Alpha-thalassemia (a-thalassemia) has two clinically significant forms: hemoglobin Bart hydrops fetalis (Hb Bart) syndrome (caused by deletion/inactivation of all four a-globin genes; --/--), and hemoglobin H (HbH) disease (most frequently caused by deletion/inactivation of three a-globin genes; --/-a). Hb Bart syndrome, the more severe form, is characterized by prenatal onset of generalized edema and pleural and pericardial effusions as a result of congestive heart failure induced by severe anemia. Extramedullary erythropoiesis, marked hepatosplenomegaly, and a massive placenta are common. Death usually occurs in the neonatal period. HbH disease has a broad phenotypic spectrum: although clinical features usually develop in the first years of life, HbH disease may not present until adulthood or may be diagnosed only during routine hematologic analysis in an asymptomatic individual. The majority of individuals have enlargement of the spleen (and less commonly of the liver), mild jaundice, and sometimes thalassemia-like bone changes. Individuals with HbH disease may develop gallstones and experience acute episodes of hemolysis in response to infections or exposure to oxidant drugs.

An acquired form of alpha-thalassemia characterized by a myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) or more rarely a myeloproliferative disease (MPD) associated with hemoglobin H disease (HbH).

Alpha-thalassemia X-linked intellectual disability (ATR-X) syndrome is characterized by distinctive craniofacial features, genital anomalies, hypotonia, and mild-to-profound developmental delay / intellectual disability (DD/ID). Craniofacial abnormalities include small head circumference, telecanthus or widely spaced eyes, short triangular nose, tented upper lip, and thick or everted lower lip with coarsening of the facial features over time. While all affected individuals have a normal 46,XY karyotype, genital anomalies comprise a range from hypospadias and undescended testicles, to severe hypospadias and ambiguous genitalia, to normal-appearing female external genitalia. Alpha-thalassemia, observed in about 75% of affected individuals, is mild and typically does not require treatment. Osteosarcoma has been reported in a few males with germline pathogenic variants.

Hemoglobin H disease is a subtype of alpha-thalassemia (see 604131) in which patients have compound heterozygosity for alpha(+)-thalassemia, caused by deletion of one alpha-globin gene, and for alpha(0)-thalassemia, caused by deletion in cis of 2 alpha-globin genes (summary by Lal et al., 2011). When 3 alpha-globin genes become inactive because of deletions with or without concomitant nondeletional mutations, the affected individual has only 1 functional alpha-globin gene. These people usually have moderate anemia and marked microcytosis and hypochromia. In affected adults, there is an excess of beta-globin chains within erythrocytes that will form beta-4 tetramers, also known as hemoglobin H (summary by Chui et al., 2003). Hb H disease is usually caused by the combination of alpha(0)-thalassemia with deletional alpha(+)-thalassemia, a combination referred to as 'deletional' Hb H disease. In a smaller proportion of patients, Hb H disease is caused by an alpha(0)-thalassemia plus an alpha(+)-thalassemia point mutation or small insertion/deletion. Such a situation is labeled 'nondeletional' Hb H disease. Patients with nondeletional Hb H disease are usually more anemic, more symptomatic, more prone to have significant hepatosplenomegaly, and more likely to require transfusions (summary by Lal et al., 2011).