Bertolotti's syndrome is a commonly missed cause of back pain which occurs due to lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV). It is a congenital condition but is not usually symptomatic until one's later twenties or early thirties. However, there are a few cases of Bertolotti's that become symptomatic at a much earlier age.

It is named for Mario Bertolotti, an Italian physician who first described it in 1917.

Non surgical treatments include steroid injections in the lower back or radiofrequency sensory ablation. Physical therapy interventions are also helpful in early cases and are focused around mobilization, neural stretching, and core strengthening exercises. Surgical intervention is usually a last resort if all conservative methods fail. It can be treated surgically with posterolateral fusion or resection of the transitional articulation.

The specific cause of camptodactyly remains unknown, but there are a few deficiencies that lead to the condition. A deficient lumbrical muscle controlling the flexion of the fingers, and abnormalities of the flexor and extensor tendons.

A number of congenital syndromes may also cause camptodactyly:

- Jacobsen syndrome

- Beals Syndrome

- Blau syndrome

- Freeman-Sheldon syndrome

- Cerebrohepatorenal syndrome

- Weaver syndrome

- Christian syndrome 1

- Gordon Syndrome

- Jacobs arthropathy-camptodactyly syndrome

- Lenz microphthalmia syndrome

- Marshall-Smith-Weaver syndrome

- Oculo-dento-digital syndrome

- Tel Hashomer camptodactyly syndrome

- Toriello-Carey syndrome

- Stuve-Wiedemann syndrome

- Loeys-Dietz syndrome

- Fryns syndrome

- Marfan's syndrome

- Carnio-carpo-tarsal dysthropy

Camptodactyly is a medical condition that causes one or more fingers to be permanently bent. It involves fixed flexion deformity of the proximal interphalangeal joints. The fifth finger is always affected.

Camptodactyly can be caused by a genetic disorder. In that case, it is an autosomal dominant trait that is known for its incomplete genetic expressivity. This means that when a person has the genes for it, the condition may appear in both hands, one, or neither. A linkage scan proposed that the chromosomal locus of camptodactyly was 3q11.2-q13.12.

Harlequin syndrome is a condition characterized by asymmetric sweating and flushing on the upper thoracic region of the chest, neck, and face. Harlequin syndrome is considered an injury to the autonomic nervous system (ANS). The ANS controls some of the body's natural processes such as sweating, skin flushing, and pupil response to stimuli. Such individuals with this syndrome have an absence of sweat skin flushing unilaterally; usually on the one side of the face, arms, and chest. It is an autonomic disorder that may occur at any age. Harlequin syndrome affects fewer than 200,000 people in the United States.

Symptoms associated with Harlequin syndrome are more likely to appear when a person has been in the following conditions: exercising, warm environment, and intense emotional situation. Since one side of the body sweats and flushes appropriately to the condition, the other side of the body will have an absence of such symptoms. This syndrome has also been called the "Harlequin sign," and thought to be one of the spectrum of diseases that may cause Harlequin syndrome.

It can also be the outcome of a one sided endoscopic thoracic sympathectomy (ETS) or endoscopic sympathetic blockade (ESB) surgery.

Harlequin syndrome can also be seen as a complication of VA (veno-arterial) extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). This involves differential hypoxemia (low oxygen levels in the blood) of the upper body in comparison to the lower body.

Although the exact mechanism for Harlequin syndrome is still unclear, understanding what is affected with this syndrome is important. Majority of cases are thought to occur when nerve bundles in the head and neck are injured. Such bundles are able to send an action potential from the autonomic nervous system to the rest of the body. However, action potentials in this system are not being received by the second or third thoracic vertebrae which innervates the face, neck, and upper chest. Damage or lesions near T2 or T3 could be between the stellate ganglion and superior cervical ganglion. This is where we would observe absence of sweat and skin flushing on one side of the face, neck, and upper chest. Harlequin Syndrome may be classified as the following: Primary, Idiopathic, Congenital, Secondary, Organic lesion, Iatrogenic cause.

Congenital vertebral anomalies are a collection of malformations of the spine. Most around 85% are not clinically significant, but they can cause compression of the spinal cord by deforming the vertebral canal or causing instability. This condition occurs in the womb. Congenital vertebral anomalies include alterations of the shape and number of vertebrae.

Hemivertebrae are wedge-shaped vertebrae and therefore can cause an angle in the spine (such as kyphosis, scoliosis, and lordosis).

Among the congenital vertebral anomalies, hemivertebrae are the most likely to cause neurologic problems. The most common location is the midthoracic vertebrae, especially the eighth (T8). Neurologic signs result from severe angulation of the spine, narrowing of the spinal canal, instability of the spine, and luxation or fracture of the vertebrae. Signs include rear limb weakness or paralysis, urinary or fecal incontinence, and spinal pain. Most cases of hemivertebrae have no or mild symptoms, so treatment is usually conservative. Severe cases may respond to surgical spinal cord decompression and vertebral stabilization.

