Nasodigitoacoustic syndrome is congenital and is characterized by a number of nasal, facial and cranial features. These include a broad and high, sometimes depressed nasal bridge (top of the nose, between the eyes) and a flattened nasal tip. This can give the nose a shortened, arch-like appearance. Hypertelorism (unusually wide-set eyes), prominent frontal bones and supraorbital ridge (the eyebrow ridge), bilateral epicanthic folds (an extra flap of skin over the eyelids), a broad forehead and an overall enlarged head circumference have also been observed. A bulging of the upper lip with an exaggerated cupid's bow shape, and maxillary hypoplasia (underdevelopment of the upper jaw) with retraction have also been reported.

Several anomalies affecting the digits (fingers and toes) have been observed with the syndrome. A broadening of the thumbs and big toes (halluces) was reported in two brothers. The broadening was apparent in all distal phalanges of the fingers, although the pinkies were unaffected yet appeared to be clinodactylic (warped, or bent toward the other fingers). Additional eports described this broadness of the thumbs and big toes, with brachydactyly (shortness) in the distal phalanges of the other digits except the pinkies in affected individuals. On X-rays of a two-year-old boy with the disorder, the brachydactyly was shown to be caused by shortening of epiphyses (joint-ends) of the distal phalanges. The broadness and brachydactyly of the big toes in particular may give them a stunted, rounded and stub-like appearance.

The auditory, or "acoustic" abnormalities observed with the syndrome include sensorineural hearing loss and hoarseness. Two affected Turkish brothers with a mild form of this hearing loss, and a hoarse voice were reported. A laryngoscopic examination of both brothers revealed swelling of the vocal cords, and a malformed epiglottis. Sensorineural-associated hearing impairment and hoarsness was also observed in a 10-year-old girl and her father, and in a number of other cases.

Other characteristics seen with the syndrome include developmental delay, growth retardation, pulmonary stenosis (an obstruction of blood-flow from the right ventricle of the heart to the pulmonary artery) with associated dyspnea (shortness of breath), and renal agenesis (failure of the kidneys to develop during the fetal period). Undescended testes, hyperactivity and aggressive behavior have also been noted.

The symptoms of Freeman–Sheldon syndrome include drooping of the upper eyelids, strabismus, low-set ears, a long philtrum, gradual hearing loss, scoliosis, and walking difficulties. Gastroesophageal reflux has been noted during infancy, but usually improves with age. The tongue may be small, and the limited movement of the soft palate may cause nasal speech. Often there is an H- or Y-shaped dimpling of the skin over the chin.

Gordon syndrome is an extremely rare disorder that belongs to a group of genetic disorders known as the distal arthrogryposes. These disorders typically involve stiffness and impaired mobility of certain joints of the lower arms and legs (distal extremities) including the knees, elbows, wrists, and/or ankles. These joints tend to be permanently fixed in a bent or flexed position (contractures). Gordon syndrome is characterized by the permanent fixation of several fingers in a flexed position (camptodactyly), abnormal bending inward of the foot (clubfoot or talipes), and, less frequently, incomplete closure of the roof of the mouth (cleft palate). In some cases, additional abnormalities may also be present. The range and severity of symptoms may vary from case to case. Gordon syndrome is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait.

Being an extremely rare autosomal genetic disorder, differential diagnosis has only led to several cases since 1972. Initial diagnosis lends itself to facial abnormalities including sloping forehead, maxillary hypoplasia, nasal bridge depression, wide mouth, dental maloclusion, and receding chin. Electroencephalography (EEG), computed tomography (CT) scanning, and skeletal survey are further required for confident diagnosis. Commonly, diffuse cartilage calcification and brachytelephalangism are identified by X-radiation (X-ray), while peripheral pulmonary arterial stenosis, hearing loss, dysmorphic facies, and mental retardation are confirmed with confidence by the aforementioned diagnostic techniques.

