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Individuals with this syndrome typically develop normally until reaching the second decade of their lives but the onset of symptoms has been observed as early as age seven. The first defect observed in individuals who suffer from this condition affects the auditory system and is known as bilateral nerve deafness. Another early symptom is the development of myopia (nearsightedness). In addition to bilateral nerve deafness and myopia, other symptoms that plague infected individuals early in disease progression include ataxia, muscle wasting, severe peripheral neuritic pain sometimes accompanied by elevated spinal fluid protein, and joint stiffness.
The central nervous system (CNS) is affected with deficits in the cerebral cortex which indicate signs of mental retardation even though psychological observations appear relatively normal for individuals studied. Atypical epilepsy is also a common feature of CNS malfunctioning including aphasia expressions, blurred vision, and numbness of the face and limbs.
In the third decade of the condition, individuals develop further visual problems including retinitis pigmentosa, and bilateral cataracts. Sufferers endure the restriction of visual fields, night blindness, and eventually severe or complete blindness.
Individuals with this syndrome exhibit many physical deformities including skeletal, epidermal, and subcutaneous abnormalities. The skeletal problems are characterized by scoliosis and muscle weakness indicative of the kyphoscoliotic type which follow muscle wasting and peripheral neuritis (nerve inflammation). Osteoporosis is also observed in many cases. Skin and subcutaneous atrophy is common as well as skin ulcerations due to inability of the skin to heal. One of the final manifestations of disease is baldness.There is no evidence that the progression of Flynn–Aird syndrome shortens the patient's life-span, but the terrible conditions certainly increase morbidity.
Flynn–Aird syndrome is a rare, hereditary, neurological disease that is inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. The syndrome involves defects in the nervous, auditory, skeletal, visual, and endocrine systems and encompasses numerous symptoms, bearing striking similarity to other known syndromes of neuroectodermal nature such as: Werner syndrome, Cockayne syndrome and Refsum syndrome.
The onset of Flynn–Aird syndrome typically occurs between ten and twenty years of age, however, the earliest case was diagnosed at age seven. As the syndrome progresses, initial symptoms tend to intensify and new symptoms become apparent. Unlike related syndromes and despite the intensity of symptoms in the disease progression, Flynn–Aird syndrome does not appear to shorten life expectancy.
The disease is characterized by early-onset dementia, ataxia, muscle wasting, skin atrophy, and eye abnormalities. In addition, patients have the potential of developing a number of other related symptoms such as: cataracts, retinitis pigmentosa, myopia (nearsightedness), dental caries, peripheral neuropathy (peripheral nerve damage), deafness, and cystic bone changes. This syndrome was first discovered in the early 1950s by American neurologists P. Flynn and Robert B. Aird who analyzed one family lineage inheritance pattern of this disease.
The combination of muscular hypotonia and fixed dilated pupils in infancy is suspicious of Gillespie syndrome. Early onset partial aniridia, cerebellar ataxia, and mental retardation are hallmark of syndrome. The iris abnormality is specific and seems pathognomonic of Gillespie syndrome. The aniridia consisting of a superior coloboma and inferior iris hypoplasia, foveomacular dysplasia.
Atypical Gillespie syndrome associated with bilateral ptosis, exotropia, correctopia, iris hypoplasia, anterior capsular lens opacities, foveal hypoplasia, retinal vascular tortuosity, and retinal hypopigmentation.
Neurological signs ar nystagmus, mild craniofacial asymmetry, axial hypotonia, developmental delay, and mild mental retardation. Mariën P did not support the prevailing view of a global mental retardation as a cardinal feature of Gillespie syndrome but primarily reflect cerebellar induced neurobehavioral dysfunctions following disruption of the cerebrocerebellar anatomical circuitry that closely resembles the "cerebellar cognitive and affective syndrome" (CeCAS).
Congenital pulmonary stenosis and helix dysplasia can be associated.
Males show more serious symptoms than females affected by this disorder.
The symptoms for males are:
1. Profound sensorineural hearing loss i.e, a complete or almost complete loss of hearing caused by abnormalities in the inner ear.
