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This syndrome is characterized by overgrowth and advanced bone age. Affected individuals are dysmorphic, with macrodolichocephaly, downslanting palpebral fissures and a pointed chin. The facial appearance is most notable in early childhood. Affected infants and children tend to grow quickly; they are significantly taller than their siblings and peers, and have an unusually large skull and large head. Adult height is usually in the normal range, although Broc Brown has the condition and was named the world's tallest teenager. As of late 2016, he was 7'8" and still growing.
Individuals with Sotos syndrome often have intellectual impairment, and most also have behavioral problems. Frequent behavioral impairments include attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), phobias, obsessive compulsive disorder, tantrums, and impulsive behaviors (impulse control disorder). Problems with speech and language are also common. Affected individuals may often have stuttering, difficulty with sound production, or a monotone voice. Additionally, weak muscle tone (hypotonia) may delay other aspects of early development, particularly motor skills such as sitting and crawling.
Other signs include scoliosis, seizures, heart or kidney defects, hearing loss, and problems with vision. Some infants with this disorder experience jaundice and poor feeding. A small number of patients with Sotos syndrome have developed cancer, most often in childhood, but no single form of cancer has been associated with this condition. It remains uncertain whether Sotos syndrome increases the risk of specific types of cancer. If persons with this disorder have any increased cancer risk, their risk is only slightly greater than that of the general population.
Sotos syndrome (cerebral gigantism or Sotos-Dodge syndrome) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by excessive physical growth during the first years of life. Excessive growth often starts in infancy and continues into the early teen years. The disorder may be accompanied by autism, mild intellectual disability, delayed motor, cognitive, and social development, hypotonia (low muscle tone), and speech impairments. Children with Sotos syndrome tend to be large at birth and are often taller, heavier, and have relatively large skulls (macrocephaly) than is normal for their age. Signs of the disorder, which vary among individuals, include a disproportionately large skull with a slightly protrusive forehead, large hands and feet, large mandible, hypertelorism (an abnormally increased distance between the eyes)(large inter-pupillary distance), and downslanting eyes. Clumsiness, an awkward gait, and unusual aggressiveness or irritability may also occur. Although most cases of Sotos syndrome occur sporadically, familial cases have also been reported. It is similar to Weaver syndrome.
Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome (; abbreviated BWS) is an overgrowth disorder usually present at birth, characterized by an increased risk of childhood cancer and certain congenital features.
Common features used to define BWS are:
- macroglossia (large tongue),
- macrosomia (above average birth weight and length),
- microcephaly
- midline abdominal wall defects (omphalocele/exomphalos, umbilical hernia, diastasis recti),
- ear creases or ear pits,
- neonatal hypoglycemia (low blood sugar after birth).
- Hepatoblastoma
Perlman syndrome shares clinical overlaps with other overgrowth disorders, with similarities to Beckwith–Wiedemann syndrome and Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome having been particularly emphasized in scientific study. Similarities with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome include polyhydramnios, macrosomia, nephromegaly and hypoglycaemia. It is the distinctive facial dysmorphology of Perlman, including deep-set eyes, depressed nasal bridge, everted upper lip, and macrocephaly which allows the two conditions to be distinguished from one another. Diagnosis of Perlman syndrome also overlaps with other disorders associated with Wilms tumor, namely, Sotos syndrome and Weaver syndrome.
Most children with BWS do not have all of these five features. In addition, some children with BWS have other findings including: nevus flammeus, prominent occiput, midface hypoplasia, hemihypertrophy, genitourinary anomalies (enlarged kidneys), cardiac anomalies, musculoskeletal abnormalities, and hearing loss. Also, some premature newborns with BWS do not have macroglossia until closer to their anticipated delivery date.