Recognised symptoms up till now are:

- Autism or autistic behaviors

- ADHD

- Learning disability

- Large head

- Dysmorphic facial appearance - mild

- Prominent forehead

- Wide-set eyes (hypertelorism)

- Schizophrenia

- Loose joints

- GERD

- Sleep disturbances

- Sleep Apnea

- Underdeveloped parts of brain - corpus callosum and cerebellar vermis

- Neuroblastoma

- Speech & developmental delays

- Chiari malformation of the brain

- Congenital heart defects

- Hypotonia

It is not clear whether the list of symptoms is complete. Very little information is known about the syndrome. The symptomology may be different among individuals, even in the same family.

Freeman–Sheldon syndrome (FSS), also termed distal arthrogryposis type 2A (DA2A), craniocarpotarsal dysplasia (or dystrophy), Cranio-carpo-tarsal syndrome, Windmill-Vane-Hand syndrome, or Whistling-face syndrome, was originally described by Freeman and Sheldon in 1938. Freeman–Sheldon syndrome is a rare form of multiple congenital contracture (MCC) syndromes (arthrogryposes) and is the most severe form of distal arthrogryposis (DA).

Coffin–Lowry syndrome is a severe mental retardation associated with abnormalities of:

- Growth

- "In utero" growth is normal but post natal growth is retarded. Patients are sometimes microcephalic.

- Cardio-vascular

- Cardiac abnormalities affect 15% of the patients.

- Skeleton

- Progressive kyphoscoliosis affects 1 in 2 patients. Micrognathia is also associated with this syndrome.

- Patients may also have an underdeveloped upper jaw bone, abnormally prominent brows, or widely spaced eyes.

- Vision and audition

- Auditory abnormalities are frequent and often present. Vision abnormalities are not often present.

Chromosome 15q trisomy is an extremely rare genetic disorder, caused by a chromosomal aberration in which there is an excess copy of the long ("q") arm of human chromosome 15. The disorder is also known as Distal Duplication 15q and Partial Duplication 15q Syndrome.

The disorder is primarily characterized by growth abnormalities, which range from growth retardation to accelerated growth, intellectual disability, and distinctive malformations of the head and face. Additional abnormalities may involve malformation of the skeleton, spine and neck; fingers and/or toes; genitals (particularly in males); and, in some cases, heart problems. When accelerated growth is present, it is thought to result from the duplication of the IGF1 receptor gene.

Diagnosis is often confirmed by several abnormalities of skeletal origin. There is a sequential order of findings, according to Cormode et al., which initiate in abnormal cartilage calcification and later brachytelephalangism. The uniqueness of brachytelephalangy in KS results in distinctively broadened and shortened first through fourth distal phalanges, while the fifth distal phalanx bone remains unaffected. Radiography also reveals several skeletal anomalies including facial hypoplasia resulting in underdevelopment of the nasal bridge with noticeably diminished alae nasi. In addition to distinguishable facial features, patients generally demonstrate shorter than average stature and general mild developmental delay.

Affected individuals present with a broad array of medical and behavioral manifestations (tables 1 and 2). Patients are consistently characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability, speech abnormalities, ASD-like behaviors, hypotonia and mild dysmorphic features. Table 1 summarizes the dysmorphic and medical conditions that have been reported in individuals with PMS. Table 2 summarize the psychiatric and neurological associated with PMS. Most of the studies include small samples or relied on parental report or medical record review to collect information, which can account in part for the variability in the presentation of some of the presenting features. Larger prospective studies are needed to further characterize the phenotype.

Table 1: Dysmorphic features and medical comorbid conditions that have been reported in individuals with Phelan McDermid Syndrome.

Table 2: Psychiatric and Neurologic Manifestations associated with Phelan McDermid Syndrome

Nasodigitoacoustic syndrome, also called Keipert syndrome, is a rare congenital syndrome first described by J.A. Keipert and colleagues in 1973. The syndrome is characterized by a mishaped nose, broad thumbs and halluces (the big toes), brachydactyly, sensorineural hearing loss, facial features such as hypertelorism (unusually wide-set eyes), and developmental delay. It is believed to be inherited in an X-linked recessive manner, which means a genetic mutation causing the disorder is located on the X chromosome, and while two copies of the mutated gene must be inherited for a female to be born with the disorder, just one copy is sufficient to cause a male to be born with the disorder. Nasodigitoacoustic syndrome is likely caused by a mutated gene located on the X chromosome between positions Xq22.2–q28. The incidence of the syndrome has not been determined, but it is considered to affect less than 200,000 people in the United States, and no greater than 1 per 2,000 in Europe. It is similar to Keutel, Muenke, Rubinstein and Teunissen-Cremers syndrome.

