This syndrome is characterised by typical facial appearance, slight build, thin and translucent skin, severely adducted thumbs, arachnodactyly, club feet, joint instability, facial clefting and bleeding disorders, as well as heart, kidney or intestinal defects. Severe psychomotor and developmental delay and decreased muscle tone may also be present during infancy. Cognitive development during childhood is normal.

When a patient has multiple abnormalities (multiple anomaly, multiple deformity), they have a congenital abnormality that can not be primarily identified with a single system of the body or single disease process. Most medical conditions can have systemic sequelae, but multiple abnormalities occur when the effects on multiple systems is immediately obvious.

Hemangiomas associated with PHACE Syndrome are usually small or not visible at birth, but are easier to see during the first days to weeks of life. They can grow rapidly. Hemangiomas linked with PHACE Syndrome tend to cover a large area of the face, head or neck, either as one lesion or as many single lesions.

This syndrome is associated with microcephaly, arthrogryposis and cleft palate and various craniofacial, respiratory, neurological and limb abnormalities, including bone and joint defects of the upper limbs, adducted thumbs, camptodactyly and talipes equinovarus or calcaneovalgus. It is characterized by craniosynostosis, and myopathy in association with congenital generalized hypertrichosis.

Patients with the disease are considered intellectually disabled. Most die in childhood. Patients often suffer from respiratory difficulties such as pneumonia, and from seizures due to dysmyelination in the brain's white matter. It has been hypothesized that the Moro reflex (startle reflex in infants) may be a tool in detecting the congenital clapsed thumb early in infancy. The thumb normally extends as a result of this reflex.

As it grows, the hemangioma can break down skin, distort facial features or get in the way of other vital functions, such as breathing, vision, and hearing. Other complications will depend on what other structures are involved. These could include developmental delay, seizures, headaches, and abnormal muscle tone if the brain is involved.

Most of the signs of MWS are present during the neonatal period. The most common signs at this state are multiple congenital joint contractures, dysmorphic features with mask-like face, blepharophimosis, ptosis, micrognathia, cleft or high arched palate, low-set ears, arachnodactyly, chest deformation as pectus, kyphoscoliosis and absent deep tendon reflexes are frequent minor malformations have also been described and consist of renal anomalies, cardiovascular abnormalities, hypospadias, omphalomesenteric duct, hypertriphic pyloric stenosis, duodenal bands, hyoplastic right lower lobe of the lung, displacement of the larynx to the right and vertebral abnormalities, cerebral malformations.

- 75% of children with MWS have blepharophimosis, small mouth, micrognathia, kyphosis/scoliosis, radio ulnar synostose and multiple contractures.

- They have severe developmental delay; congenital joint contractures and blepharophimosis should be present in every patient

- 2 out of 3 of the following signs should be manifested: post natal growth, mask-like faces, retardation, and decreased muscular mass.

- Some may require additional signs such as; micrognathia, high arched or cleft palate, low set ears, kyphoscoliosis.

- The symptoms of MWS are normally diagnosed during the newborn period

The natural history of MWS is not well known: many patients died in infancy and clinical follow-up has been reported in few surviving adults. However, diagnosis may be more difficult to establish in adults patients, such as: blepharophimosis, contractures, growth retardation, and developmental delay, whereas minor face anomalies are less noticeable as the patient grows older. Throughout the development of the patient from young child to older adult changes the behavior drastically, from kindness to restless and hyperactive to aggressive.

"Maffucci syndrome" is a sporadic disease characterized by the presence of multiple enchondromas associated with multiple simple or cavernous soft tissue hemangiomas. Also lymphangiomas may be apparent.

Patients are normal at birth and the syndrome manifests during childhood and puberty. The enchondromas affect the extremities and their distribution is asymmetrical.

"Langer-Giedion syndrome" is a very rare genetic disorder caused by a deletion of chromosomal material. Diagnosis is usually made at birth or in early childhood.

