MedGen

The nephronophthisis (NPH) phenotype is characterized by reduced renal concentrating ability, chronic tubulointerstitial nephritis, cystic renal disease, and progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) before age 30 years. Three age-based clinical subtypes are recognized: infantile, juvenile, and adolescent/adult. Infantile NPH can present in utero with oligohydramnios sequence (limb contractures, pulmonary hypoplasia, and facial dysmorphisms) or postnatally with renal manifestations that progress to ESRD before age 3 years. Juvenile NPH, the most prevalent subtype, typically presents with polydipsia and polyuria, growth retardation, chronic iron-resistant anemia, or other findings related to chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hypertension is typically absent due to salt wasting. ESRD develops at a median age of 13 years. Ultrasound findings are increased echogenicity, reduced corticomedullary differentiation, and renal cysts (in 50% of affected individuals). Histologic findings include tubulointerstitial fibrosis, thickened and disrupted tubular basement membrane, sporadic corticomedullary cysts, and normal or reduced kidney size. Adolescent/adult NPH is clinically similar to juvenile NPH, but ESRD develops at a median age of 19 years. Within a subtype, inter- and intrafamilial variability in rate of progression to ESRD is considerable. Approximately 80%-90% of individuals with the NPH phenotype have no extrarenal features (i.e., they have isolated NPH); ~10%-20% have extrarenal manifestations that constitute a recognizable syndrome (e.g., Joubert syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Jeune syndrome and related skeletal disorders, Meckel-Gruber syndrome, Senior-Løken syndrome, Leber congenital amaurosis, COACH syndrome, and oculomotor apraxia, Cogan type). [from GeneReviews]

Triple A syndrome is an inherited condition characterized by three specific features: achalasia, Addison disease, and alacrima. Achalasia is a disorder that affects the ability to move food through the esophagus, the tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach. It can lead to severe feeding difficulties and low blood glucose (hypoglycemia). Addison disease, also known as primary adrenal insufficiency, is caused by abnormal function of the small hormone-producing glands on top of each kidney (adrenal glands). The main features of Addison disease include fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss, low blood pressure, and darkening of the skin. The third major feature of triple A syndrome is a reduced or absent ability to secrete tears (alacrima). Most people with triple A syndrome have all three of these features, although some have only two.

Many of the features of triple A syndrome are caused by dysfunction of the autonomic nervous system. This part of the nervous system controls involuntary body processes such as digestion, blood pressure, and body temperature. People with triple A syndrome often experience abnormal sweating, difficulty regulating blood pressure, unequal pupil size (anisocoria), and other signs and symptoms of autonomic nervous system dysfunction (dysautonomia).

People with this condition may have other neurological abnormalities, such as developmental delay, intellectual disability, speech problems (dysarthria), and a small head size (microcephaly). In addition, affected individuals commonly experience muscle weakness, movement problems, and nerve abnormalities in their extremities (peripheral neuropathy). Some develop optic atrophy, which is the degeneration (atrophy) of the nerves that carry information from the eyes to the brain. Many of the neurological symptoms of triple A syndrome worsen over time.

People with triple A syndrome frequently develop a thickening of the outer layer of skin (hyperkeratosis) on the palms of their hands and the soles of their feet. Other skin abnormalities may also be present in people with this condition.

Alacrima is usually the first noticeable sign of triple A syndrome, as it becomes apparent early in life that affected children produce little or no tears while crying. They develop Addison disease and achalasia during childhood or adolescence, and most of the neurologic features of triple A syndrome begin during adulthood. The signs and symptoms of this condition vary among affected individuals, even among members of the same family. [from MedlinePlus Genetics]

Exfoliation syndrome (XFS) is a common age-related disorder of the extracellular matrix that is frequently associated with severe chronic secondary open-angle glaucoma and cataract. XFS syndrome may affect up to 30% of people over 60 years of age worldwide and is biomicroscopically diagnosed by abnormal microfibrillar deposits on ocular structures that line the aqueous-bathed surfaces of the anterior segment (summary by Schlotzer-Schrehardt and Naumann, 2006). [from OMIM]

Sudden, repetitive, nonrhythmic motor movements (spasms), involving the eyes and muscles of the face. [from HPO]

Witteveen-Kolk syndrome (WITKOS) is an autosomal dominant disorder with characteristic distinctive facial features, microcephaly, short stature, and mildly impaired intellectual development with delayed cognitive and motor development and subtle anomalies on MRI-brain imaging (summary by Balasubramanian et al., 2021). [from OMIM]

Scalp-ear-nipple syndrome is characterized by aplasia cutis congenita of the scalp, breast anomalies that range from hypothelia or athelia to amastia, and minor anomalies of the external ears. Less frequent clinical characteristics include nail dystrophy, dental anomalies, cutaneous syndactyly of the digits, and renal malformations. Penetrance appears to be high, although there is substantial variable expressivity within families (Marneros et al., 2013). [from OMIM]

Alacrima, achalasia, and impaired intellectual development syndrome (AAMR) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by onset of these 3 main features at birth or in early infancy. More variable features include hypotonia, gait abnormalities, anisocoria, and visual or hearing deficits. The disorder shows similarity to the triple A syndrome (231550), but patients with AAMR do not have adrenal insufficiency (summary by Koehler et al., 2013). See also 300858 for a phenotypically similar disorder that shows X-linked inheritance. [from OMIM]

Intellectual disability-alacrima-achalasia syndrome is a rare, genetic intellectual disability syndrome characterized by delayed motor and cognitive development, absence or severe delay in speech development, intellectual disability, and alacrima. Achalasia/dysphagia and mild autonomic dysfunction (i.e. anisocoria) have also been reported in some patients. The phenotype is similar to the one observed in autosomal recessive Triple A syndrome, but differs by the presence of intellectual disability in all affected individuals. [from ORDO]

Chromosome 16q12 duplication syndrome is characterized by early-onset progressive cone dystrophy, with early blue cone involvement. Patients report reduced visual acuity in the first decade of life, as well as difficulty differentiating colors, photophobia, and reduced night vision (Kohl et al., 2021). Tritanopia can also be caused by heterozygous mutation in the OPN1SW gene (613522) on chromosome 7q32 (see 190900). [from OMIM]

Intellectual developmental disorder with impaired language and dysmorphic facies (IDDILF) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by global developmental delay apparent from infancy, impaired language development, and dysmorphic facial features, including hypertelorism, epicanthal folds, and abnormal palpebral fissures. Some patients may have additional findings, including feeding difficulties, mild cardiac or genitourinary defects, and distal skeletal anomalies (summary by Balak et al., 2019). [from OMIM]

Anisocoria, or unequal pupil size, may represent a benign physiologic variant or a manifestation of disease. [from HPO]