The severity of symptoms of idic(15) vary greatly between individuals. Individuals with idic(15) usually have delays in language development and motor skills such as walking or sitting up. Other traits may include low muscle tone (hypotonia), seizures (>50%), short stature, and intellectual disability. Distinctive facial features associated with idic(15), where present, are usually very subtle but may include epicanthal folds (skin folds at the inner corners of one or both eyes), broad forehead, a flattened nasal bridge, button nose, and a high arched palate (roof of the mouth). Many individuals with idic(15) display features of autism, such as problems with communication and social interactions, obsessional interests (often with interactive mechanisms like wheels, doors or switches), unpredictable sleep cycles (and a reduced need for sleep), and repetitive and stereotyped behaviors (e.g., lining up toys, playing with a toy in the same manner over and over again, hand flapping, rocking back and forth). A high pain threshold is often observed. If speech develops, it is often echolalic but some individuals do grasp some language. With a severely affected person there may be an inability to walk or talk.

Gordon syndrome (GS), or distal arthrogryposis type 3, is a rare, autosomal dominant disorder characterized by cleft palate and congenital contractures of the hands and feet.

1q21.1 duplication syndrome or 1q21.1 (recurrent) microduplication is a rare aberration of chromosome 1.

In a common situation a human cell has one pair of identical chromosomes on chromosome 1. With the 1q21.1 duplication syndrome one chromosome of the pair is over complete, because a part of the sequence of the chromosome is duplicated twice or more. In 1q21.1, the '1' stands for chromosome 1, the 'q' stands for the long arm of the chromosome and '21.1' stands for the part of the long arm in which the duplication is situated.

Next to the duplication syndrome, there is also a 1q21.1 deletion syndrome. While there are two or three copies of a similar part of the DNA on a particular spot with the duplication syndrome, there is a part of the DNA missing with the deletion syndrome on the same spot. Literature refers to both the deletion and the duplication as the 1q21.1 copy-number variations (CNV).

The CNV leads to a very variable phenotype and the manifestations in individuals are quite variable. Some people who have the syndrome can function in a normal way, while others have symptoms of mental retardation and various physical anomalies.

Potocki–Lupski syndrome (PTLS), also known as dup(17)p11.2p11.2 syndrome, trisomy 17p11.2 or duplication 17p11.2 syndrome, is a contiguous gene syndrome involving the microduplication of band 11.2 on the short arm of human chromosome 17 (17p11.2). The duplication was first described as a case study in 1996. In 2000, the first study of the disease was released, and in 2007, enough patients had been gathered to complete a comprehensive study and give it a detailed clinical description. PTLS is named for two researchers involved in the latter phases, Drs. Lorraine Potocki and James R. Lupski of Baylor College of Medicine.

PTLS was the first predicted of a homologous recombination (microdeletion or microduplication) where both reciprocal recombinations result in a contiguous gene syndrome. Its reciprocal disease is Smith–Magenis syndrome (SMS), in which the chromosome portion duplicated in PTLS is deleted altogether.

Potocki–Lupski syndrome is considered a rare disease, predicted to appear in at least 1 in 20,000 humans.

Symptoms of the syndrome include intellectual disability, autism, and other disorders unrelated to the listed symptoms.

A contiguous gene syndrome (CGS), also known as a contiguous gene deletion syndrome is a clinical phenotype caused by a chromosomal abnormality, such as a deletion or duplication that removes several genes lying in close proximity to one another on the chromosome. The combined phenotype of the patient is a combination of what is seen when any individual has disease-causing mutations in any of the individual genes involved in the deletion. While it can be caused by deleted material on a chromosome, it is not, strictly speaking, the same entity as a segmental aneuploidy syndrome. A segmental aneuploidy syndrome is a subtype of CGS that regularly recur, usually due to non-allelic homologous recombination between low copy repeats in the region. Most CGS involve the X chromosome and affect male individuals.

