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An alternative name of the condition, LEOPARD syndrome, is a mnemonic, originally coined in 1969, as the condition is characterized by some of the following seven conditions, the first letters of which spell LEOPARD, along with the characteristic "freckling" of the skin, caused by the lentigines that is reminiscent of the large cat.
- Lentigines — Reddish-brown to dark brown macules (surface skin lesion) generally occurring in a high number (10,000+) over a large portion of the skin, at times higher than 80% coverage. These can even appear inside the mouth (buccal), or on the surface of the eye (scleral). These have irregular borders and range in size from 1 mm in diameter to café-au-lait spots, several centimeters in diameter. Also, some areas of vitiligo-like hypopigmentation may be observed.
- Electrocardiographic conduction abnormalities: Generally observed on an electrocardiograph as a bundle branch block.
- Ocular hypertelorism: Wideset eyes, which lead to a similar facial resemblance between patients. Facial abnormalities are the second highest occurring symptom after the lentigines. Abnormalities also include: broad nasal root, prognathism (protruding lower jaw), or low-set, possibly rotated, ears.
- Pulmonary stenosis: Narrowing of the pulmonary artery as it exits the heart. Other cardiac abnormalities may be present, including aortic stenosis, or mitral valve prolapse.
- Abnormal genitalia: usually cryptorchidism (retention of testicles in body) or monorchism (single testicle). In female patients, this presents as missing or single ovaries, much harder by nature to detect. Ultrasound imaging is performed at regular intervals, from the age of 1 year, to determine if ovaries are present.
- Retarded growth: Slow, or stunted growth. Most newborns with this syndrome are of normal birth weight and length, but will often slow within the first year.
- Deafness: Sensorineural (nerve deafness).
The presence of all of these hallmarks is not needed for a diagnosis. A clinical diagnosis is considered made when, with lentigines present there are 2 other symptoms observed, such as ECG abnormalities and ocular hypertelorism, or without lentigines, 3 of the above conditions are present, with a first-degree relative (i.e. parent, child, sibling) with a clinical diagnosis.
- Additional dermatologic abnormalities (axillary freckling, localized hypopigmentation, interdigital webbing, hyperelastic skin)
- Mild mental retardation is observed in about 30% of those affected with the syndrome
- Nystagmus (involuntary eye movements), seizures, or hyposmia (reduced ability to smell) has been documented in a few patients
- In 2004, a patient was reported with recurrent upper extremity aneurysms that required surgical repairs.
- In 2006, a NSML patient was reported with acute myelogenous leukemia.
Due to the rarity of the syndrome itself, it is hard to determine whether certain additional diseases are actually part of the syndrome. With a base population of possibly less than one thousand individuals, one or two outlying cases can skew the statistical population very quickly.
Aneuploidy is often fatal, but in this case there is "X-inactivation" where the effect of the additional gene dosage due to the presence of extra X chromosomes is greatly reduced.
Much like Down syndrome, the mental effects of 49,XXXXY syndrome vary. Impaired speech and behavioral problems are typical. Those with 49,XXXXY syndrome tend to exhibit infantile secondary sex characteristics with sterility in adulthood and have some skeletal anomalies. Skeletal anomalies include:
- Genu valgum
- Pes cavus
- Fifth finger clinodactyly
The effects also include:
- Cleft palate
- Club feet
- Respiratory conditions
- Short or/and broad neck
- Low birth weight
- Hyperextensible joints
- Short stature
- Narrow shoulders
- Coarse features in older age
- Hypertelorism
- Epicanthal folds
- Prognathism
- Gynecomastia (rare)
- Muscular hypotonia
- Hypoplastic genitalia
- Cryptorchidism
- Congenital heart defects
- A very round face in infancy
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.
Facial features found in this syndrome include
- dolichocephaly
- hypertelorism
- ptosis
- microretrognathia
- high arched palate
- long flat philtrum
- low set ears
Non facial features of this syndrome include
- hyperextensibility
- hypotonia
- lateral meningoceles
The lateral meningocoles are a common finding in this syndrome. They may be associated with neurological abnormalities and result in bladder dysfunction and neuropathy.