Given the variation among individuals with BWS and the lack of a simple diagnostic test, identifying BWS can be difficult. In an attempt to standardize the classification of BWS, DeBaun et al. have defined a child as having BWS if the child has been diagnosed by a physician as having BWS and if the child has at least two of the five common features associated with BWS (macroglossia, macrosomia, midline abdominal wall defects, ear creases/ear pits, neonatal hypoglycemia). Another definition presented by Elliot et al. includes the presence of either three major features (anterior abdominal wall defect, macroglossia, or prepostnatal overgrowth) or two major plus three minor findings (ear pits, nevus flammeus, neonatal hypoglycemia, nephromegaly, or hemihyperplasia).
While most children with BWS do not develop cancer, children with BWS do have a significantly increased risk of cancer. Children with BWS are most at risk during early childhood and should receive cancer screening during this time.
In general, children with BWS do very well and grow up to become adults of normal size and intelligence, usually without the syndromic features of their childhood.
Perlman syndrome (PS) (also called renal hamartomas, nephroblastomatosis and fetal gigantism) is a rare overgrowth disorder present at birth. It is characterized by polyhydramnios and fetal overgrowth, including macrocephaly, neonatal macrosomia, visceromegaly, dysmorphic facial features, and an increased risk for Wilms' tumor at an early age. The prognosis for Perlman syndrome is poor and it is associated with a high neonatal mortality.
Various degrees of intensity and locations of epilepsy are associated with malformations of cortical development. Researchers suggest that approximately 40% of children diagnosed with drug-resistant epilepsy have some degree of cortical malformation.
Lissencephaly (to which pachygyria is most closely linked) is associated with severe mental retardation, epilepsy, and motor disability. Two characteristics of lissencephaly include its absence of convolutions (agyria) and decreased presence of convolutions (pachygyria). The types of seizures associated with lissencephaly include:
- persisting spasms
- focal seizures
- tonic seizures
- atypical seizures
- atonic seizures
Other possible symptoms of lissencephaly include telecanthus, estropia, hypertelorism, varying levels of mental retardation, cerebellar hypoplasia, corpus callosum aplasia, and decreased muscle tone and tendon reflexes. Over 90% of children affected with lissencephaly have seizures.
Patients with subcortical band heterotopia (another disorder associated with pachygyria) typically have milder symptoms and their cognitive function is closely linked to the thickness of the subcortical band and the degree of pachygyria present.
There are two types of SGBS, each found on a different gene:
SGBS is also considered to be an overgrowth syndrome (OGS). OGS is characterized by a 2-3 standard deviation increase in weight, height, or head circumference above the average for sex and age. One of the most noted features of OGS is the increased risk of neoplasms in certain OGSs. SGBS in particular has been found to have a 10% tumor predisposition frequency with 94% of cases occurring in the abdominal region, most being malignant. It is common for tumors to be embryonal in type and appear before the age of 10.
There are five different types of tumors that patients with SGBS might develop, all intra-abdominal: Wilms tumor, Hepatoblastoma, Hepatocarcinoma, Gonadoblastoma, and Neuroblastoma.
The most common types of tumors developed in patients are the Wilms tumor and hepatoblastoma.
Patients diagnosed with porencephaly display a variety of symptoms, from mild to severe effects on the patient. Patients with severe cases of porencephaly suffer epileptic seizures and developmental delays, whereas patients with a mild case of porencephaly display little to no seizures and healthy neurodevelopment. Infants with extensive defects show symptoms of the disorder shortly after birth, and the diagnosis is usually made before the age of 1.
The following text lists out common signs and symptoms of porencephaly in affected individuals along with a short description of certain terminologies.
Microcephalic osteodysplastic primordial dwarfism (MOPD) type II is an autosomal multisystem disorder including severe pre- and post-natal growth retardation, microcephaly with Seckel syndrome-like facial appearance, and distinctive skeletal alterations. Usually those affected have mild to moderate mental retardation. This female child is the first born of nonconsanguineous parents at 35 weeks gestation through a cesarean section due to intrauterine growth retardation. She had a retarded psychomotor development and was repeatedly hospitalized during her first six months of life due to recurring respiratory infections. Her electroencephalography, auditory brainstem response evaluation, and chromosomal analysis were relatively normal. A brain MRI revealed thickened cerebral cortices with few and large gyri prominently in the frontal and posterior temporal regions, incomplete development of the Sylvian fissures, and dilatation of the posterior horns of the lateral ventricles (colpocephaly). Usually only mild brain malformations are associated with MOPD type II. The imaging findings of this child’s brain most likely represent diffuse pachygyria, a mild form of lissencephaly. This child’s neurodevelopmental findings were mild when compared to previous reports of a well-defined chromosome 17-linked and X-linked lissencephaly in a bedridden patient with severe developmental delays.