The features associated with this condition include mild to moderate learning difficulties, short stature, unique facial features, small head and skeletal abnormalities including bony growths projecting from the surfaces of bones.

Macrocephaly-capillary malformation (M-CM) is a multiple malformation syndrome causing abnormal body and head overgrowth and cutaneous, vascular, neurologic, and limb abnormalities. Though not every patient has all features, commonly found signs include macrocephaly, congenital macrosomia, extensive cutaneous capillary malformation (naevus flammeus or port-wine stain type birthmark over much of the body; a capillary malformation of the upper lip or philtrum is seen in many patients with this condition), body asymmetry (also called hemihyperplasia or hemihypertrophy), polydactyly or syndactyly of the hands and feet, lax joints, doughy skin, variable developmental delay and other neurologic problems such as seizures and low muscle tone.

Individuals affected by an ED syndrome frequently have abnormalities of the hair follicles. Scalp and body hair may be thin, sparse, and very light in color, even though beard growth in affected males may be normal. The hair may grow very slowly or sporadically and it may be excessively fragile, curly, or even twisted.

The following features are observed with VACTERL association:

- V - Vertebral anomalies

- A - Anorectal malformations

- C - Cardiovascular anomalies

- T - Tracheoesophageal fistula

- E - Esophageal atresia

- R - Renal (Kidney) and/or radial anomalies

- L - Limb defects

Although it was not conclusive whether VACTERL should be defined by at least two or three component defects, it is typically defined by the presence of at least three of the above congenital malformations.

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.

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.

Usually associated with diaphragmatic hernia,

pulmonary hypoplasia,

imperforate anus,

micropenis,

bilateral cryptorchidism,

cerebral ventricular dilation,

camptodactyly,

agenesis of sacrum,

low-set ear.

- Fryns et al. (1979) reported 2 stillborn sisters with a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by coarse facies with cloudy corneae, diaphragmatic defects, absence of lung lobulation, and distal limb deformities. A sporadic case was reported by Goddeeris et al. (1980). Fitch (1988) claimed that she and her colleagues were the first to describe this disorder. In 1978 they reported a single infant, born of second-cousin parents, who had absent left hemidiaphragm, hydrocephalus, arhinencephaly, and cardiovascular anomalies.

- Lubinsky et al. (1983) reported a brother and sister with Fryns syndrome who both died in the neonatal period. Facial anomalies included broad nasal bridge, microretrognathia, abnormal helices, and cleft palate. Other features included distal digital hypoplasia, lung hypoplasia, and urogenital abnormalities, including shawl scrotum, uterus bicornis, and renal cysts. They were discordant for diaphragmatic hernia, cleft lip, and Dandy–Walker anomaly.

- Meinecke and Fryns (1985) reported an affected child; consanguinity of the parents supported recessive inheritance. They noted that a diaphragmatic defect had been described in 4 of the 5 reported cases and lung hypoplasia in all. Young et al. (1986) reported a sixth case. The male infant survived for 12 days. These authors listed corneal clouding, camptodactyly with hypoplastic nails, and abnormalities of the diaphragm as cardinal features.

- Samueloff et al. (1987) described a family in which all 4 children had Fryns syndrome and neonatal mortality. Features included hypoplastic lungs, cleft palate, retrognathia, micrognathism, small thorax, diaphragmatic hernia, distal limb hypoplasia, and early onset of polyhydramnios with premature delivery. Schwyzer et al. (1987) described an affected infant whose parents were second cousins.

- Moerman et al. (1988) described infant brother and sister with the syndrome of diaphragmatic hernia, abnormal face, and distal limb anomalies. Both died shortly after birth with severe respiratory distress. Ultrasonography demonstrated fetal hydrops, diaphragmatic hernia, and striking dilatation of the cerebral ventricles in both infants. Post-mortem examination showed Dandy–Walker malformation, ventricular septal defect, and renal cystic dysplasia.