Associations

Recognised associations are many and include:

Aicardi syndrome,

cleidocranial dysostosis,

gastroschisis 3,

Gorlin syndrome,

fetal pyelectasis 3,

Jarcho-Levin syndrome,

OEIS complex,

VACTERL association.

The probable cause of hemivertebrae is a lack of blood supply causing part of the vertebrae not to form.

Hemivertebrae in dogs are most common in the tail, resulting in a screw shape.

Respiratory complications are often cause of death in early infancy.

The first gene that could cause the syndrome is described recently and is called NF1X (chromosome 19: 19p13.1).

Roberts syndrome is an extremely rare condition that only affects about 150 reported individuals. Although there have been only about 150 reported cases, the affected group is quite diverse and spread worldwide. Parental consanguinity (parents are closely related) is common with this genetic disorder. The frequency of Roberts syndrome carriers is unknown.

Shawl scrotum is a condition in which the scrotum surrounds the penis, resembling a 'shawl'.

It is a characteristic of some syndromes such as Aarskog-Scott syndrome (faciodigitogenital syndrome), Rubenstein-Taybi syndrome, craniofrontonasal dysplasia, Hunter Carpenter McDonald Syndrome, Naguib Syndrome, Saito Kuba Tsuruta Syndrome, Ieshima Koeda Inagaki syndrome, Cystic fibrosis Gastritis Megaloblastic Anemia, Willems de Vries syndrome, Schinzel syndrome and Seaver Cassidy syndrome.

Males are twice as likely as females to have this characteristic, and it tends to run in families. In its non-symptomatic form, it is more common among Asians and Native Americans than among other populations, and in some families there is a tendency to inherit the condition unilaterally, that is, on one hand only.

The presence of a single transverse palmar crease can be, but is not always, a symptom associated with abnormal medical conditions, such as fetal alcohol syndrome, or with genetic chromosomal abnormalities, including Down Syndrome (chromosome 21), cri du chat syndrome (chromosome 5), Klinefelter syndrome, Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome, Noonan syndrome (chromosome 12), Patau syndrome (chromosome 13), IDIC 15/Dup15q (chromosome 15), Edward's syndrome (chromosome 18), and Aarskog-Scott syndrome (X-linked recessive), or autosomal recessive disorder, such as Leaukocyte adhesion deficiency-2 (LAD2). A unilateral single palmar crease was also reported in a case of chromosome 9 mutation causing Nevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome and Robinow syndrome. It is also sometimes found on the hand of the affected side of patients with Poland Syndrome, and craniosynostosis.

Marshall syndrome is a genetic disorder of the connective tissue which can cause hearing loss. The three most common areas to be affected are the eyes which are uncommonly large, joints and the mouth and facial structures. Marshall syndrome and Stickler syndrome closely resemble each other; in fact they are so similar, some say they are the same.

Roberts syndrome, or sometimes called "pseudothalidomide syndrome", is an extremely rare genetic disorder that is characterized by mild to severe prenatal retardation or disruption of cell division, leading to malformation of the bones in the skull, face, arms, and legs.

Roberts syndrome is also known by many other names, including: hypomelia-hypotrichosis-facial hemangioma syndrome, SC syndrome (once thought to be an entirely separate disease), pseudothalidomide syndrome, Roberts-SC phocomelia syndrome, SC phocomelia syndrome, Appelt-Gerken-Lenz syndrome, RBS, SC pseudothalidomide syndrome, and tetraphocomelia-cleft palate syndrome. It is a genetic disorder caused by the mutation of the ESCO2 gene on 8th chromosome. Named after the famous Philadelphia surgeon and physician, Dr. John Bingham Roberts (1852–1924), who first described the syndrome in 1919, it is one of the rarest autosomal recessive disorders, affecting approximately 150 known individuals.

The syndrome is both autosomal, in that there are equal numbers of copies of the gene in both males and females, and recessive, meaning the child must inherit the defective gene from both parents. The mutation causes cell division to occur slowly or unevenly, and the cells with abnormal genetic content die. Roberts syndrome can affect both males and females. Although the disorder is rare, the affected group is diverse. The mortality rate is high in severely affected individuals.

In a newborn boy thought to have Fryns syndrome, Clark and Fenner-Gonzales (1989) found mosaicism for a tandem duplication of 1q24-q31.2. They suggested that the gene for this disorder is located in that region. However, de Jong et al. (1989), Krassikoff and Sekhon (1990), and Dean et al. (1991) found possible Fryns syndrome associated with anomalies of chromosome 15, chromosome 6, chromosome 8(human)and chromosome 22, respectively. Thus, these cases may all represent mimics of the mendelian syndrome and have no significance as to the location of the gene for the recessive disorder.

By array CGH, Slavotinek et al. (2005) screened patients with DIH and additional phenotypic anomalies consistent with Fryns syndrome for cryptic chromosomal aberrations. They identified submicroscopic chromosome deletions in 3 probands who had previously been diagnosed with Fryns syndrome and had normal karyotyping with G-banded chromosome analysis. Two female infants were found to have microdeletions involving 15q26.2 (see 142340), and 1 male infant had a deletion in band 8p23.1 (see 222400).