While inclusion criteria for Rud syndrome have varied considerably, the major manifestations includes congenital ichthyosis, hypogonadism, small stature, mental retardation, and epilepsy. Ocular findings were inconsistently reported and included strabismus, blepharoptosis, blepharospasm, glaucoma, cataract, nystagmus, and retinitis pigmentosa. Other systemic includes metabolic, bony, neurologic, and muscular abnormalities.
Detection usually begins with a routine doctor visit when the fundal height is being measured or during an ultrasound examination. When large for gestational age fetuses (LGA) are identified, there are two common causes: maternal diabetes or incorrect dates. However, if these two causes can be ruled out, an ultrasound is performed to detect for overgrowth and other abnormalities. At this point, it becomes essential for a clinical geneticist to assist in the correct selection of tests and possible diagnosis.
First signs of SGBS may be observed as early as 16 weeks of gestation. Aids to diagnosing might include the presence of macrosomia, polyhydramnios, elevated maternal serum-α-fetoprotein, cystic hygroma, hydrops fetalis, increased nuchal translucency, craniofacial abnormalities, visceromegaly, renal abnormalities, congenital diaphragmatic hernia, polydactyly, and a single umbilical artery.
If there is a known mutation in the family, prenatal testing is available. Prenatal testing is also possible by looking for evidence of the mild SGBS phenotype in the mother and the positive SGBS phenotype in male family members. Family members who are positive of SGBS may undergo mutational analysis of genes GCP3, GCP4, and CXORF5. Genomic balance in Xp22 and Xq26 may also be analyzed through array comparative genomic hybridization.
Due to the high percentage of male deaths during the neonatal period, early detection of tumors is crucial. In order to detect the presence of tumors, screening in SGBS patients should include abdominal ultrasound, urinalysis, and biochemical markers that screen for embryonic tumors.
Once the infant is born, possibility of hypoglycemia must be assessed along with cardiac, genitalia, liver, and adrenal evaluations. Such tests include chest radiographs, electrocardiogram, echocardiogram, renal sonography, and abdominal sonography to test for possible abnormalities.
Porencephaly is a rare disorder. The exact prevalence of porencephaly is not known; however, it has been reported that 6.8% of patients with cerebral palsy or 68% of patients with epilepsy and congenital vascular hemiparesis have porencephaly. Porencephaly has a number of different, often unknown, causes including absence of brain development and destruction of brain tissue. With limited research, the most commonly regarded cause of porencephaly is disturbances in blood circulation, ultimately leading to brain damage. However, a number of different and multiple factors such as abnormal brain development or damage to the brain tissue can also affect the development of porencephaly.
The following text lists out potential risk factors of developing porencephaly and porencephalic cysts and cavities along with brief description of certain terminologies.
Cysts or cavities can occur anywhere within the brain and the locations of these cysts depend highly on the patient. Cysts can develop in the frontal lobe, parietal lobe, forebrain, hindbrain, temporal lobe, or virtually anywhere in the cerebral hemisphere.
Rud syndrome is a poorly characterized disorder, probably of X-linked recessive inheritance, named after Einar Rud who described 2 patients with the case in 1927 and 1929. It was argued that all reported cases of Rud syndrome are genetically heterogeneous and significantly differ from the original case reports of Rud and that the designation Rud syndrome should be eliminated and that the patients with such diagnosis should be reassigned to other syndromes, such as Refsum disease and Sjögren-Larsson syndrome.Some consider Rud syndrome and Sjögren-Larsson syndrome the same entity and that Rud syndrome doesn't exist.