- Cunniff et al. (1990) described affected brothers and 3 other cases, bringing the total reported cases of Fryns syndrome to 25. One of the affected brothers was still alive at the age of 24 months. Bilateral diaphragmatic hernias had been repaired on the first day of life. He required extracorporeal membrane oxygenation therapy for 5 days and oscillatory therapy for 3 months. Ventriculoperitoneal shunt was required because of slowly progressive hydrocephalus. Scoliosis was associated with extranumerary vertebral bodies and 13 ribs. Because of delayed gastric emptying, a gastrostomy tube was inserted. In addition, because of persistent chylothorax, he underwent decortication of the right lung and oversewing of the thoracic duct.

- Kershisnik et al. (1991) suggested that osteochondrodysplasia is a feature of Fryns syndrome.

- Willems et al. (1991) suggested that a diaphragmatic hernia is not a necessary feature of Fryns syndrome. They described a child with all the usual features except for diaphragmatic hernia; the diaphragm was reduced to a fibrous web with little muscular component. Bartsch et al. (1995) presented 2 unrelated cases with a typical picture of Fryns syndrome but without diaphragmatic hernia. One of these patients was alive at the age of 14 months, but was severely retarded. Bamforth et al. (1987) and Hanssen et al. (1992) also described patients with this syndrome who survived the neonatal period. In the report of Hanssen et al. (1992), 2 older sibs had died in utero. The reports suggested that survival beyond the neonatal period is possible when the diaphragmatic defect and lung hypoplasia are not present. However, mental retardation has been present in all surviving patients.

- Vargas et al. (2000) reported a pair of monozygotic twins with Fryns syndrome discordant for severity of diaphragmatic defect. Both twins had macrocephaly, coarse facial appearance, hypoplasia of distal phalanges, and an extra pair of ribs. Twin A lacked an apparent diaphragmatic defect, and at 1 year of age had mild developmental delay. Twin B had a left congenital diaphragmatic hernia and died neonatally. The authors suggested that absence of diaphragmatic defect in Fryns syndrome may represent a subpopulation of more mildly affected patients.

- Aymé, "et al." (1989) described 8 cases of Fryns syndrome in France. The most frequent anomalies were diaphragmatic defects, lung hypoplasia, cleft lip and palate, cardiac defects, including septal defects and aortic arch anomalies, renal cysts, urinary tract malformations, and distal limb hypoplasia. Most patients also had hypoplastic external genitalia and anomalies of internal genitalia, including bifid or hypoplastic uterus or immature testes. The digestive tract was also often abnormal; duodenal atresia, pyloric hyperplasia, malrotation and common mesentery were present in about half of the patients. When the brain was examined, more than half were found to have Dandy–Walker anomaly and/or agenesis of the corpus callosum. A few patients demonstrated cloudy cornea. Histologically, 2 of 3 patients showed retinal dysplasia with rosettes and gliosis of the retina, thickness of the posterior capsule of the lens, and irregularities of Bowman membrane.

- Alessandri et al. (2005) reported a newborn from the Comores Islands with clinical features of Fryns syndrome without diaphragmatic hernia. They noted that diaphragmatic hernia is found in more than 80% of cases and that at least 13 other cases had been reported with an intact diaphragm.

- In a postneonatal survivor of Fryns syndrome, Riela et al. (1995) described myoclonus appearing shortly after birth, which was well controlled on valproate. Progressive cerebral and brainstem atrophy was noted on serial MRIs made at 3 months and after 6 months of age.

- Van Hove et al. (1995) described a boy with Fryns syndrome who survived to age 3 years and reviewed the outcome of other reported survivors (approximately 14% of reported cases). Survivors tended to have less frequent diaphragmatic hernia, milder lung hypoplasia, absence of complex cardiac malformation, and severe neurologic impairment. Their patient had malformations of gyration and sulcation, particularly around the central sulcus, and hypoplastic optic tracts beyond the optic chiasm associated with profound mental retardation.

