Septooptic dysplasia is a clinically heterogeneous disorder loosely defined by any combination of optic nerve hypoplasia, pituitary gland hypoplasia, and midline abnormalities of the brain, including absence of the corpus callosum and septum pellucidum (Dattani et al., 1998). The diagnosis of this rare congenital anomaly is made when 2 or more features of the classic triad are present. Approximately 30% of patients have complete manifestations, 62% display hypopituitarism, and 60% have an absent septum pellucidum. The disorder is equally prevalent in males and females and is more common in infants born to younger mothers, with a reported incidence of 1 in 10,000 live births (summary by Webb and Dattani, 2010). Also see 516020.0012 for a form of septooptic dysplasia associated with cardiomyopathy and exercise intolerance.

SALL4-related disorders include Duane-radial ray syndrome (DRRS, Okihiro syndrome), acro-renal-ocular syndrome (AROS), and SALL4-related Holt-Oram syndrome (HOS) – three phenotypes previously thought to be distinct entities. DRRS is characterized by uni- or bilateral Duane anomaly and radial ray malformation that can include thenar hypoplasia and/or hypoplasia or aplasia of the thumbs, hypoplasia or aplasia of the radii, shortening and radial deviation of the forearms, triphalangeal thumbs, and duplication of the thumb (preaxial polydactyly). AROS is characterized by radial ray malformations, renal abnormalities (mild malrotation, ectopia, horseshoe kidney, renal hypoplasia, vesicoureteral reflux, bladder diverticula), ocular coloboma, and Duane anomaly. Rarely, pathogenic variants in SALL4 may cause clinically typical HOS (i.e., radial ray malformations and cardiac malformations without additional features).

Cerebral dysgenesis, neuropathy, ichthyosis, and keratoderma syndrome (CEDNIK) refers to a unique constellation of clinical manifestations including global developmental delay with hypotonia, roving eye movements or nystagmus, poor motor skills, and impaired intellectual development with speech delay. More variable features include microcephaly, feeding difficulties, seizures, ocular anomalies, hearing loss, and nonspecific dysmorphic facial features. Palmoplantar keratoderma and ichthyosis or neuropathy develop in some patients. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) shows varying degrees of cerebral dysgenesis, including absence of the corpus callosum and cortical dysplasia, as well as hypomyelination, white matter loss, and white matter signal anomalies suggestive of a leukodystrophy. Some patients may show developmental regression; many die in childhood (Fuchs-Telem et al., 2011; Mah-Som et al., 2021). With more patients being reported, several authors (Diggle et al., 2017; Llaci et al., 2019; Mah-Som et al., 2021) have observed that the dermatologic features and peripheral neuropathy show reduced penetrance and are more variable manifestations of this disorder, as they are not observed in all patients with biallelic SNAP29 mutations.

Fanconi anemia (FA) is characterized by physical abnormalities, bone marrow failure, and increased risk for malignancy. Physical abnormalities, present in approximately 75% of affected individuals, include one or more of the following: short stature, abnormal skin pigmentation, skeletal malformations of the upper and/or lower limbs, microcephaly, and ophthalmic and genitourinary tract anomalies. Progressive bone marrow failure with pancytopenia typically presents in the first decade, often initially with thrombocytopenia or leukopenia. The incidence of acute myeloid leukemia is 13% by age 50 years. Solid tumors – particularly of the head and neck, skin, and genitourinary tract – are more common in individuals with FA.

Combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency-35 (COXPD35) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized mainly by global developmental delay with intellectual disability, microcephaly, and early-onset myoclonic and other types of seizures. Affected individuals have variable deficiencies of mitochondrial respiratory enzyme complexes resulting from a defect in mitochondrial metabolism (summary by Kernohan et al., 2017). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency, see COXPD1 (609060).

Neurodevelopmental disorder with dysmorphic facies and cerebellar hypoplasia (NEDFACH) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by global developmental delay and intellectual disability. The phenotype is variable: more severely affected individuals have poor overall growth with microcephaly, delayed walking, spasticity, and poor or absent speech, whereas others may achieve more significant developmental milestones and even attend special schooling. Brain imaging shows abnormalities of the cerebellum, most commonly cerebellar hypoplasia, although other features, such as thin corpus callosum and delayed myelination, may also be present. Dysmorphic facial features include sloping forehead, upslanting palpebral fissures, and hypertelorism. Additional more variable manifestations may include cardiac ventricular septal defect, spasticity, cataracts, optic nerve hypoplasia, seizures, and joint contractures (summary by Van Bergen et al., 2020).

Dworschak-Punetha neurodevelopmental syndrome (DWOPNED) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized mainly by global developmental delay and mildly impaired intellectual development (IQ range 77 to 85), often with behavioral abnormalities, including autism spectrum disorder and hyperactivity. Some affected individuals may have only speech delay or behavioral manifestations. More variable additional features include optic disc hypoplasia, ptosis, hypo- or hyperpigmented skin lesions, nonspecific dysmorphic facial features, and brain imaging abnormalities of the ventricles or corpus callosum. Of note, not all patients exhibit all features, and there is significant inter- and intrafamilial phenotypic variability (Dworschak et al., 2021).