Macrocephaly is a condition in which the head is abnormally large; this includes the scalp, the cranial bone, and the contents of the cranium.
Numerous associated abnormalities of other organ systems may be present. This heterogeneity requires comprehensive evaluation of all patients and treatment regimes that can vary from modification of activities to extensive spinal surgeries. Furthermore, it is unclear whether Klippel–Feil syndrome is a unique disease, or if it is one part of a spectrum of congenital spinal deformities. Klippel–Feil syndrome is usually diagnosed after birth.
The most common sign of the disorder is restricted mobility of the neck and upper spine. A short neck and low hairline at the back of the head may occur in some patients.
Associated abnormalities may include:
- scoliosis (side-to-side curvature of the spine), which is abnormal curving of the spine. The spine sometimes appears as a "C" or an "S"
- spina bifida, when the spinal canal and the back bone do not close completely during birth
- anomalies of the kidneys and the ribs
- cleft palate (hole in the roof of the mouth)
- dental problems (late dentition, high-risk of caries, oligo- and hypodontia)
- respiratory problems
- heart malformations
- short stature
- Duane syndrome
- Approximately 35% of patients with Klippel–Feil syndrome will also have a congenital elevation of the scapula known as Sprengel's deformity
The disorder also may be associated with abnormalities of the head and face, skeleton, sex organs, muscles, brain and spinal cord, arms, legs, fingers and heart defects. These heart defects often lead to a shortened life expectancy, the average being 35–45 years of age among males and 40–50 among females. This condition is similar to the heart failure seen in gigantism.
In 2011, a study identifying the occurrence of symptoms of 100 patients was published.
Macrocephaly may be pathological, but many people with abnormally large heads or large skulls are healthy. Pathologic macrocephaly may be due to megalencephaly (enlarged brain), hydrocephalus (water on the brain), cranial hyperostosis (bone overgrowth), and other conditions. Pathologic macrocephaly is called "syndromic" when it is associated with any other noteworthy condition, and "nonsyndromic" otherwise. Pathologic macrocephaly can be caused by congenital anatomic abnormalities, genetic conditions, or by environmental events.
Many genetic conditions are associated with macrocephaly, including familial macrocephaly related to the holgate gene, autism, "PTEN" mutations such as Cowden disease, neurofibromatosis type 1, and tuberous sclerosis; overgrowth syndromes such as Sotos syndrome (cerebral gigantism), Weaver syndrome, Simpson-Golabi-Behmel syndrome (bulldog syndrome), and macrocephaly-capillary malformation (M-CMTC) syndrome; neurocardiofacial-cutaneous syndromes such as Noonan syndrome, Costello syndrome, Gorlin Syndrome, (also known as Basal Cell Nevus Syndrome) and cardiofaciocutaneous syndrome; Fragile X syndrome; leukodystrophies (brain white matter degeneration) such as Alexander disease, Canavan disease, and megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts; and glutaric aciduria type 1 and D-2-hydroxyglutaric aciduria.
At one end of the genetic spectrum, duplications of chromosomes have been found to be related to autism and macrocephaly; at the other end, deletions of chromosomes have been found to be related to schizophrenia and microcephaly.
Environmental events associated with macrocephaly include infection, neonatal intraventricular hemorrhage (bleeding within the infant brain), subdural hematoma (bleeding beneath the outer lining of the brain), subdural effusion (collection of fluid beneath the outer lining of the brain), and arachnoid cysts (cysts on the brain surface).
Worster-Drought syndrome is a form of congenital suprabulbar paresis that occurs in some children with cerebral palsy. It is caused by inadequate development of the corticobulbar tracts and causes problems with the mouth and tongue including impaired swallowing. A similar syndrome in adults is called anterior opercular syndrome.
A 1986 study of a family in which multiple members had Worster-Drought Syndrome suggested it might be hereditary.
