Focal dermal hypoplasia is a multisystem disorder characterized primarily by involvement of the skin, skeletal system, eyes, and face. Skin manifestations present at birth include atrophic and hypoplastic areas of skin; cutis aplasia; fat nodules in the dermis manifesting as soft, yellow-pink cutaneous nodules; and pigmentary changes. Verrucoid papillomas of the skin and mucous membranes may appear later. The nails can be ridged, dysplastic, or hypoplastic; hair can be sparse or absent. Limb malformations include oligo-/syndactyly and split hand/foot. Developmental abnormalities of the eye can include anophthalmia/microphthalmia, iris and chorioretinal coloboma, and lacrimal duct abnormalities. Craniofacial findings can include facial asymmetry, notched alae nasi, cleft lip and palate, and pointed chin. Occasional findings include dental anomalies, abdominal wall defects, diaphragmatic hernia, and renal anomalies. Psychomotor development is usually normal; some individuals have cognitive impairment.

Nager syndrome is the prototype for a group of disorders collectively referred to as the acrofacial dysostoses (AFDs), which are characterized by malformation of the craniofacial skeleton and the limbs. The major facial features of Nager syndrome include downslanted palpebral fissures, midface retrusion, and micrognathia, the latter of which often requires the placement of a tracheostomy in early childhood. Limb defects typically involve the anterior (radial) elements of the upper limbs and manifest as small or absent thumbs, triphalangeal thumbs, radial hypoplasia or aplasia, and radioulnar synostosis. Phocomelia of the upper limbs and, occasionally, lower-limb defects have also been reported. The presence of anterior upper-limb defects and the typical lack of lower-limb involvement distinguishes Nager syndrome from Miller syndrome (263750), another rare AFD; however, distinguishing Nager syndrome from other AFDs, including Miller syndrome, can be challenging (summary by Bernier et al., 2012).

Microphthalmia with limb anomalies (MLA), also known as Waardenburg anophthalmia syndrome or ophthalmoacromelic syndrome (OAS), is a rare autosomal recessive developmental disorder characterized by unilateral or bilateral microphthalmia, clinical anophthalmia, syndactyly, polydactyly, synostosis, or oligodactyly. Long-bone hypoplasia and renal, venous, and vertebral anomalies may also be present. Impaired intellectual development is present in about half of affected individuals (summary by Tekin et al., 2000, Abouzeid et al., 2011).

Brachial amelia, cleft lip, and holoprosencephaly (ACLH) is a severe multiple congenital anomaly disorder characterized by brachial amelia, cleft lip, and forebrain defects consistent with holoprosencephaly. Although the disorder is rarely reported, the features are consistent enough to constitute a distinct entity (summary by Kariminejad et al., 2009).

The Al-Awadi/Raas-Rothschild/Schinzel phocomelia syndrome (AARRS) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe malformations of upper and lower limbs with severely hypoplastic pelvis and abnormal genitalia. The disorder is believed to represent a defect of dorsoventral patterning and outgrowth of limbs (summary by Kantaputra et al., 2010).

FATCO syndrome comprises fibular aplasia, tibial campomelia, and oligosyndactyly (Courtens et al., 2005). See also ectrodactyly (split-hand/foot malformation) associated with fibular hypoplasia/aplasia (113310).

This syndrome has main characteristics of bowing of the femora, aplasia or hypoplasia of the fibulae and poly, oligo and syndactyly. It has been reported in 11 patients. Most of the patients also had a hypoplastic pelvis and hypoplasia of the fingers and fingernails. Some had congenital dislocation of the hip, absence or fusion of tarsal bones, absence of various metatarsals and hypoplasia and aplasia of the toes. The syndrome is caused by a partial loss of WNT7A function (gene mapped to 3p25).

Split-hand/split-foot malformation (SHFM) is a limb malformation involving the central rays of the autopod and presenting with syndactyly, median clefts of the hands and feet, and aplasia and/or hypoplasia of the phalanges, metacarpals, and metatarsals. Some patients with SHFM have been found to have mental retardation, ectodermal and craniofacial findings, and orofacial clefting (Elliott and Evans, 2006). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of split-hand/foot malformations, see SHFM1 (183600).

Split-hand/foot malformation (SHFM) is a limb malformation involving the central rays of the autopod and presenting with syndactyly, median clefts of the hands and feet, and aplasia and/or hypoplasia of the phalanges, metacarpals, and metatarsals. Some patients with SHFM1 have been found to have mental retardation, ectodermal and craniofacial findings, orofacial clefting (Elliott and Evans, 2006), and neurosensory hearing loss (Tackels-Horne et al., 2001). Genetic Heterogeneity of Split-Hand/Foot Malformation Additional SHFM loci include SHFM2 (313350) on chromosome Xq26; SHFM3 (246560), caused by duplication of chromosome 10q24; SHFM4 (605289), caused by mutation in the TP63 gene (603273) on chromosome 3q28; SHFM5 (606708) on chromosome 2q31; and SHFM6 (225300), caused by mutation in the WNT10B gene (601906) on chromosome 12q13. Also see SHFM1D (220600) for a form of SHFM1 with deafness that may be caused by homozygous mutation in the DLX5 gene (600028). Associations Pending Confirmation For discussion of a possible association between split-hand/foot malformation and variation in the EPS15L1 gene, see 616826.0001.

Adams-Oliver syndrome (AOS) is characterized by aplasia cutis congenita (ACC) of the scalp and terminal transverse limb defects (TTLD). ACC lesions usually occur in the midline of the parietal or occipital regions, but can also occur on the abdomen or limbs. At birth, an ACC lesion may already have the appearance of a healed scar. ACC lesions less than 5 cm often involve only the skin and almost always heal over a period of months; larger lesions are more likely to involve the skull and possibly the dura, and are at greater risk for complications, which can include infection, hemorrhage, or thrombosis, and can result in death. The limb defects range from mild (unilateral or bilateral short distal phalanges) to severe (complete absence of all toes or fingers, feet or hands, or more, often resembling an amputation). The lower extremities are almost always more severely affected than the upper extremities. Additional major features frequently include cardiovascular malformations/dysfunction (23%), brain anomalies, and less frequently renal, liver, and eye anomalies.