Made by DATEXIS (Data Science and Text-based Information Systems) at Beuth University of Applied Sciences Berlin
Deep Learning Technology: Sebastian Arnold, Betty van Aken, Paul Grundmann, Felix A. Gers and Alexander Löser. Learning Contextualized Document Representations for Healthcare Answer Retrieval. The Web Conference 2020 (WWW'20)
Funded by The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy; Grant: 01MD19013D, Smart-MD Project, Digital Technologies
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.
Affected newborns generally have striking neurological defects and seizures. Severely impaired development is common, but disturbances in motor functions may not appear until later in life.
Infants with microcephaly are born with either a normal or reduced head size. Subsequently, the head fails to grow, while the face continues to develop at a normal rate, producing a child with a small head and a receding forehead, and a loose, often wrinkled scalp. As the child grows older, the smallness of the skull becomes more obvious, although the entire body also is often underweight and dwarfed. Development of motor functions and speech may be delayed. Hyperactivity and intellectual disability are common occurrences, although the degree of each varies. Convulsions may also occur. Motor ability varies, ranging from in some to spastic quadriplegia in others.
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.
Microcephaly is a disorder in which the circumference of the head is smaller than average for the person's age and gender. Most children with microcephaly also have a smaller than typical brain and intellectual disability. Some of the most common signs and symptoms associated with microcephaly are seizures, poor feeding, high pitched cry, intellectual disability, developmental delay, and increased movement of arms and legs.
Vision abnormalities in children with 1p36 have been wide-ranging, including:
Symptoms include:
- intellectual disability (more than half of the patients have an IQ below 50)
- microcephaly
- sometimes pancytopenia (low blood counts)
- cryptorchidism
- low birth weight
- dislocations of pelvis and elbow
- unusually large eyes
- low ears
- small chin
Psychopathology and related behavioral abnormalities are typically seen in LFS, and they may be considered in the diagnosis of the disorder. The most common of these in LFS is an autism-like spectrum disorder, and LFS is considered as one of a number of genetic disorders associated with autism. Additional alterations of psychopathology with behavioral manifestations that have been observed in LFS include: psychotic behavior, schizophrenia, hyperactivity and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, aggression, oppositional defiant disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, extreme shyness, learning disability, cognitive impairment, short-term memory deficit, low frustration tolerance, social dysfunction, lack of impulse control, eating disorder and associated malnutrition, attributed to psychogenic loss of appetite; and pyromania.
While psychiatric conditions like these are to be expected with LFS, there have also been cases of the disorder with some preservation of mental and behavioral abilities, such as problem solving, reasoning and normal intelligence.
The psychopathology of LFS usually exhibits schizophrenia. When schizophrenia is diagnosed in an individual known to be affected by intellectual disability, LFS may be considered in the differential diagnosis of schizophrenia, with confirmation of cause through appropriate psychiatric and genetic evaluation methods.
LFS is clinically distinguished from other X-linked forms of intellectual disability by the accompanying presence of marfanoid habitus. Marfanoid habitus describes a group of physical features common to Marfan syndrome. Including Marfan syndrome and LFS, marfanoid features of this type have also been observed with several other disorders, one of which is multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2.
In LFS, specific features identified as marfanoid include: a long, narrow face; tall, thin stature; long, slender limbs, fingers and toes (not unlike arachnodactyly) with joint hyperextensibility, shortened halluces (the big toes) and long second toes.
The diagnosis of marfanoid habitus in LFS is often delayed because many of the physical features and characteristics associated with it are usually not evident until adolescence.
Genitopatellar syndrome is a rare condition characterized by genital abnormalities, missing or underdeveloped kneecaps (patellae), intellectual disability, and abnormalities affecting other parts of the body.
Genitopatellar syndrome is also associated with delayed development and intellectual disability, which are often severe. Affected individuals may have an unusually small head (microcephaly) and structural brain abnormalities, including underdeveloped or absent tissue connecting the left and right halves of the brain (agenesis of the corpus callosum).
Growth hormone deficiency is present in about 20% of people with tetrasomy 18p.
Associated symptoms range from things such as colobomas of the eyes, heart defects, ichthyosiform dermatosis, intellectual disability, and ear abnormalities. Further symptoms that may be suggested include characteristic facies, hearing loss, and cleft palate.
Common signs of Say–Meyer syndrome are trigonocephaly as well as head and neck symptoms. The head and neck symptoms come in the form of craniosynostosis affecting the metopic suture (the dense connective tissue structure that divides the two halves of the skull in children which usually fuse together by the age of six). Symptoms of Say–Meyer syndrome other than developmental delay and short stature include
- Intellectual disability.
- Low-set ears/posteriorly rotated ears
- Intellectual deficit as well as learning disability
- Intrauterine growth retardation (poor growth of a baby while it is in the mother's womb)
- Posterior fontanel
- Premature synostosis of the lambdoid suture (the fusion of the bones to the joint is premature)
- Narrow forehead
- Trigonocephaly (a frontal bone anomaly that is characterized by a premature fusion of the bones which gives the forehead a triangular shape)
- Hypotelorism or hypertelorism (reduced or increased width between the eyes)
- Craniosynostosis (when one or more seam-like junctions between two bones fuses by turning into bone. This changes the growth pattern of the skull)
- Low birth weight and height
The affected patients sometimes show a highly arched palate, clinodactyly (a defect in which toes or fingers are positioned abnormally) and ventricular septal defect (a heart defect that allows blood to pass directly from left to the right ventricle which is caused by an opening in the septum). Overall, Say–Meyer syndrome impairs growth, motor function, and mental state.