A 2000 review of cases classified Worster-Drought Syndrome as a form of cerebral palsy, caused by early damage to the brain, but identified no obvious causes during gestation or birth and found some families with a history of the condition.
The syndrome was named after Cecil Charles Worster-Drought, the doctor who discovered it in 1956.
Klippel–Feil syndrome is a rare disease, initially reported in 1884 by Maurice Klippel and André Feil from France, characterized by the congenital fusion of any two of the seven cervical vertebrae.
The syndrome occurs in a heterogeneous group of patients unified only by the presence of a congenital defect in the formation or segmentation of the cervical spine. Klippel-Feil results in limited movement of the neck. Klippel–Feil syndrome is sometimes identified by shortness of the neck, but not all people with this disorder have a visibly shortened neck. Some people with the syndrome have a very low hairline.
In 1919, in his PhD thesis, André Feil suggested another classification of the syndrome encompassing not only deformation of the cervical spine but also deformation of the lumbar and thoracic spine.
Congenital causes include:
- Klippel Trenaunay Weber syndrome
- Maffucci syndrome
- macrodystrophia lipomatosa
- neurofibromatosis,
- lipoatrophic diabetes.
- Proteus syndrome, which by one theory accounts for the deformities of the Elephant Man
Local gigantism may be caused by a heterogeneous group of both congenital and acquired conditions.
Although it may be asymptomatic, symptoms usually are more likely to be present and more severe with larger tongue enlargements. Signs and symptoms include:
- Dyspnea - difficult, noisy breathing, obstructive sleep apnea or airway obstruction
- Dysphagia - difficulty swallowing and eating
- Dysphonia - disrupted speech, possibly manifest as lisping
- Sialorrhea - drooling
- Angular cheilitis - sores at the corners of the mouth
- Crenated tongue - indentations on the lateral borders of the tongue caused by pressure from teeth ("pie crust tongue")
- Open bite malocclusion - a type of malocclusion of the teeth
- Mandibular prognathism - enlarged mandible
- Mouth breathing
- Orthodontic abnormalities - including diastema and tooth spacing
A tongue that constantly protrudes from the mouth is vulnerable to drying out, ulceration, infection or even necrosis.
Claude's syndrome is caused by midbrain infarction as a result of occlusion of a branch of the posterior cerebral artery. This lesion is usually a unilateral infarction of the red nucleus and cerebral peduncle, affecting several structures in the midbrain including:
It is very similar to Benedikt's syndrome.
Klippel–Trénaunay syndrome (KTS or KT), formerly Klippel–Trénaunay–Weber syndrome and sometimes angioosteohypertrophy syndrome and hemangiectatic hypertrophy, is a rare congenital medical condition in which blood vessels and/or lymph vessels fail to form properly. The three main features are nevus flammeus (port-wine stain), venous and lymphatic malformations, and soft-tissue hypertrophy of the affected limb. It is similar to, though distinctly separate from, the less common Parkes-Weber syndrome.
The classical triad of Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome consists of:
1. vascular malformations of the capillary, venous and lymphatic vessels;
2. varicosities of unusual distribution, particularly the lateral venous anomaly; and
3. unilateral soft and skeletal tissue hypertrophy, usually the lower extremity.
Generally, the majority of individuals with creatine transporter defect express the following symptoms with varying levels of severity: developmental delay and regression, mental retardation, and abnormalities in expressive and cognitive speech. However, several studies have shown a wider variety of symptoms including, but not limited to attention deficit and hyperactivity with impulsivity, myopathy, hypotonia, semantic-pragmatic language disorder, oral dyspraxia, extrapyramidal movement disorder, constipation, absent speech development, seizures, and epilepsy. Furthermore, symptoms can significantly vary between hemizygous males and heterozygous females, although, symptoms are generally more severe in hemizygous males. Hemizygous males more commonly express seizures, growth deficiency, severe mental retardation, and severe expressive language impairment. Heterozygous females more commonly express mild retardation, impairments to confrontational naming and verbal memory, and learning and behavior problems.