Children with Weaver syndrome tend to look similar and have distinctive physical and craniofacial characteristics, which may include several, but not all of the following features:
- Macrocephaly
- Large bifrontal diameter
- Flattened occiput
- Long philtrum
- Retrognathia
- Round face in infancy
- Prominent chin crease
- Large ears
- Strabismus
- Hypertelorism
- Epicanthal folds
- Downslanting palpebral fissures
Other features may include loose skin, thin deep-set nails, thin hair, short ribs, limited elbow and knee extension, camptodactyly, and a coarse, low-pitched voice. Delayed development of motor skills such as sitting, standing, and walking are commonly exhibited in early childhood. Patients with Weaver syndrome typically have mild intellectual disability with poor coordination and balance. They also have some neurological abnormalities such as speech delay, epilepsy, intellectual disability, hypotonia or hypertonia, and behavioral problems.
The following is a list of symptoms that have been associated with Roberts syndrome:
- Bilateral Symmetric Tetraphocomelia- a birth defect in which the hands and feet are attached to shortened arms and legs
- Prenatal Growth Retardation
- Hypomelia (Hypoplasia)- the incomplete development of a tissue or organ; less drastic than aplasia, which is no development at all
- Oligodactyly- fewer than normal number of fingers or toes
- Thumb Aplasia- the absence of a thumb
- Syndactyly- condition in which two or more fingers (or toes) are joined together; the joining can involve the bones or just the skin between the fingers
- Clinodactyly- curving of the fifth finger (little finger) towards the fourth finger (ring finger) due to the underdevelopment of the middle bone in the fifth finger
- Elbow/Knee Flexion Contractures- an inability to fully straighten the arm or leg
- Cleft Lip- the presence of one or two vertical fissures in the upper lip; can be on one side (unilateral) or on both sides (bilateral)
- Cleft Palate- opening in the roof of the mouth
- Premaxillary Protrusion- upper part of the mouth sticks out farther than the lower part of the mouth
- Micrognathia- small chin
- Microbrachycephaly- smaller than normal head size
- Malar Hypoplasia- underdevelopment of the cheek bones
- Downslanting Palpebral Fissures- the outer corners of the eyes point downwards
- Ocular Hypertelorism- unusually wide-set eyes
- Exophthalmos- a protruding eyeball
- Corneal Clouding- clouding of the front-most part of the eye
- Hypoplastic Nasal Alae- narrowing of the nostrils that can decrease the width of the nasal base
- Beaked Nose- a nose with a prominent bridge that gives it the appearance of being curved
- Ear Malformations
- Intellectual disability
- Encephalocele (only in severe cases)- rare defect of the neural tube characterized by sac-like protrusions of the brain
Mortality is high among those severely affected by Roberts syndrome; however, mildly affected individuals may survive to adulthood
People with Aarskog-Scott syndrome often have distinctive facial features, such as widely spaced eyes (hypertelorism), a small nose, a long area between the nose and mouth (philtrum), and a widow's peak hairline. They frequently have mild to moderate short stature during childhood, but their growth usually catches up with that of their peers during puberty. Hand abnormalities are common in this syndrome and include short fingers (brachydactyly), curved pinky fingers (fifth finger clinodactyly), webbing of the skin between some fingers (cutaneous syndactyly), and a single crease across the palm. Other abnormalities in people with Aarskog-Scott syndrome include heart defects and a split in the upper lip (cleft lip) with or without an opening in the roof of the mouth (cleft palate).
Most males with Aarskog-Scott syndrome have a shawl scrotum, in which the scrotum surrounds the penis instead of hanging below. Less often, they have undescended testes (cryptorchidism) or a soft out-pouching around the belly-button (umbilical hernia) or in the lower abdomen (inguinal hernia).
The intellectual development of people with Aarskog-Scott syndrome varies widely. Some may have mild learning and behavior problems, while others have normal intelligence. In rare cases, severe intellectual disability has been reported.
Characteristics include varying degrees of developmental disability, epilepsy, hypotonia, and both hypopigmentation and hyperpigmentation. Patients also exhibit a distinctive facial structure, characterized by high foreheads, sparse hair on the temple, a wide space between the eyes, epicanthal folds, and a flat nose. Vision and hearing impairments may occur. Patients may also exhibit congenital heart defects, gastroesophageal reflux, cataracts, and supernumerary nipples. Diaphragm problems seen in newborns can lead to death shortly after birth.
