratory failure and death within a few years of onset. The most common cause of death is pulmonary infection. Only a few people have survived to late childhood and adolescence.

A prognosis for Alström syndrome is complicated because it widely varies. Any person that has the syndrome have different set of disorders. Permanent blindness, deafness, and Type 2 diabetes may occur. Liver and kidney failure can progressively get worse. The life expectancy is usually reduced and the patients rarely live past 50 years old.

The first symptom is typically diabetes mellitus, which is usually diagnosed around the age of 6. The next symptom to appear is often optic atrophy, the wasting of optic nerves, around the age of 11. The first signs of this are loss of colour vision and peripheral vision. The condition worsens over time, and people with optic atrophy are usually blind within 8 years of the first symptoms. Life expectancy of people suffering from this syndrome is about 30 years.

Recent findings in genetic research have suggested that a large number of genetic disorders, both genetic syndromes and genetic diseases, that were not previously identified in the medical literature as related, may be, in fact, highly related in the genetypical root cause of the widely varying, phenotypically-observed disorders. Thus, Alstrom syndrome is a ciliopathy. Other known ciliopathies include primary ciliary dyskinesia, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, polycystic kidney and liver disease, nephronophthisis, Meckel-Gruber syndrome and some forms of retinal degeneration.

Barakat syndrome, is a rare disease characterized by hypoparathyroidism, sensorineural deafness and renal disease, and hence also known as HDR syndrome. It was first described by Amin J. Barakat et al. in 1977.

Overall, the estimated prevalence of Stickler syndrome is about 1 in 10,000 people. Stickler syndrome affects 1 in 7,500 to 9,000 newborns.

Many professionals that are likely to be involved in the treatment of those with Stickler's syndrome, include anesthesiologists, oral and maxillofacial surgeons; craniofacial surgeons; ear, nose, and throat specialists, ophthalmologists, optometrists, audiologists, speech pathologists, physical therapists and rheumatologists.

Johanson–Blizzard syndrome (JBS) is a rare, sometimes fatal autosomal recessive multisystem congenital disorder featuring abnormal development of the pancreas, nose and scalp, with mental retardation, hearing loss and growth failure. It is sometimes described as a form of ectodermal dysplasia.

The disorder is especially noted for causing profound developmental errors and exocrine dysfunction of the pancreas, and it is considered to be an inherited pancreatic disease.

There is no known direct treatment. Current treatment efforts focus on managing the complications of Wolfram syndrome, such as diabetes mellitus and diabetes insipidus.

The estimated prevalence of Jacobsen syndrome is believed to be approximately 1 out of every 100,000 births. For reasons unknown females are twice as likely to have Jacobsen Syndrome than males. No preference for any race or ethnicity has been reported so far.

CHARGE syndrome was formerly referred to as CHARGE association, which indicates a non-random pattern of congenital anomalies that occurs together more frequently than one would expect on the basis of chance. Very few people with CHARGE will have 100% of its known features. In 2004, mutations on the CHD7 gene (located on Chromosome 8) were found in 10 of 17 patients in the Netherlands, making CHARGE an official syndrome. A US study of 110 individuals with CHARGE syndrome showed that 60% of those tested had a mutation of the CHD7 gene.

In 2010, a review of 379 clinically diagnosed cases of CHARGE syndrome, in which CHD7 mutation testing was undertaken found that 67% of cases were due to a CHD7 mutation. CHD7 is a member of the chromodomain helicase DNA-binding (CHD) protein family that plays a role in transcription regulation by chromatin remodeling.