One of the earliest and most famous examples of a CGS involves a male patient with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), chronic granulomatous disease (CGD), retinitis pigmentosa and intellectual disability. When it was discovered that an X chromosome deletion (specifically Xp21) was the underlying cause of all of these features, researchers were able to use this information to clone the genes responsible for DMD and CGD.

One of those more common CGS involves a deletion on the X chromosome (near Xp21) that encompasses "DMD" (causing Duchenne muscular dystrophy), "NROB1" (causing X-linked adrenal hypoplasia congenita) and "GK" (causing glycerol kinase deficiency). These patients will have all the common features of each individual disease, resulting in a very complex phenotype. Deletions near the distal tip of the p arm of the X chromosome are also a frequent cause of CGS. In addition to the previously described CGS that occur on the X chromosome, two other common syndromes are Langer-Giedion syndrome (caused by deletions of "TRPS1" and "EXT1" on 8q24 and WAGR syndrome (caused by deletions on 11q13 encompassing "PAX6" and "WT1".)

Recognised symptoms are:

- Only one set of genes on the two chromosomes function (Haploinsufficiency)

- Thrombocytopenia-absent radius (TAR syndrome), in case of a class II-deletion

- Neurological-psychiatric problems: Autism; schizophrenia; epilepsy; learning problems; cognitive disabilities — mild to moderate; developmental delay — mild to moderate (milestones like sitting, standing and walking; come at a later period in childhood); children show an ataxic gait and fall down a lot

- Dysmorphism: Slightly unusual facial appearance; disturbed growth; skeletal malformations; small head (microcephaly); prominent forehead; bulbous nose; deep-set eyes; broad thumbs; broad toes; squint; very flexible joints; clavicular pseudoarthrosis (the collarbone doesn't develop normally) (Class II-deletion); An extra transverse crease of the fifth finger (Class II-deletion)); Problems with the development of the vagina (Müllerian aplasia)

- Eyes: Cataracts

- Heart abnormalities and cardiovascular anomalies (30% of the cases): Anomalous origin of the coronary artery (Class II-deletion)

- Kidneys: Missing kidney or floating kidneys

- Cancer: Neuroblastoma

- Sleep disturbances

It is not clear whether the list of symptoms is complete. Very little information is known about the syndrome. The syndrome can have completely different effects on members of the same family.

A common deletion is between 1.0–1.9Mb. Mefford states that the standard for a deletion is 1.35Mb. The largest deletion seen on a living human is over 5 Mb.

22q13 deletion syndrome (spoken as "twenty-two q one three", see Locus (genetics)) is a genetic disorder caused by deletions or rearrangements on the q terminal end (long arm) of chromosome 22. Any abnormal genetic variation in the q13 region that presents with significant manifestations (phenotype) typical of a terminal deletion may be diagnosed as 22q13 deletion syndrome. 22q13 deletion syndrome is often called Phelan-McDermid syndrome (abbreviated PMS). There is disagreement among researchers as to the exact definition of 22q13 deletion syndrome. The Developmental Synaptopathies Consortium defines PMS as being caused by "SHANK3" mutations, a definition that appears to exclude terminal deletions. The requirement to include "SHANK3" in the definition is supported by many, but not by those who first described 22q13 deletion syndrome.

A prototypical terminal deletion of 22q13 can be uncovered by karyotype analysis, but many terminal and interstitial deletions are too small. The availability of DNA microarray technology for revealing multiple genetic problems simultaneously has been the diagnostic tool of choice. The falling cost for whole exome sequencing and, eventually, whole genome sequencing, may replace DNA microarray technology for candidate evaluation. However, fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) tests remain valuable for diagnosing cases of mosaicism (mosaic genetics) and chromosomal rearrangements (e.g., ring chromosome, unbalanced chromosomal translocation). Although early researchers sought a monogenic (single gene genetic disorder) explanation, recent studies have not supported that hypothesis (see Etiology, below).