- As patients pass into adolescence, the syndrome is characterized by a coarse and flat face, macroglossia, prognathism, inverted lower lip, and psychomotor retardation with muscular hypertonia and contractures.
Clinical expressions of PPS are highly variable, but include the following:
- Limb findings: an extensive web running from behind the knee down to the heel (90%), malformed toenails, and webbed toes.
- Facial findings: cleft palate with or without cleft lip (75%), pits in the lower lip (40%), and fibrous bands in the mouth known as syngnathia (25%).
- Genital findings (50%): hypoplasia of the labia majora, malformation of the scrotum, and cryptorchidism.
Signs of Seaver Cassidy syndrome include several facial disorders, including hypertelorism and telecanthus, epicanthal folds, downslanting palpebral fissures, ptosis, a broad nasal bridge, malar hypoplasia, a thin upper lip, a smooth philtrum, and low-set, prominent ears. Males with Seaver Cassidy syndrome may also experience an underdeveloped shawl scrotum and cryptorchidism. Skeletal anomalies, such genu valgum, hyperextended joints, or cubitus valgus, may also be present.
It causes facial abnormalities, skeletal malformation and occasionally neural tube defects; the skeletal disfigurements resolve to a degree in the course of development.
Mutations in different parts of the gene may lead to deafness or Stickler syndrome type III (eye problems: myopia, retinal detachment and skeletal abnormalities).
Infants and children: Infants that are born with Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome usually have short bones in their arms and legs. The thigh and upper arm bones are wider than usual resulting in a dumbbell-shape while the bones of the vertebrae may be abnormal. Typical abnormal facial features can be wide-set protruding eyes (hypertelorism), a small and upturned nose with a flat bridge, small jaw (micrognathia) and a cleft palate. Some infants have high-frequency hearing loss. Infants may also exhibit a psychomotor delay. After the period of growth deficiency the individual makes improvements in bone growth leading to a normal physical development around age 5 or 6.
Adults: Many with Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome have a catch-up growth phase causing the adults to not be unusually short. Many adults still will have hearing loss and typical abnormal facial features of Weissenbacher-Zweymüller syndrome.
Phenotypic expression varies greatly between individuals with CFND. Some of the more prominent characteristics are:
- Craniosynostosis of the coronal suture(s) (fusion of the coronal sutures),
- Orbital hypertelorism (increased interocular distance),
- Bifid nasal tip,
- Dry frizzy curled hair,
- Longitudinal ridging and / or splitting of the nails,
- Facial Asymmetry.
Other characteristics that are less frequently seen are: broad nasal base, low anterior hair line, low set ears, crowding of the teeth, maxillary hypoplasia, rounded and sloping shoulders, pectus excavatum, scoliosis, high arched palate, orbital dystopia, low implant of the breasts with asymmetric nipples and volume, webbed neck, hand or foot abnormalities such as clinodactyly (most common is a curved 5th finger) and cutaneous syndactyly (webbed fingers / toes).
Females are more commonly and usually more severely affected than males. Males can however have (some of) the same symptoms as females, but this is not frequently seen. Most males have mild symptoms such as hypertelorism and a broad nasal base with bifid nose, but can also be a carrier of the mutation yet stay clinically unaffected.
Symptoms in people with Treacher Collins syndrome vary. Some individuals are so mildly affected that they remain undiagnosed, while others have moderate to severe facial involvement and life-threatening airway compromise. Most of the features of TCS are symmetrical and are already recognizable at birth.
The most common symptom of Treacher Collins syndrome is underdevelopment of the lower jaw and underdevelopment of the zygomatic bone. This can be accompanied by the tongue being retracted. The small mandible can result in a poor occlusion of the teeth or in more severe cases, trouble breathing or swallowing. Underdevelopment of the zygomatic bone gives the cheeks a sunken appearance.
The external ear is sometimes small, rotated, malformed, or absent entirely in people with TCS. Symmetric, bilateral narrowing or absence of the external ear canals is also described. In most cases, the bones of the middle ear and the middle ear cavity are misshapen. Inner ear malformations are rarely described. As a result of these abnormalities, a majority of the individuals with TCS have conductive hearing loss.