2. Weak muscle tone - Hypotonia.
3. Impaired muscle coordination - Ataxia.
4. Developmental delay.
5. Intellecual disability.
6. Vision loss caused by optic nerve atrophy in early childhood.
7. Peripheral neuropathy.
8. Recurrent infections, especially in the respiratory system.
9. Muscle weakness caused by recurrent infections.
Symptoms for females:
Very rarely seen hearing loss that begins in adulthood (age > 20 years) combined with ataxia and neuropathy. Optic atrophy and retinitis pigmentosa observed in some cases too.
Patients usually begin to notice symptoms in their 50s and the course is usually slowly progressive. Common features include peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, and hemolytic anemia. Other features include limb chorea, facial tics, other oral movements (lip and tongue biting), seizures, a late-onset dementia, and behavioral changes.
Most children with Allan–Herndon–Dudley syndrome have weak muscle tone (hypotonia) and underdevelopment of many muscles (muscle hypoplasia). As they get older, they usually develop joint deformities called contractures, which restrict the movement of certain joints. Abnormal muscle stiffness (spasticity), muscle weakness, and involuntary movements of the arms and legs also limit mobility. As a result, many people with Allan–Herndon–Dudley syndrome are unable to walk independently and become wheelchair-bound by adulthood.
Learning disabilities and developmental delays are often seen in children with NARP, and older individuals with this condition may experience a loss of intellectual function (dementia). Other features of NARP include seizures, hearing loss, and abnormalities of the electrical signals that control the heartbeat (cardiac conduction defects). These signs and symptoms vary among affected individuals.
Most of the signs and symptoms of the Joubert syndrome appear very early in infancy with most children showing delays in gross motor milestones. Although other signs and symptoms vary widely from individual to individual, they generally fall under the hallmark of cerebellum involvement or in this case, lack thereof. Consequently, the most common features include ataxia (lack of muscle control), hyperpnea (abnormal breathing patterns), sleep apnea, abnormal eye and tongue movements, and hypotonia in early childhood. Other malformations such as polydactyly (extra fingers and toes), cleft lip or palate, tongue abnormalities, and seizures may also occur. Developmental delays, including cognitive, are always present to some degree.
Those suffering from this syndrome often exhibit specific facial features such as a broad forehead, arched eyebrows, ptosis (droopy eyelids), hypertelorism (widely spaced eyes), low-set ears and a triangle shaped mouth. Additionally, this disease can include a broad range of other abnormalities to other organ systems such as retinal dystrophy, kidney diseases, liver diseases, skeletal deformities and endocrine (hormonal) problems.
Symptoms of M2DS include infantile hypotonia and failure to thrive, delayed psychomotor development, impaired speech, abnormal or absent gait, epilepsy, spasticity, gastrointestinal motility problems, recurrent infections, and genitourinary abnormalities. Many of those affected by M2DS also fit diagnostic criteria for autism. M2DS can be associated with syndromic facies, namely an abnormally flat back of the head, underdevelopment of the midface, ear anomalies, deep-set eyes, prominent chin, pointed nose, and a flat nasal bridge.
An individual displaying MERRFs syndrome will manifest not only a single symptom, but regularly patients display more than one affected body part at a time. It has been observed that patients with MERRF syndrome will primarily display Myoclonus as a first symptom, along with it they can also manifest seizures, cerebellar ataxia and myopathy. Secondary features include dementia, optic atrophy, bilateral deafness, peripheral neuropathy, spasticity or multiple lipomata. Additional symptoms include dementia, optic atrophy, bilateral deafness and peripheral neuropathy, spasticity, lipomatosis, and/or cardiomyopathy with wolff parkinson-white syndrome. Most patients will not exhibit all of these symptoms, however more than one of these symptoms will be present in a patient who has been diagnosed with MERRFS disease. Due to the multi-symptoms presented by the individual, the severity of the syndrome is very difficult to evaluate. Mitochondrial disorders may present at any age, and this holds truth for MERRS, since it forms part of them. Therefore, if a patient is presenting some of these symptoms, the doctor is able to narrow it down to MEERF mitochondrial disorder.