Hypotonia and/or hypertonia are present in nearly all individuals with tetrasomy 18p. Approximately 25% have a seizure disorder.
Microcephaly is a type of cephalic disorder. It has been classified in two types based on the onset:
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.
Several X-linked syndromes include intellectual disability as part of the presentation. These include:
- Coffin–Lowry syndrome
- MASA syndrome
- MECP2 duplication syndrome
- X-linked alpha thalassemia mental retardation syndrome
- mental retardation and microcephaly with pontine and cerebellar hypoplasia
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.
Weaver syndrome (also called Weaver-Smith syndrome) is an extremely rare congenital disorder associated with rapid growth beginning in the prenatal period and continuing through the toddler and youth years. It is characterized by advanced osseous maturation, and distinctive craniofacial, skeletal, and neurological abnormalities. It was first described by Dr. David Weaver in 1974. It is similar to Sotos syndrome.
X-linked intellectual disability (previously known as X-linked mental retardation) refers to forms of intellectual disability which are specifically associated with X-linked recessive inheritance.
As with most X-linked disorders, males are more heavily affected than females. Females with one affected X chromosome and one normal X chromosome tend to have milder symptoms.
Unlike many other types of intellectual disability, the genetics of these conditions are relatively well understood. It has been estimated there are ~200 genes involved in this syndrome; of these ~100 have been identified.
X-linked intellectual disability accounts for ~16% of all cases of intellectual disability in males.
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.
The classical triad of symptoms that defines 3C syndrome includes certain heart defects, hypoplasia (underdevelopment) of the cerebellum, and cranial dysmorphisms, which can take various forms. The heart defects and cranial dysmorphisms are heterogeneous in individuals who are all classed as having Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome.
Heart defects commonly seen with Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome are associated with the endocardial cushion and are the most important factor in determining a diagnosis. The mitral valve and tricuspid valve of the heart can be malformed, the atrioventricular canal can be complete instead of developing into the interatrial septum and interventricular septum, and conotruncal heart defects, which include tetralogy of Fallot, double outlet right ventricle, transposition of the great vessels, and hypoplastic left heart syndrome. Aortic stenosis and pulmonary stenosis have also been associated with 3C syndrome.
The cranial dysmorphisms associated with 3C syndrome are heterogeneous and include a degree of macrocephaly, a large anterior fontanel, a particularly prominent occiput and forehead, ocular hypertelorism (wide-set eyes), slanted palpebral fissures, cleft palate, a depressed nasal bridge, cleft palate with associated bifid uvula, low-set ears, micrognathia (an abnormally small jaw), brachycephaly (flattened head), and ocular coloboma. Low-set ears are the most common cranial dysmorphism seen in 3C syndrome, and ocular coloboma is the least common of the non-concurrent symptoms (cleft lip co-occurring with cleft palate is the least common).
Cranial dysplasias associated with 3C syndrome are also reflected in the brain. Besides the cerebellar hypoplasia, cysts are commonly found in the posterior cranial fossa, the ventricles and the cisterna magna are dilated/enlarged, and Dandy-Walker malformation is present. These are reflected in the developmental delays typical of the disease. 75% of children with 3C syndrome have Dandy-Walker malformation and hydrocephalus.
Signs and symptoms in other body systems are also associated with 3C syndrome. In the skeletal system, ribs may be absent, and hemivertebrae, syndactyly (fusion of fingers together), and clinodactyly (curvature of the fifth finger) may be present. In the GI and genitourinary systems, anal atresia, hypospadia (misplaced urethra), and hydronephrosis may exist. Adrenal hypoplasia and growth hormone deficiency are associated endocrine consequences of Ritscher-Schinzel syndrome. Some immunodeficiency has also been reported in connection with 3C syndrome.
Many children with the disorder die as infants due to severe congenital heart disease. The proband of Ritscher and Schinzel's original study was still alive at the age of 21.
A fetus with 3C syndrome may have an umbilical cord with one umbilical artery instead of two.
The syndrome is characterized by alopecia, hypogonadism, hypothyroidism, hearing loss, intellectual disability and diabetes mellitus. Electrocardiogram anomalies have also been reported.
Zamzam–Sheriff–Phillips syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder. It is characterized by aniridia, ectopia lentis, abnormal upper incisors and intellectual disability. Not a lot of research has been undertaken of this particular disease so thus far there is no known gene that affects this condition. However it has been hypothesised that the symptoms described are found at a particular gene, though intellectual disability is believed to be due to a different genetic cause.
Consanguinuity (intermarrying among relatives such as cousins), often associated with autosomal recessive inheritance, has been attributed to the inheritance of this disease.
Say–Neger syndrome is a rare X-linked genetic disorder that is mostly characterized as developmental delay. It is one of the rare causes of short stature. It is closely related with trigonocephaly (a misshapen forehead due to premature fusion of bones in the skull). People with Say–Meyer syndrome have impaired growth, deficits in motor skills development and mental state.
It is suggested that it is from a X-linked transmission.
Qazi–Markouizos syndrome is a rare hereditary condition characterized by non-progressive, congenital hypotonia, severe intellectual disability, an increased proportion of type 2 muscle fibers, which additionally exhibited increased size, as well as dysharmonic skeletal maturation. To date, the molecular mechanism of Qazi–Markouizos syndrome, which is also known as Puerto Rican infant hypotonia syndrome, remains unknown.