MedGen

The disorder described by Hirschsprung (1888) and known as Hirschsprung disease or aganglionic megacolon is characterized by congenital absence of intrinsic ganglion cells in the myenteric (Auerbach) and submucosal (Meissner) plexuses of the gastrointestinal tract. Patients are diagnosed with the short-segment form (S-HSCR, approximately 80% of cases) when the aganglionic segment does not extend beyond the upper sigmoid, and with the long-segment form (L-HSCR) when aganglionosis extends proximal to the sigmoid. Total colonic aganglionosis and total intestinal HSCR also occur (Amiel et al., 2008). Isolated HSCR appears to be of complex nonmendelian inheritance with low sex-dependent penetrance and variable expression according to the length of the aganglionic segment, suggestive of the involvement of one or more genes with low penetrance (Amiel et al., 2008). For a general description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of Hirschsprung disease (HSCR), see 142623. [from OMIM]

Waardenburg syndrome type 4 (WS4), also known as Waardenburg-Shah syndrome, is an auditory-pigmentary syndrome characterized by pigmentary abnormalities of the hair, skin, and eyes, congenital sensorineural hearing loss, and Hirschsprung disease (reviews by Read and Newton, 1997 and Pingault et al., 2010). WS type 4A is caused by mutation in the EDNRB gene (131244). Clinical Variability of Waardenburg Syndrome Types 1-4 Waardenburg syndrome has been classified into 4 main phenotypes. Type I Waardenburg syndrome (WS1; 193500) is characterized by pigmentary abnormalities of the hair, including a white forelock and premature graying; pigmentary changes of the iris, such as heterochromia iridis and brilliant blue eyes; congenital sensorineural hearing loss; and 'dystopia canthorum.' WS type II (WS2) is distinguished from type I by the absence of dystopia canthorum. WS type III (WS3; 148820) has dystopia canthorum and is distinguished by the presence of upper limb abnormalities. WS type 4 has the additional feature of Hirschsprung disease (reviews by Read and Newton, 1997 and Pingault et al., 2010). Genetic Heterogeneity of Waardenburg Syndrome Type 4 Waardenburg syndrome type 4 is genetically heterogeneous. WS4B (613265) is caused by mutation in the EDN3 gene (131242) on chromosome 20q13, and WS4C (613266) is caused by mutation in the SOX10 gene (602229) on chromosome 22q13. [from OMIM]

ABCD syndrome (ABCDS) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by albinism, black lock, cell migration disorder of the neurocytes of the gut (Hirschsprung disease), and deafness (summary by Verheij et al., 2002). [from OMIM]