- Fryns and Moerman (1998) reported a second-trimester male fetus with Fryns syndrome and midline scalp defects. The authors stated that the finding of a scalp defect in Fryns syndrome confirms that it is a true malformation syndrome with major involvement of the midline structures.

- Ramsing et al. (2000) described 2 sibships with 4 fetuses and 1 preterm baby of 31 weeks' gestation affected by a multiple congenital disorder suggestive of Fryns syndrome. In addition to the diaphragmatic defects and distal limb anomalies, they presented with fetal hydrops, cystic hygroma, and multiple pterygias. Two affected fetuses in 1 family showed severe craniofacial abnormalities with bilateral cleft lip and palate and cardiovascular malformation.

- Arnold et al. (2003) reported a male fetus with Fryns syndrome and additional abnormalities, in particular, multiple midline developmental defects including gastroschisis, central nervous system defects with left arrhinencephaly and cerebellar hypoplasia, midline cleft of the upper lip, alveolar ridge, and maxillary bone, and cleft nose with bilateral choanal atresia.

- Pierson et al. (2004) reviewed 77 reported patients with Fryns syndrome and summarized the abnormal eye findings identified in 12 of them. They also described 3 new patients with Fryns syndrome, 1 of whom demonstrated unilateral microphthalmia and cloudy cornea.

- Slavotinek et al. (2005) noted that Fryns syndrome may be the most common autosomal recessive syndrome in which congenital diaphragmatic hernia (see DIH2, 222400) is a cardinal feature. The autosomal recessive inheritance in Fryns syndrome contrasts with the sporadic inheritance for most patients with DIH.

Fingernails and toenails may be thick, abnormally shaped, discolored, ridged, slow-growing, or brittle. The cuticles may be prone to infections.

Renal (kidney) defects are seen in approximately 50 percent of patients with VACTERL association. In addition, up to 35 percent of patients with VACTERL association have a single umbilical artery (there are usually two arteries and one vein) which is often associated with additional kidney or urologic problems. Renal abnormalities in VACTERL association can be severe, with incomplete formation of one or both kidneys or urologic abnormalities such as obstruction of outflow of urine from the kidneys or severe reflux (backflow) of urine into the kidneys from the bladder. These problems can cause kidney failure early in life and may require kidney transplant. Many of these problems can be corrected surgically before any damage can occur.

Neu-Laxova syndrome presents with severe malformations leading to prenatal or neonatal death. Typically, NLS involves characteristic facial features, decreased fetal movements and skin abnormalities.

Fetuses or newborns with Neu–Laxova syndrome have typical facial characteristics which include proptosis (bulging eyes) with eyelid malformations, nose malformations, round and gaping mouth, micrognathia (small jaw) and low set or malformed ears. Additional facial malformations may be present, such as cleft lip or cleft palate. Limb malformations are common and involve the fingers (syndactyly), hands or feet. Additionally, edema and flexion deformities are often present. Other features of NLS are severe intrauterine growth restriction, skin abnormalities (ichthyosis and hyperkeratosis) and decreased movement.

Malformations in the central nervous system are frequent and may include microcephaly, lissencephaly or microgyria, hypoplasia of the cerebellum and agenesis of the corpus callosum. Other malformations may also be present, such as neural tube defects.

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).

Diagnosis is usually based on clinical observation. Various sets of criteria have been suggested to identify the disorder in an individual patient, all of which include macrocephaly and a number of the following: somatic overgrowth, cutis marmorata, midline facial birthmark, polydactyly/syndactyly, asymmetry (hemihyperplasia or hemihypertrophy), hypotonia at birth, developmental delay, connective tissue defect and frontal bossing. Currently no consensus exists about which diagnostic criteria are definitive and so evaluation by a medical geneticist or other clinician with familiarity with the syndrome is usually needed to provide diagnostic certainty. It is not clear if there are some features which are mandatory to make the diagnosis, but macrocephaly appears essentially universal though may not be congenital. The distinctive vascular abnormalities of the skin often fade over time, making the diagnosis challenging in older children with this condition.