Symptoms typically present in the 3rd or 4th decade of life, but have been seen as early as the age of 14. It presents with torsion dystonia, particularly when presenting at a younger age, which then progresses to parkinsonism with or without ongoing dystonia. Often the two symptoms coexist.The parkinsonian features of x-linked dystonia parkinsonism include festinating gait, bradykinesia, blepharospasm, and postural instability. It often lacks a resting tremor, helping to differentiate it from Parkinson's disease.
Theoretically, a mutation in any of the may cause disease, but below are some notable ones, with short description of symptoms:
- Adrenoleukodystrophy; leads to progressive brain damage, failure of the adrenal glands and eventually death.
- Alport syndrome; glomerulonephritis, endstage kidney disease, and hearing loss.
- Androgen insensitivity syndrome; variable degrees of undervirilization and/or infertility in XY persons of either gender
- Barth syndrome; metabolism distortion, delayed motor skills, stamina deficiency, hypotonia, chronic fatigue, delayed growth, cardiomyopathy, and compromised immune system.
- Blue cone monochromacy; low vision acuity, color blindness, photophobia, infantile nystagmus.
- Centronuclear myopathy; where cell nuclei are abnormally located in skeletal muscle cells. In CNM the nuclei are located at a position in the center of the cell, instead of their normal location at the periphery.
- Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMTX2-3); disorder of nerves (neuropathy) that is characterized by loss of muscle tissue and touch sensation, predominantly in the feet and legs but also in the hands and arms in the advanced stages of disease.
- Coffin–Lowry syndrome; severe mental retardation sometimes associated with abnormalities of growth, cardiac abnormalities, kyphoscoliosis as well as auditory and visual abnormalities.
- Fabry disease; A lysosomal storage disease causing anhidrosis, fatigue, angiokeratomas, burning extremity pain and ocular involvement.
- Hunter's Syndrome; potentially causing hearing loss, thickening of the heart valves leading to a decline in cardiac function, obstructive airway disease, sleep apnea, and enlargement of the liver and spleen.
- Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia, presenting with hypohidrosis, hypotrichosis, hypodontia
- Kabuki syndrome; multiple congenital anomalies and mental retardation.
- Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy; muscle cramps and progressive weakness
- Lesch-Nyhan syndrome; neurologic dysfunction, cognitive and behavioral disturbances including self-mutilation, and uric acid overproduction (hyperuricemia)
- Lowe Syndrome; hydrophthalmia, cataracts, intellectual disabilities, aminoaciduria, reduced renal ammonia production and vitamin D-resistant rickets
- Menkes disease; sparse and coarse hair, growth failure, and deterioration of the nervous system
- Nasodigitoacoustic syndrome; mishaped nose, brachydactyly of the distal phalanges, sensorineural deafness
- Nonsyndromic deafness; hearing loss
- Norrie disease; cataracts, leukocoria along with other developmental issues in the eye
- Occipital horn syndrome; deformations in the skeleton
- Ocular albinism; lack of pigmentation in the eye
- Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency; developmental delay and mental retardation. Progressive liver damage, skin lesions, and brittle hair may also be seen
- Siderius X-linked mental retardation syndrome; cleft lip and palate with mental retardation and facial dysmorphism, caused by mutations in the histone demethylase PHF8
- Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome; coarse faces with protruding jaw and tongue, widened nasal bridge, and upturned nasal tip
- Spinal muscular atrophy caused by UBE1 gene mutation; weakness due to loss of the motor neurons of the spinal cord and brainstem
- Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome; eczema, thrombocytopenia, immune deficiency, and bloody diarrhea
- X-linked Severe Combined Immunodeficiency (SCID); infections, usually causing death in the first years of life
- X-linked sideroblastic anemia; skin paleness, fatigue, dizziness and enlarged spleen and liver.
Joubert syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder that affects the cerebellum, an area of the brain that controls balance and coordination.
Joubert syndrome is one of the many genetic syndromes associated with syndromic retinitis pigmentosa. The syndrome was first identified in 1969 by pediatric neurologist Marie Joubert in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, while working at the Montreal Neurological Institute and McGill University.
Gillespie syndrome, also called aniridia, cerebellar ataxia and mental deficiency. is a rare genetic disorder. The disorder is characterized by partial aniridia (meaning that part of the iris is missing), ataxia (motor and coordination problems), and, in most cases, intellectual disability. It is heterogeneous, inherited in either an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive manner. Gillespie syndrome was first described by American ophthalmologist Fredrick Gillespie in 1965.