1q21.1 deletion syndrome or 1q21.1 (recurrent) microdeletion is a rare aberration of chromosome 1.

A human cell has one pair of identical chromosomes on chromosome 1. With the 1q21.1 deletion syndrome, one chromosome of the pair is not complete, because a part of the sequence of the chromosome is missing. One chromosome has the normal length and the other is too short.

In 1q21.1, the '1' stands for chromosome 1, the 'q' stands for the long arm of the chromosome and '21.1' stands for the part of the long arm in which the deletion is situated.

The syndrome is a form of the 1q21.1 copy number variations and it is a deletion in the distal area of the 1q21.1 part. The CNV leads to a very variable phenotype and the manifestations in individuals are quite variable. Some people who have the syndrome can function in a normal way, while others have symptoms of mental retardation and various physical anomalies.

1q21.1 microdeletion is a very rare chromosomal condition. Only 46 individuals with this deletion have been reported in medical literature as of August 2011.

Ring 18 causes a wide range of medical and developmental concerns. As discussed above, people with ring 18 can have features of both distal 18q- and 18p-. The features of distal 18q- and 18p- vary greatly because of the variability of the deletion size and breakpoint locations between people. Because ring 18 can involve unique deletions of both the p and q arms of the chromosome there is twice as much reason for the variability between individuals. This variation is also partly attributable to the incidence of mosaicism, which is relatively common in people with ring 18.

- Holoprosencephaly has been reported in some people with ring 18. This is due to the deletion of the TGIF gene on the short arm of chromosome 18 in some people with ring 18.Approximately 30-40% of people with ring 18 have a congenital heart anomaly. Septal defects are the most common type of defect reported in this population.

- Hypotonia is frequently seen in the ring 18 population. Seizures, though uncommon, have been reported in people with ring 18.

- In some children without “classic” holoprosencephaly, microforms of holoprosencephaly may be noted on MRI, including missing olfactory tracts and bulbs and absent or hypoplastic corpus callosum.

- Strabismus as well as nystagmus have both been reported in infants and children with ring 18.

- Hearing loss has been reported and may be related to ear canal atresia or stenosis.

- Umbilical and inguinal hernias have been reported in a small number of people with ring 18.

- Unilateral renal hypoplasia and aplasia have both been reported in individuals with ring 18. Hydronephrosis as well as pyelonephritis have also been reported in a few individuals. Cryptorchidism, hypospadias, and micropenis have been seen in males with ring 18, while females have been reported with hypoplastic labia.

- Foot abnormalities are common within the ring 18 population. Scoliosis as well as pectus excavatum have also been frequently reported.

- Several people with ring 18 have growth hormone deficiency. Hypothyroidism has also been reported in a minority of people.

- Cognitive ability varies; according to a literature review, the degree of impairment may fall anywhere between the mild and severe ends of the spectrum.

- Facial features of ring 18 include low-set, dysplastic ears, epicanthic folds, and hypertelorism. Micrognathia has also been reported.

Clinically, PTLS presents as a milder syndrome than SMS, with distinct characteristics, though PTLS can be mistaken for SMS. Both syndromes are characterized by multiple congenital abnormalities and mental retardation. A key feature which appears in 80% of cases is autism spectrum disorder. Other unique features of Potocki–Lupski syndrome include infantile hypotonia, sleep apnea, structural cardiovascular anomalies, cognitive deficits, abnormal social behaviors, learning disabilities, attention-deficit disorder, obsessive-compulsive behaviours, malocclusions, short stature and failure to thrive.

After noting that autism is commonly associated with PTLS, researchers at the Centro de Estudios Científicos and the Austral University of Chile genetically engineered a PTLS "model mouse" where the syntenic chromosome segment was duplicated, and examined the social behaviours of these mice versus those without the anomaly (the "wild-type"). One human autism-related symptom is abnormal social interaction. The researchers observed that the genetically-engineered mice of both sexes had a slight (statistically insignificant) impairment of their preference of a social target (i.e., a living, breathing mouse) over an inanimate one — the average human will prefer the social target — and preferred to explore newly introduced mice instead of familiar ones, unlike the typical human and mouse preference of a friend over a stranger, demonstrating a change in their liking of social novelty. They also found that male mice, in some scenarios, showed increased anxiety and than the control group. Anatomically, the engineered mice had a decreased brain-to-body mass ratio and an alteration in the expression of several genes in the hippocampus.

