Clinical Description
Baraitser-Winter cerebrofrontofacial (BWCFF) syndrome is a multiple congenital anomaly syndrome characterized by typical craniofacial features and intellectual disability. Many (but not all) affected individuals have pachygyria that is predominantly frontal, wasting of the shoulder girdle muscles, and sensory impairment due to iris or retinal coloboma and/or sensorineural deafness. Intellectual disability, which is common but variable, is related to the severity of the brain malformations [Verloes et al 2015, Yates et al 2017]. BWCFF syndrome has been reported in fewer than 100 individuals.
Significant variation in clinical features is observed, and some individuals whose diagnosis was made through identification of a pathogenic variant on gene panel or exome analyses (rather than on clinical suspicion) are expected to show milder or incomplete phenotypes (formes frustes) that would not have led unambiguously to a clinical diagnosis of BWCFF syndrome.
Table 2.
Baraitser-Winter Cerebrofrontofacial Syndrome: Frequency of Select Features
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Feature (% of Persons w/Feature) | Comment |
---|
Dysmorphic craniofacial features (100%) incl:
Prominent metopic ridging or trigonocephaly (65%) Widely spaced eyes (95%) Bilateral ptosis (90%) Highly arched eyebrows (90%) Ocular coloboma (30%); may be assoc w/microphthalmia (<10%) Small ears w/↑ posterior angulation, anteverted pinnae, overfolded, thick helix, & underdeveloped antihelix (73%) Wide, short, thick, & upturned nose, w/large, flat tip (85%) Long, smooth philtrum (84%) Wide mouth w/downturned corners & everted vermilion of lower lip (45%) Cleft lip & palate (10%)
| Some persons may have rather mild craniofacial features & be considered nondysmorphic. |
Developmental delay / intellectual disability (>95%) | Mild-to-moderate developmental delay w/mild intellectual disability Delays profound if severe lissencephaly present Rare individuals w/normal intelligence
|
Microcephaly (~50%) | Microcephaly may be of prenatal onset, usually mild, but may be severe w/lissencephaly (≥ -5 SD). |
Brain malformation (83%) incl:
Pachygyria (frontal or predominantly central) &/or subcortical band heterotopia (61%) Periventricular heterotopias (2%) Corpus callosum abnormality (20%)
| |
Epilepsy (50%) |
|
Neuromuscular abnormality (20%) | Peculiar stance, joint contractures, & pterygia observed in some persons Contractures & muscle wasting may progress w/time.
|
Vision abnormality (30%) | Assoc w/coloboma & microphthalmia |
Sensorineural &/or conductive hearing loss (35%) |
|
Moderate short stature (44%) | |
Cardiovascular abnormality (38%) | |
Genitourinary abnormality (41%) | Incl:
Hydronephrosis (23%) Structural renal malformation (10%) Micropenis, cryptorchidism, & hypospadias (rare)
|
Skeletal features (20%) | Incl pectus deformity & broad thumbs & hallux |
Gastrointestinal dysfunction (41%) | Frequent chronic constipation (requiring daily medication) & reflux disease Occasional vomiting, diarrhea, feeding difficulties, failure to thrive Several persons required tube feeding & PEG. Rare anomalies incl intestinal malrotation, duodenal atresia, & bowel pseudo-obstruction
|
Abdominal anomaly (rare 1) | Omphalocele |
Malignancy (<5%) | Lymphoma & leukemia have been reported. |
PEG = percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy
- 1.
Dysmorphic craniofacial features vary from mild to severe and evolve considerably over time. With age the facial features become significantly coarser. The face is round and flat in infancy. In those with more severe facial involvement, the widely spaced eyes are reminiscent of frontonasal dysplasia due to the degree of increased spacing and wide nose.
General craniofacial shape is characterized a flat malar region and retrognathia with a pointed chin, and often by prominent metopic ridging or trigonocephaly.
Eyes are widely spaced with bilateral ptosis, which may require surgery. Other findings:
Long, often downslanted palpebral fissures (with or without epicanthal folds or epicanthus inversus), lagophthalmos, and euryblepharon; appearance may resemble the ocular findings in
Kabuki syndrome although the gestalt is different.
Highly arched eyebrows in continuity of the lateral edges of the nose
Uni- or bilateral ocular coloboma that may extend from the iris to the macula, sometimes with microphthalmia
Ears are often small with increased posterior angulation, sometimes anteverted pinnae, with an overfolded, thick helix and an underdeveloped antihelix.