Jacobsen Syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder resulting from deletion of genes from chromosome 11 that includes band 11q24.1. It is a congenital disorder. Since the deletion takes place on the q arm of chromosome 11, it is also called 11q terminal deletion disorder. The deletion may range from 5 million to 16 million deleted DNA base pairs. The severity of symptoms depends on the number of deletions. The more deletions there are more severe the symptoms are likely to be. People with Jacobsen syndrome have serious intellectual disabilities, dysmorphic features, delayed development and a variety of physical problems including heart defects. Research shows that almost 88.5% of people with Jacobsen Syndrome have a bleeding disorder called Paris-Trousseau syndrome. [ Jacobsen Syndrome is catastrophic in 1 out of every 5 cases, since children usually die within the first 2 years of life due to heart complications.

The most prominent effect of JBS is pancreatic exocrine insufficiency. Varying degrees of decreased secretion of lipases, pancreatic juices such as trypsin, trypsinogen and others, as well as malabsorption of fats and disruptions of glucagon secretion and its response to hypoglycemia caused by insulin activity are major concerns when JBS is diagnosed. Associated with developmental errors, impaired apoptosis, and both prenatal and chronic inflammatory damage, necrosis and fibrosis of the pancreatic acini (clusters of pancreatic exocrine gland tissue, where secretion of pancreatic juice and related enzymes occurs), pancreatic exocrine insufficiency in JBS can additionally stem from congenital replacement of the acini with fatty tissue. Near total replacement of the entire pancreas with fatty tissue has also been reported. This is a progressive, sometimes fatal consequence of the disorder.

The majority of patients present in their mid-30s to late 40s. This is likely due to a combination of the slow growth of the bone and the decreased participation in activities associated with surfer's ear past the 30's. However surfer's ear is possible at any age and is directly proportional to the amount of time spent in cold, wet, windy weather without adequate protection.

The normal ear canal is approximately 7mm in diameter and has a volume of approximately 0.8 ml (approximately one-sixth of a teaspoon). As the condition progresses the diameter narrows and can even close completely if untreated, although sufferers generally seek help once the passage has constricted to 0.5-2mm due to the noticeable hearing impairment. While not necessarily harmful in and of itself, constriction of the ear canal from these growths can trap debris, leading to painful and difficult to treat infections.

Currently, purine replacement via S-adenosylmethionine (SAM) supplementation in people with Arts syndrome appears to improve their condition. This suggests that SAM supplementation can alleviate symptoms of PRPS1 deficient patients by replacing purine nucleotides and open new avenues of therapeutic intervention. Other non-clinical treatment options include educational programs tailored to their individual needs. Sensorineural hearing loss has been treated with cochlear implantation with good results. Ataxia and visual impairment from optic atrophy are treated in a routine manner. Routine immunizations against common childhood infections and annual influenza immunization can also help prevent any secondary infections from occurring.

Regular neuropsychological, audiologic, and ophthalmologic examinations are also recommended.

Carrier testing for at-risk relatives and prenatal testing for pregnancies at increased risk are possible if the disease-causing mutation in the family is known.

Malpuech facial clefting syndrome, also called Malpuech syndrome or Gypsy type facial clefting syndrome, is a rare congenital syndrome. It is characterized by facial clefting (any type of cleft in the bones and tissues of the face, including a cleft lip and palate), a appendage (a "human tail"), growth deficiency, intellectual and developmental disability, and abnormalities of the renal system (kidneys) and the male genitalia. Abnormalities of the heart, and other skeletal malformations may also be present. The syndrome was initially described by Guilliaume Malpuech and associates in 1983. It is thought to be genetically related to Juberg-Hayward syndrome. Malpuech syndrome has also been considered as part of a spectrum of congenital genetic disorders associated with similar facial, urogenital and skeletal anomalies. Termed "3MC syndrome", this proposed spectrum includes Malpuech, Michels and Mingarelli-Carnevale (OSA) syndromes. Mutations in the "COLLEC11" and "MASP1" genes are believed to be a cause of these syndromes. The incidence of Malpuech syndrome is unknown. The pattern of inheritance is autosomal recessive, which means a defective (mutated) gene associated with the syndrome is located on an autosome, and the syndrome occurs when two copies of this defective gene are inherited.