The symptoms of Leigh syndrome are classically described as beginning in infancy and leading to death within a span of several years; however, as more cases are recognized, it is apparent that symptoms can emerge at any age—including adolescence or adulthood—and patients can survive for many years following diagnosis. Symptoms are often first seen after a triggering event that taxes the body's energy production, such as an infection or surgery. The general course of Leigh syndrome is one of episodic developmental regression during times of metabolic stress. Some patients have long periods without disease progression while others develop progressive decline.
Infants with the syndrome have symptoms that include diarrhea, vomiting, and dysphagia (trouble swallowing or sucking), leading to a failure to thrive. Children with early Leigh disease also may appear irritable and cry much more than usual. Seizures are often seen. Excess lactate may be seen in the urine, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood of a person with Leigh syndrome.
As the disease progresses, the muscular system is debilitated throughout the body, as the brain cannot control the contraction of muscles. Hypotonia (low muscle tone and strength), dystonia (involuntary, sustained muscle contraction), and ataxia (lack of control over movement) are often seen in people with Leigh disease. The eyes are particularly affected; the muscles that control the eyes become weak, paralyzed, or uncontrollable in conditions called ophthalmoparesis (weakness or paralysis) and nystagmus (involuntary eye movements). Slow saccades are also sometimes seen. The heart and lungs can also fail as a result of Leigh disease. Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (thickening of part of the heart muscle) is also sometimes found and can cause death; asymmetric septal hypertrophy has also been associated with Leigh syndrome. In children with Leigh-syndrome associated ventricular septal defects, caused by pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, high forehead and large ears are seen; facial abnormalities are not typical of Leigh syndrome.
However, respiratory failure is the most common cause of death in people with Leigh syndrome. Other neurological symptoms include peripheral neuropathy, loss of sensation in extremities caused by damage to the peripheral nervous system.
Hypertrichosis is seen in Leigh syndrome caused by mutations in the nuclear gene SURF1.
The 'core' neuroacanthocytosis syndromes are chorea acanthocytosis and McLeod syndrome. Acanthocytes are nearly always present in these conditions and they share common clinical features. Some of these features are also seen in the other neurological syndromes associated with neuroacanthocytosis.
A common feature of the core syndromes is chorea: involuntary dance-like movements. In neuroacanthocytosis, this is particularly prominent in the face and mouth which can cause difficulties with speech and eating. These movements are usually abrupt and irregular and present during both rest and sleep.
Individuals with neuroacanthocytosis also often suffer from parkinsonism, the uncontrolled slowness of movements, and dystonia, abnormal body postures. Many affected individuals also have cognitive (intellectual) impairment and psychiatric symptoms such as anxiety, paranoia, depression, obsessive behavior, and pronounced emotional instability. Seizures may also be a symptom of neuroacanthocytosis.
Onset differs between individual neuroacanthocytosis syndromes but is usually between ages 20 and 40. Affected individuals usually live for 10–20 years after onset.
Symptoms start with slowly developing dysarthria (difficulty speaking) and cerebellar ataxia (unsteadiness) and then the progressive dementia becomes more evident. Loss of memory can be the first symptom of GSS. Extrapyramidal and pyramidal symptoms and signs may occur and the disease may mimic spinocerebellar ataxias in the beginning stages. Myoclonus (spasmodic muscle contraction) is less frequently seen than in Creutzfeldt–Jakob disease. Many patients also exhibit nystagmus (involuntary movement of the eyes), visual disturbances, and even blindness or deafness. The neuropathological findings of GSS include widespread deposition of amyloid plaques composed of abnormally folded prion protein.