Nose and mouth
Wide, short, thick, and upturned nose, with a large, flat tip, a thick columella, anteverted, thick nares, and a median grove (in the most severe cases)
Prominent nasal bridge, flat in its middle part
Long and smooth philtrum and thin vermilion border of the upper lip
Wide mouth with downturned corners, everted vermilion of the lower lip
Cleft lip and palate
Developmental delay (DD) / intellectual disability (ID) is highly variable:
In children with normal brain structure, motor delay is common, but otherwise development is only mildly to moderately delayed. ID is usually mild. Rare individuals with normal intelligence have also been reported.
Among those with a cortical malformation, development is always delayed. ID varied from profound in those with severe and diffuse lissencephaly to mild ID in some with anterior pachygyria or periventricular heterotopia.
Brain malformations are present in more than 80% of individuals. Findings may include:
Neurologic
Epilepsy, of no specific type and of variable severity, is present in 50% of individuals, often in conjunction with structural cerebral anomalies.
Variable muscular hypotonia, particularly of the upper body, is frequent and may result in progressive scoliosis beginning from age eight to 10 years.
Many affected individuals, especially teenagers and adults, have a peculiar stance with kyphosis, anteverted shoulders, and slightly flexed elbows and knees, which may be associated with limited joint movement. Axillary and popliteal pterygia may be present at birth. A few have congenital arthrogryposis multiplex congenita.
Increasingly difficult ambulation is seen in some adults, which may indicate a slowly progressive myopathic process with slowly progressive, generalized muscle weakness. Some adults may become dependent on a wheelchair for mobility and develop late-onset spinal deformity (kyphosis, scoliosis).
Vision abnormality. Iris and retinal coloboma and microphthalmia may severely impair vision. Ptosis may require surgical correction. An individual has been reported with congenital fibrosis of oculomotor muscles [Chacon-Camacho et al 2020]. Esotropia and refractive errors were noted.
Hearing loss. Sensorineural hearing loss of variable degree may be present and can be progressive and require hearing aids. The inner ear and auditory nerve may be malformed and hypoplastic. Several individuals have frequent otitis media resulting in conductive hearing loss especially in early childhood.
Growth
Gastrointestinal dysfunction [Authors, unpublished observations]
Constipation (either chronic or occasional) is the most frequently observed GI finding. Rarely, bowel pseudo-obstruction occurs.
Frequent vomiting and gastroesophageal reflux disease have been reported occasionally in newborns and small children.
Severe feeding difficulties requiring nasogastric tube feeding with subsequent feeding tube have been reported in several children.
Structural malformations include duodenal atresia and intestinal malrotation; one individual developed liver cirrhosis.
Other malformations
Cardiovascular malformations such as patent ductus arteriosus, ventricular or atrial septal defects, abnormal aortic valve, aortic stenosis, mitral valve regurgitation, and tricuspid regurgitation have been identified.
Genitourinary abnormalities can include hydronephrosis, horseshoe or ectopic kidneys, renal duplication, and hypospadias.
Musculoskeletal features include broad thumbs and hallux (rarely, duplication of the hallux and/or thumbs).
Malignancy. Three individuals with different hematologic malignancies have been reported; causal relationship has not been demonstrated, but also cannot be reliably excluded (see Cancer and Benign Tumors).
Cutaneous lymphoma was diagnosed at age 19 years in an individual with BWCFF syndrome and a germline
ACTG1 pathogenic variant [
Verloes et al 2015].
Precursor B-cell acute lymphatic leukemia developed at age eight years in a child with BWCFF syndrome and a germline
ACTB pathogenic variant [
Verloes et al 2015,
Diets et al 2018].
Acute myeloid leukemia, M5 subtype developed at age 21 years in an individual with BWCFF syndrome and a germline
ACTB pathogenic variant [
Cianci et al 2017].
Prognosis. Limited data have been published in adults with BWCFF syndrome; only six individuals older than age 40 years are reported in the literature [Hampshire et al 2020]. From the authors' experience, the neuromuscular involvement tends to worsen with time, with progressive muscle wasting and weakness, progressive scoliosis, osteoporosis, and loss of ambulation in the fifth decade of life. Cognitive decline was reported [Di Donato et al 2014]. Life span may be reduced; two adult individuals died in the third decade of life as a result of acute ileus, neurologic decline with feeding difficulties, and recurrent pneumonias [Authors, unpublished observations]. The oldest known individual was 62 years old at the last follow up.