Most affected people also experience eye problems, including colobomata (notches) in the lower eyelids, partial or complete absence of eyelashes on the lower lid, downward angled eyelids, drooping of upper and lower eyelids, and narrowing of the tear ducts. Vision loss can occur and is associated with strabismus, refractive errors, and anisometropia. It can also be caused by severely dry eyes, a consequence of lower eyelid abnormalities and frequent eye infections.
Although an abnormally shaped skull is not distinctive for Treacher Collins syndrome, brachycephaly with bitemporal narrowing is sometimes observed. Cleft palate is also common.
Dental anomalies are seen in 60% of affected people, including tooth agenesis (33%), discoloration (enamel opacities) (20%), malplacement of the maxillary first molars (13%), and wide spacing of the teeth. In some cases, dental anomalies in combination with mandible hypoplasia result in a malocclusion. This can lead to problems with food intake and the ability to close the mouth.
Less common features of TCS may add to an affected person's breathing problems, including sleep apnea. Choanal atresia or stenosis is a narrowing or absence of the choanae, the internal opening of the nasal passages. Underdevelopment of the pharynx, can also narrow the airway.
Features related to TCS that are seen less frequently include nasal deformities, high-arched palate, macrostomia, preauricular hair displacement, cleft palate, hypertelorism, notched upper eyelid, and congenital heart defects.
The general public may associate facial deformity with developmental delay and intellectual disability, but more than 95% of people affected with TCS have normal intelligence. The psychological and social problems associated with facial deformity can affect quality of life in people with TCS.
Ablepharon macrostomia syndrome (AMS) is an extremely rare autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by malformations of the skull, skin, fingers and genitals. Affected individuals may also have malformations of the nipples and abdominal wall.
Younger individuals might experience language difficulties, and in some instances mental retardation is known.
Franceschetti–Klein syndrome (also known as "Mandibulofacial dysostosis") is a syndrome that includes palpebral antimongoloid fissures, hypoplasia of the facial bones, macrostomia, vaulted palate, malformations of both the external and internal ear, buccal-auricular fistula, abnormal development of the neck with stretching of the cheeks, accessory facial fissures, and skeletal deformities.
It is sometimes equated with Treacher Collins syndrome.
Many of the characteristic facial features result from the premature fusion of the skull bones (craniosynostosis). The head is unable to grow normally, which leads to a high prominent forehead (turribrachycephaly), and eyes that appear to bulge (proptosis) and are wide-set (hypertelorism). In addition, there is an underdeveloped upper jaw (maxillary hypoplasia). About 50 percent of children with Pfeiffer syndrome have hearing loss, and dental problems are also common.
In people with Pfeiffer syndrome, the thumbs and first (big) toes are wide and bend away from the other digits (pollex varus and hallux varus). Unusually short fingers and toes (brachydactyly) are also common, and there may be some webbing or fusion between the digits (syndactyly).
“Branchio” refers to the branchial arches, also known as the pharyngeal arches, of the affected individual. The branchial arches are structures in the developing embryo that give rise to certain tissues in the neck and facial area. In individuals affected by this condition, the branchial arches fail to develop properly. This leads to some of the physical conditions of this syndrome, which include abnormal patches of skin on the neck and face region and can be abnormally hairy, thin or red and with a high number of blood vessels. “Oculo” refers to the eyes. Individuals have vision impairment due to several malformations in the eyes such as small eyeballs, blockage in the tear ducts or lacking eyes completely. “Facial” refers to the face; those affected can have several abnormalities in that region. These abnormalities include a cleft lip, a cleft palate which is an opening in the roof of the mouth, widely spaced eyes (hypertelorism), sharp corners of the mouth that point upward, a broad nose that can include a flattened tip, along with several deformations of both the external and middle ear structures. This syndrome is restricted to the face, but it can also cause underdeveloped or malformed kidneys.
It is characterized by variable reductions in serum immunoglobulin levels which cause most ICF patients to succumb to infectious diseases before adulthood. ICF syndrome patients exhibit facial anomalies which include hypertelorism, low-set ears, epicanthal folds and macroglossia.
Acrofrontofacionasal dysostosis is an extremely rare disorder, characterized by intellectual disability, short stature, hypertelorism, broad notched nasal tip, cleft lip/palate, postaxial camptobrachypolysyndactyly, fibular hypoplasia, and anomalies of foot structure.