MERRF syndrome (or myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers) is a mitochondrial disease. It is extremely rare, with an estimated prevalence of 1/4,000 in Northern Europe, and has varying degrees of expressivity owing to heteroplasmy. MERRF syndrome affects different parts of the body, particularly the muscles and nervous system. The signs and symptoms of this disorder appear at an early age, generally childhood or adolescence. The causes of MERRF syndrome is difficult to determine, however since its a mitochondrial disorder it can be caused by the mutation of nuclear DNA or mitochondrial DNA. The classification of this disease varies from patient to patient, since many individuals do not fall into one specific disease category.The primary features displayed on a person with MERRF include myoclonus, seizures, cerebellar ataxia, myopathy and ragged ref fibers (RRF) on muscle biopsy, leading to the diseases name. Secondary features include dementia, optic atrophy, bilateral deafness, peripheral neuropathy, spasticity or multiple lipomata. Mitochondrial disorders may present at any age, and this holds truth for MERRFS, since it forms part of them.
Neuropathy, ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa, also known as NARP syndrome, is a rare disease with mitochondrial inheritance that causes a variety of signs and symptoms chiefly affecting the nervous system Beginning in childhood or early adulthood, most people with NARP experience numbness, tingling, or pain in the arms and legs (sensory neuropathy); muscle weakness; and problems with balance and coordination (ataxia). Many affected individuals also have vision loss caused by changes in the light-sensitive tissue that lines the back of the eye (the retina). In some cases, the vision loss results from a condition called retinitis pigmentosa. This eye disease causes the light-sensing cells of the retina gradually to deteriorate.
Bazex–Dupré–Christol syndrome (also known as "Bazex syndrome", and "follicular atrophoderma and basal cell carcinomas") is a very rare condition inherited in an X-linked dominant fashion. Physical findings typically include follicular atrophoderma, multiple basal cell carcinomas, hypotrichosis, and hypohidrosis.
This condition should not be confused with the unrelated condition acrokeratosis paraneoplastica of Bazex, which may also be referred to Bazex syndrome.
The Huntington's disease-like syndromes (often abbreviated as HD-like or "HDL" syndromes) are a family of inherited neurodegenerative diseases that closely resemble Huntington's disease (HD) in that they typically produce a combination of chorea, cognitive decline or dementia and behavioural or psychiatric problems.
Arts syndrome is a rare metabolic disorder that causes serious neurological problems in males due to a malfunction of the PRPP synthetase 1 enzyme. Arts Syndrome is part of a spectrum of PRPS-1 related disorders with reduced activity of the enzyme that includes Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease and X-linked non-syndromic sensorineural deafness.
MECP2 Duplication Syndrome (M2DS) is a rare disease that is characterized by severe intellectual disability and impaired motor function. It is an X-linked genetic disorder caused by the overexpression of MeCP2 protein.
SFMS affects the skeletal and nervous system. This syndrome's external signs would be an unusual facial appearance with their heads being slightly smaller and unusually shaped, a narrow face which is also called dolichocephaly, a large mouth with a drooping lower lip that are held open, protruding upper jaw, widely spaced upper front teeth, an underdeveloped chin, cleft palate and exotropied-slanted eyes with drooping eyelids.
Males who have SFMS have short stature and a thin body build. Also skin is lightly pigmented with multiple freckles. They may have scoliosis and chest abnormalities.
Affected boys have reduced muscle tone as infants and young children. X-rays sometimes show that their bones are underdeveloped and show characteristics of younger bones of children. Boys usually under the age of 10 have reduced muscle tone but later, patients with SFMS over the age of 10 have increased muscle tone and reflexes that cause spasticity. Their hands are short with unusual palm creases with short, shaped fingers and foot abnormalities are shortened and have fused toes and usually mild.
They have an absent of a spleen and the genitals may also show undescended testes ranging from mild to severe that leads to female gender assignment.
People who have SFMS have severe mental retardation. They are sometimes restless, behavior problems, seizures and severe delay in language development. They are self-absorbed with reduced ability to socialize with others around them. They also have psychomotor retardation which is the slowing-down of thoughts and a reduction of physical movements. They have cortical atrophy or degeneration of the brain's outer layer. Cortical atrophy is usually founded in older affected people.
McLeod syndrome (or McLeod phenomenon; ) is an X-linked recessive genetic disorder that may affect the blood, brain, peripheral nerves, muscle, and heart. It is caused by a variety of recessively inherited mutations in the XK gene on the X chromosome. The gene is responsible for producing the Kx protein, a secondary supportive protein for the Kell antigen on the red blood cell surface.