It is likely that this syndrome is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion, however there may be a recessive form with hypotonia and developmental delay.

Schimmelpenning syndrome appears to be sporadic rather than inherited, in almost all cases. It is thought to result from genetic mosaicism, possibly an autosomal dominant mutation arising after conception and present only in a subpopulation of cells. The earlier in embryological development such a mutation occurs, the more extensive the nevi are likely to be and the greater the likelihood of other organ system involvement.

Several genetic causes of Loeys–Dietz syndrome have been identified. A "de novo" mutation in TGFB3, a ligand of the TGF ß pathway, was identified in an individual with a syndrome presenting partially overlapping symptoms with Marfan Syndrome and Loeys-Dietz Syndrome.

Scalp–ear–nipple syndrome (also known as "Finlay–Marks syndrome") is a condition associated with aplasia cutis congenita.

Muenke syndrome is caused by a specific gene mutation in the FGFR3 gene. The mutation arises randomly; there is no full understanding for what causes this mutation. This mutation causes the FGFR3 protein to be overly active; it interferes with normal bone growth, and allows skull bones to fuse prematurely. There is no connection between anything mother did (or did not do) to activate the syndrome. If neither of the parents have Muenke syndrome, chances of having another child with the syndrome are minimal.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern. This means if a parent has Muenke syndrome, every newborn has a 50% chance of inheriting the syndrome.

As there is no known cure, Loeys–Dietz syndrome is a lifelong condition. Due to the high risk of death from aortic aneurysm rupture, patients should be followed closely to monitor aneurysm formation, which can then be corrected with interventional radiology or vascular surgery.

Previous research in laboratory mice has suggested that the angiotensin II receptor antagonist losartan, which appears to block TGF-beta activity, can slow or halt the formation of aortic aneurysms in Marfan syndrome. A large clinical trial sponsored by the National Institutes of Health is currently underway to explore the use of losartan to prevent aneurysms in Marfan syndrome patients. Both Marfan syndrome and Loeys–Dietz syndrome are associated with increased TGF-beta signaling in the vessel wall. Therefore, losartan also holds promise for the treatment of Loeys–Dietz syndrome. In those patients in which losartan is not halting the growth of the aorta, irbesartan has been shown to work and is currently also being studied and prescribed for some patients with this condition.

If an increased heart rate is present, atenolol is sometimes prescribed to reduce the heart rate to prevent any extra pressure on the tissue of the aorta. Likewise, strenuous physical activity is discouraged in patients, especially weight lifting and contact sports.

In humans, a single transverse palmar crease is a single crease that extends across the palm of the hand, formed by the fusion of the two palmar creases (known in palmistry as the "heart line" and the "head line") and is found in people with Down Syndrome. It is also found in 1.5% of the general population in at least one hand.

Because it resembles the usual condition of non-human simians, it is also known as a simian crease or simian line, although these terms have widely fallen out of favor due to their pejorative connotation.

Overgrowth syndromes in children constitute a group of rare disorders that are typical of tissue hypertrophy. Individual overgrowth syndromes have been shown to overlap with regard to clinical and radiologic features. The details of the genetic bases of these syndromes are unfolding. Any of the three embryonic tissue layers may be involved.The syndromes may manifest in localized or generalized tissue overgrowth. Latitudinal and longitudinal growth may be affected. Nevertheless, the musculoskeletal features are central to the diagnosis of some syndromes such as Proteus syndrome. The time of presentation of children with overgrowth syndromes is an important contributor to the differential diagnosis. Children with some overgrowth syndromes such as Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome can be readily detectable at birth. In contrast other overgrowth syndromes such as Proteus syndrome usually present in the postnatal period characteristically between the 2nd and 3rd year of life. In general, children with overgrowth syndromes are at increased risk of embryonic tumor development.

Examples of overgrowth syndromes include; Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome, Proteus syndrome, Sotos syndrome, neurofibromatosis, Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome, Weaver syndrome, Sturge–Weber syndrome, Macrocephaly-capillary malformation, CLOVES syndrome, fragile X syndrome and Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber syndrome.

While not always pathological, it can present as a birth defect in multiple syndromes including:

- Catel–Manzke syndrome

- Bloom syndrome

- Coffin–Lowry syndrome

- congenital rubella

- Cri du chat syndrome

- DiGeorge's syndrome

- Ehlers-Danlos syndrome

- fetal alcohol syndrome

- Hallermann-Streiff syndrome

- Hemifacial microsomia (as part of Goldenhar syndrome)

- Juvenile idiopathic arthritis

- Marfan syndrome

- Noonan syndrome

- Pierre Robin syndrome

- Prader–Willi syndrome

- Progeria

- Russell-Silver syndrome

- Seckel syndrome

- Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome

- Treacher Collins syndrome

- Trisomy 13 (Patau syndrome)

- Trisomy 18 (Edwards syndrome)

- Wolf–Hirschhorn syndrome

- X0 syndrome (Turner syndrome)