Isodicentric 15, also called idic(15), partial tetrasomy 15q, or inverted duplication 15 (inv dup 15), is a chromosome abnormality in which a child is born with extra genetic material from chromosome 15. People with idic(15) are typically born with 47 chromosomes in their body cells, instead of the normal 46. The extra chromosome is made up of a piece of chromosome 15 that has been duplicated end-to-end like a mirror image. It is the presence of this extra genetic material that is thought to account for the symptoms seen in some people with idic(15). Individuals with idic(15) have a total of four copies of this chromosome 15 region instead of the usual two copies (1 copy each on the maternal and paternal chromosomes).

The syndrome is also often referred to by the broader term "Chromosome 15q11.2-q13.1 Duplication Syndrome", shortened to Dup15q syndrome, a name that is supported and actively promoted by the US-based support organization Dup15q Alliance. Dup15q syndrome is a broader disease term, as it includes both idic(15) and interstitial 15q11.2-q13.1, another type of duplication that causes similar clinical traits.

The extra chromosome is occasionally found in the mosaic state, i.e. some of the cells carry the marker chromosome. However, mostly because of the marker's instability and tendency to be lost during cell division (mitosis), some cells are completely normal with 46 chromosomes. Occasionally, cells may have more than one idic(15), resulting in 48 or 49 chromosomes in all or some of their cells. A similar clinical picture albeit to a milder degree could be expected in individuals that have the extra chromosome 15 material as an interstitial duplication (when the extra piece of chromosome 15 is included "within" the long arm of one of the two copies of chromosome 15, rather than as a small extra 'marker' chromosome) - often abbreviated to int dup(15); the individual thus having 46 chromosomes.

Coffin–Lowry syndrome is a genetic disorder that is X-linked dominant and which causes severe mental problems sometimes associated with abnormalities of growth, cardiac abnormalities, kyphoscoliosis, as well as auditory and visual abnormalities.

Distal trisomy 10 is a rare chromosomal disorder that causes several physical defects and intellectual disability.

Humans, like all sexually reproducing species, have somatic cells that are in diploid [2N] state, meaning that N represent the number of chromosomes, and 2 the number of their copies. In humans, there are 23 chromosomes, but there are two sets of them, one from mother and one from father, totaling in 46, that are arranged according to their size, function and genes they carry. Each cell is supposed to have two of each, but sometimes due to mutations or malfunctions during cell division, mistakes are made that cause serious health problems. One such error is the cause of Distal trisomy 10q disorder.

Each chromosome has two arms, labeled p (for petite, or short) and q (for long). If both arms are equal in length, the chromosome is said to be metacentric. If arms' lengths are unequal, chromosome is said to be submetacentric, and if p arm is so short that is hard to observe, but still present, then the chromosome is acrocentric. In Distal Trisomy 10q disorder, end or distal portion of the q (long) arm of the chromosome number 10 appears to be present three times, rather than two times as it is supposed to be. This extra arm results in chromosome 10 trisomy, meaning that three arms are present. Depending on the length of the aberrant arm, the severity can vary from case to case. Often the source of this chromosomal error is a translocation in one of the parents. Sometimes it occurs spontaneously, in which case it is termed "de novo".

This syndrome has a large range of outcomes depending on how much chromosomal material is involved. Outcomes include: very slow postnatal growth, hypotonia, lack of coordination skills and mild to severe cases of intellectual disability, digestive issues, and heart and kidney problems. Individuals with this disorder can also be distinguished by their facial features. Number of support groups do exist in the United States, where affected families can meet and discuss problems they encounter, possible treatments and can find emotional support.

Ring 18 is a genetic condition caused by a deletion of the two tips of chromosome 18 followed by the formation of a ring-shaped chromosome. It was first reported in 1964.