Little is known about the natural history of Roberts syndrome due to its wide clinical variability. The prognosis of the disease depends on the malformations, as the severity of the malformations correlates with survival. The cause of death for most fatalities of Roberts syndrome have not been reported; however, five deaths were reportedly due to infection.
The following are observations that have been made in individuals with cytogenetic findings of PCS/HR or ESCO2 mutations:
- The symptom of prenatal growth retardation is the most common finding and can be moderate to severe. Postnatal growth retardation can also be moderate to severe and correlates with the degree of severity of limb and craniofacial malformations.
- In limb malformations, the upper limbs are typically more severely affected than the lower limbs. There have been many cases of only upper limb malformation.
- In hand malformations, the thumb is most often affected, followed by the fifth finger (the little finger). In severe cases, the patient may only have three fingers and in rare cases only one.
- In craniofacial malformations, mildly affected individuals will have no abnormalities of the palate. The most severely affected will have a fronto-ethmoid-nasal-maxillary encephalocele.
- The severity of limb malformations and craniofacial malformations is correlated.
- Other abnormalities can occur in different parts of the body, including:
- Heart- atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus
- Kidneys- polycystic kidney, horseshoe kidney
- Male Genitals- enlarged penis, cryptorchidism
- Female Genitals- enlarged clitoris
- Hair- sparse, silvery-blonde scalp hair
- Cranial Nerve Paralysis, Moyamoya disease, Stroke, Intellectual disability
It is characterized by developmental defects including cryptophthalmos (where the eyelids fail to separate in each eye), and malformations in the genitals (such as micropenis, cryptorchidism or clitoromegaly). Congenital malformations of the nose, ears, larynx and renal system, as well as mental retardation, manifest occasionally. Syndactyly (fused fingers or toes) has also been noted.
ICF syndrome (or Immunodeficiency, Centromere instability and Facial anomalies syndrome) is a very rare autosomal recessive immune disorder.
The three most common symptoms of Opitz G/BBB syndrome (both type I & II) are hypertelorism (exceptionally wide-spaced eyes), laryngo-tracheo-esophalgeal defects (including clefts and holes in the palate, larynx, trachea and esophagus) and hypospadias (urinary openings in males not at the tip of the penis) (Meroni, Opitz G/BBB syndrome, 2012). Abnormalities in the larynx, trachea and esophagus can cause significant difficulty breathing and/or swallowing and can result in reoccurring pneumonia and life-threatening situations. Commonly, there may be a gap between the trachea and esophagus, referred to as a laryngeal cleft; which can allow food or fluid to enter the airway and make breathing and eating a difficult task.
Genital abnormalities like a urinary opening under the penis (hypospadias), undescended testes (cryptorchidism), underdeveloped scrotum and a scrotum divided into two lobes (bifid scrotum) can all be commonplace for males with the disease.
Developmental delays of the brain and nervous system are also common in both types I and II of the disease. 50% of people with Opitz G/BBB Syndrome will experience developmental delay and mild intellectual disability. This can impact motor skills, speech and learning capabilities. Some of these instances are likened to autistic spectrum disorders. Close to half of the people with Opitz G/BBB Syndrome also have a cleft lip (hole in the lip opening) and possibly a cleft palate (hole in the roof of the mouth), as well. Less than half of the people diagnosed have heart defects, imperforate anus (obstructed anal opening), and brain defects. Of all the impairments, female carriers of X-linked Type I Opitz G/BBB Syndrome usually only have ocular hypertelorism.
Aarskog–Scott syndrome is a rare disease inherited as X-linked and characterized by short stature, facial abnormalities, skeletal and genital anomalies. This condition mainly affects males, although females may have mild features of the syndrome.
The Aarskog–Scott syndrome (AAS) is also known as the Aarskog syndrome, faciodigitogenital syndrome, shawl scrotum syndrome and faciogenital dysplasia.
Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome is a disorder that affects development of the limbs, head, and face. The features of this syndrome are highly variable, ranging from very mild to severe. People with this condition typically have one or more extra fingers or toes (polydactyly) or an abnormally wide thumb or big toe (hallux).
The skin between the fingers and toes may be fused (cutaneous syndactyly). This disorder is also characterized by widely spaced eyes (ocular hypertelorism), an abnormally large head size (macrocephaly), and a high, prominent forehead. Rarely, affected individuals may have more serious medical problems including seizures, mental retardation, and developmental delay.