The brain can be affected in several ways in this syndrome. Some children are born with structural brain anomalies such as cortical dysplasia or polymicrogyria. While developmental delay is nearly universal in this syndrome it is variable in severity, with the majority having mild to moderate delays and a minority having severe cognitive impairment. Some patients are affected with a seizure disorder. White matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), suggesting a delay in white matter myelination, is commonly seen in early childhood. Some patients may have asymmetry of the brain, with one side being noticeably larger than the other.

One interesting phenomenon that seems very common in this syndrome is the tendency for disproportionate brain growth in the first few years of life, with crossing of percentiles on the head circumference growth charts. A consequence of this disproportionate brain growth appears to be a significantly increased risk of cerebellar tonsillar herniation (descent of the cerebellar tonsils through the foramen magnum of the skull, resembling a Chiari I malformation neuroradiologically) and ventriculomegaly/hydrocephalus. Such cerebellar tonsil herniation may occur in up to 70% of children with M-CM.

The medical literature suggests that there is a risk of cardiac arrhythmias in early childhood. The cause for this is unknown. In addition, a variety of different congenital cardiac malformations have been reported in a small number of patients with this disorder.

Like other syndromes associated with disproportionate growth, there appears to be a slightly increased risk of certain types of childhood malignancies in M-CM (such as Wilms' tumor). However, the precise incidence of these malignancies is unclear.

The key features of this syndrome are an enlargement of the fourth ventricle; complete absence of the cerebellar vermis, the posterior midline area of cerebellar cortex responsible for coordination of the axial musculature; and cyst formation near the internal base of the skull. An increase in the size of the fluid spaces surrounding the brain as well as an increase in pressure may also be present. The syndrome can appear dramatically or develop unnoticed.

Symptoms, which often occur in early infancy, include slower motor development and progressive enlargement of the skull. In older children, symptoms of increased intracranial pressure such as irritability, vomiting, and convulsions and signs of cerebellar dysfunction such as unsteadiness and lack of muscle coordination or jerky movements of the eyes may occur. Other symptoms include increased head circumference, bulging at the back of the skull, problems with the nerves that control the eyes, face and neck, and abnormal breathing patterns.

Dandy–Walker syndrome is frequently associated with disorders of other areas of the central nervous system including absence of the corpus callosum, the bundle of axons connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, and malformations of the heart, face, limbs, fingers and toes.

The Dandy–Walker complex is a genetically sporadic disorder that occurs one in every 30,000 live births. Prenatal diagnosis and prognosis of outcomes associated with Dandy–Walker can be difficult. Prenatal diagnosis is possible with ultrasound. Because the syndrome is associated with an increased risk for fetal karyotype abnormalities, amniocentesis can be offered after prenatal diagnosis. There is a relative contraindication of taking Warfarin during pregnancy, as it is associated with an increased risk of Dandy–Walker syndrome if taken during the first trimester.

The DWS malformation is the most severe presentation of the syndrome. The posterior fossa is enlarged and the tentorium is in high position. There is complete agenesis of the cerebellar vermis. There is also cystic dilation of the fourth ventricle, which fills the posterior fossa. This often involves hydrocephalus and complications due to associated genetic conditions, such as Spina Bifida.

Genitopatellar syndrome is a rare disorder with characteristic craniofacial features, congenital flexion contractures of the lower limbs, absent or abnormal patellae, urogenital anomalies, and severe psychomotor retardation.

In 2012, it was shown that mutations in the gene KAT6B cause the syndrome.

Fryns syndrome is an autosomal recessive multiple congenital anomaly syndrome that is usually lethal in the neonatal period. Fryns (1987) reviewed the syndrome.

Many of the characteristic facial features (among other) of Jackson–Weiss syndrome result from the premature fusion of the skull bones. The following are some of the more common, such as:

- Preaxial foot polydactyl

- Tarsal synostosis

- Frontal bossing

- Proptosis