Clinical Description
To date, 44 individuals from 40 families have been identified with a pathogenic variant in ASXL3 [Bainbridge et al 2013, Dinwiddie et al 2013, Hori et al 2016, Retterer et al 2016, Srivastava et al 2016, Balasubramanian et al 2017, Chinen et al 2017, Dad et al 2017, Kuechler et al 2017, Bacrot et al 2018, Contreras-Capetillo et al 2018, Koboldt et al 2018, Myers et al 2018a, Myers et al 2018b, Verhoeven et al 2018, Zhang et al 2018, Qiao et al 2019, Wayhelova et al 2019, Schirwani et al 2020]. The authors have collected clinical and molecular data on another 45 affected individuals in an additional cohort study that will be submitted for publication. The following description of the phenotypic features associated with this condition is based on these published reports and the additional cohort study (n=89 affected individuals).
Speech delay. All individuals with ASXL3-related disorder have delayed speech and language development. First word was achieved in 32% of affected individuals, at an average age of 28.8 months [Authors, personal observation].
A majority of known individuals with ASXL3-related disorder are nonverbal.
Use of communication devices with expert speech and language therapy input can often be helpful in these individuals to develop alternate modes of communication, as it appears that receptive language skills may be better than expressive language skills in persons with this disorder.
Less commonly, communication through gesture, sounds, words, and sentences has been described.
Intellectual disability (ID). A majority of the individuals with ASXL3-related disorder have developmental delay and intellectual disability that is generally moderate to severe. However, a spectrum of intellectual capabilities has been described.
Initial reports were of affected individuals with profound ID partly attributed to ascertainment bias; however, as more affected individuals have been identified, milder degrees of ID are being observed.
The authors are aware of a father and son with a paternally inherited truncating ASXL3 pathogenic variant, suggesting that a few individuals with ASXL3-related disorder may have normal cognition [Authors, personal observation].
Children with ASXL3-related disorder may be able to attend a mainstream school with dedicated support. However, so far, most individuals have required special educational provisions. The vast majority of adults described to date have required assisted living with some degree of independence.
Dysmorphic features. Individuals with ASXL3-related disorder have similar but typically nonspecific facial features (see Suggestive Findings) which are often recognized only after a diagnosis has been established.
Behavioral concerns. More than three-quarters of individuals with ASXL3-related disorder have significant behavioral, social, and communication difficulties with substantial impact on the affected individuals and their families.
About half of affected individuals meet the formal clinical diagnostic criteria of an autism spectrum disorder (ASD), whereas others have autistic-like features. However, others are described as having a very friendly, placid personality.
Other (more rarely) associated behaviors can include:
Hand flapping
Agitation
Motor and/or vocal tics (Tourette syndrome)
Hyperventilation episodes
Teeth grinding (bruxism)
Attention-deficit disorder (ADD)
Pica
Self-harm behaviors including self-biting, face scratching, and head banging
Onset of self-injurious behavior can be as early as age two years; some individuals display this behavior later in life.
Growth. Most affected individuals display normal birth weight for gestational age but often experience poor postnatal growth as a result of feeding issues during infancy. During this time, growth may decline to 2 SD below the mean or more for age. Short stature is not a primary feature of ASXL3-related disorder and growth (both weight and length/height) typically stabilize or normalize after appropriate treatment of feeding issues (see following).
Feeding issues. Most individuals with ASXL3-related disorder, especially in the younger age groups, come to medical attention because of poor postnatal growth (see above) and ongoing feeding difficulties. They may display poor suck and swallow, recurrent vomiting, and gastroesophageal reflux disease.
Swallow studies have shown impairment of oral stage of swallowing and oral sensorimotor feeding delay characterized by oral motor weakness, reduced mastication skills for age, and suspected oral hypersensitivity. This may result in delay in weaning and food refusal behavior. Affected individuals may also have a high arched palate.
The severity of feeding difficulties varies considerably, with some affected children requiring long-term gastrostomy tube insertion while in others, feeding may be improved with the use of slow-flow nipples (see
Treatment of Manifestations).
Although initial feeding issues may resolve with age, there may be ongoing difficulties with feeding as a result of food aversion, sensitivity to different food textures, and behavioral issues that may affect eating.
Neurologic
Hypotonia is a common feature in individuals with ASXL3-related disorder, especially during the neonatal period and in early infancy. Later in life, some children develop an unusual posture and contractures with elbow, wrist, and fingers held in the flexion position. This is likely because of spasticity that becomes apparent with age.
Seizures occur in about one third of affected individuals and can range from generalized tonic-clonic seizures to absence seizures. Seizures typically respond to standard anti-seizure medications.
Imaging. Most individuals with ASXL3-related disorder have normal brain imaging and do not have any characteristic brain findings.
Skeletal features. More than two thirds of individuals with ASXL3-related disorder have a skeletal abnormality. Findings may include:
Marfanoid habitus
Pectus excavatum
Joint hypermobility
Pes planus
Digital abnormalities including arachnodactyly, syndactyly, clinodactyly, contractures, and tapering fingers
Postural scoliosis (possibly due to hypotonia)
Delayed bone age
Sleep. Sleep disturbance is a common finding, with some affected individuals reported to have sleep apnea, for which a sleep study and further evaluation to establish a cause is warranted. Some affected individuals have abnormal breathing patterns including apnea, breath-holding episodes, and irregular breathing patterns (particularly at night) that coincide with sleep disturbances.
Eyes. Strabismus has been described in more than half of affected individuals. It can be persistent or intermittent. Some affected individuals have myopia, hyperopia, and ptosis. Visual difficulties (including astigmatism) needing correction may also be seen.
Dental. Dental abnormalities, ranging from dental overcrowding, malocclusion, and large teeth to severe hypodontia, are present in nearly 50% of individuals.
Other
Some affected individuals have problems with temperature regulation and are insensitive to cold/heat.
Altered pain perception has been described in association with this condition but is not a consistent finding.