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Hao-Fountain syndrome(HAFOUS)

MedGen UID:
1719035
Concept ID:
C5393908
Disease or Syndrome
Synonym: HAFOUS
 
Related gene: USP7
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0014805
OMIM®: 602519; 616863
Orphanet: ORPHA500055

Definition

Hao-Fountain syndrome (HAFOUS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, variably impaired intellectual development with significant speech delay, behavioral abnormalities, such as autism, and mild dysmorphic facies. Additional features are variable, but may include hypotonia, feeding problems, delayed walking with unsteady gait, hypogonadism in males, and ocular anomalies, such as strabismus. Some patients develop seizures and some have mild white matter abnormalities on brain imaging (summary by Fountain et al., 2019). [from OMIM]

Clinical features

From HPO
Cryptorchidism
MedGen UID:
8192
Concept ID:
C0010417
Congenital Abnormality
Cryptorchidism, or failure of testicular descent, is a common human congenital abnormality with a multifactorial etiology that likely reflects the involvement of endocrine, environmental, and hereditary factors. Cryptorchidism can result in infertility and increases risk for testicular tumors. Testicular descent from abdomen to scrotum occurs in 2 distinct phases: the transabdominal phase and the inguinoscrotal phase (summary by Gorlov et al., 2002).
Micropenis
MedGen UID:
1633603
Concept ID:
C4551492
Congenital Abnormality
Abnormally small penis. At birth, the normal penis is about 3 cm (stretched length from pubic tubercle to tip of penis) with micropenis less than 2.0-2.5 cm.
Hallux valgus
MedGen UID:
5416
Concept ID:
C0018536
Anatomical Abnormality
Lateral deviation of the great toe (i.e., in the direction of the little toe).
Clinodactyly of the 5th finger
MedGen UID:
340456
Concept ID:
C1850049
Congenital Abnormality
Clinodactyly refers to a bending or curvature of the fifth finger in the radial direction (i.e., towards the 4th finger).
Low-set ears
MedGen UID:
65980
Concept ID:
C0239234
Congenital Abnormality
Upper insertion of the ear to the scalp below an imaginary horizontal line drawn between the inner canthi of the eye and extending posteriorly to the ear.
Aggressive behavior
MedGen UID:
1375
Concept ID:
C0001807
Individual Behavior
Behavior or an act aimed at harming a person, animal, or physical property (e.g., acts of physical violence; shouting, swearing, and using harsh language; slashing someone's tires).
Apraxia
MedGen UID:
8166
Concept ID:
C0003635
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
A defect in the understanding of complex motor commands and in the execution of certain learned movements, i.e., deficits in the cognitive components of learned movements.
Seizure
MedGen UID:
20693
Concept ID:
C0036572
Sign or Symptom
A seizure is an intermittent abnormality of nervous system physiology characterized by a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.
Perseverative thought
MedGen UID:
66686
Concept ID:
C0233651
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Manifestations of perseverative thoughts are behaviors that do not meet the demands of the situation, are not the product of deliberation, and may unfold despite counter intention.
Speech apraxia
MedGen UID:
78112
Concept ID:
C0264611
Disease or Syndrome
A type of apraxia that is characterized by difficulty or inability to execute speech movements because of problems with coordination and motor problems, leading to incorrect articulation. An increase of errors with increasing word and phrase length may occur.
Delayed speech and language development
MedGen UID:
105318
Concept ID:
C0454644
Finding
A degree of language development that is significantly below the norm for a child of a specified age.
Apnea, central sleep
MedGen UID:
99249
Concept ID:
C0520680
Disease or Syndrome
Sleep apnea results from a temporary loss of the central drive to the muscles responsible for breathing.
Global developmental delay
MedGen UID:
107838
Concept ID:
C0557874
Finding
A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.
Autistic behavior
MedGen UID:
163547
Concept ID:
C0856975
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Persistent deficits in social interaction and communication and interaction as well as a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interest as well as repetitive patterns of behavior.
Absent speech
MedGen UID:
340737
Concept ID:
C1854882
Finding
Complete lack of development of speech and language abilities.
Intellectual disability
MedGen UID:
811461
Concept ID:
C3714756
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Intellectual disability, previously referred to as mental retardation, is characterized by subnormal intellectual functioning that occurs during the developmental period. It is defined by an IQ score below 70.
Hypotonia
MedGen UID:
10133
Concept ID:
C0026827
Finding
Hypotonia is an abnormally low muscle tone (the amount of tension or resistance to movement in a muscle). Even when relaxed, muscles have a continuous and passive partial contraction which provides some resistance to passive stretching. Hypotonia thus manifests as diminished resistance to passive stretching. Hypotonia is not the same as muscle weakness, although the two conditions can co-exist.
Trigonocephaly
MedGen UID:
82713
Concept ID:
C0265535
Congenital Abnormality
Wedge-shaped, or triangular head, with the apex of the triangle at the midline of the forehead and the base of the triangle at the occiput.
Delayed cranial suture closure
MedGen UID:
75805
Concept ID:
C0277828
Finding
Infants normally have two fontanels at birth, the diamond-shaped anterior fontanelle at the junction of the coronal and sagittal sutures, and the posterior fontanelle at the intersection of the occipital and parietal bones. The posterior fontanelle usually closes by the 8th week of life, and the anterior fontanel closes by the 18th month of life on average. This term applies if there is delay of closure of the fontanelles beyond the normal age.
Large fontanelles
MedGen UID:
105329
Concept ID:
C0456132
Finding
In newborns, the two frontal bones, two parietal bones, and one occipital bone are joined by fibrous sutures, which form a small posterior fontanelle, and a larger, diamond-shaped anterior fontanelle. These regions allow for the skull to pass the birth canal and for later growth. The fontanelles gradually ossify, whereby the posterior fontanelle usually closes by eight weeks and the anterior fontanelle by the 9th to 16th month of age. Large fontanelles are diagnosed if the fontanelles are larger than age-dependent norms.
Generalized hypotonia
MedGen UID:
346841
Concept ID:
C1858120
Finding
Generalized muscular hypotonia (abnormally low muscle tone).
Abnormal facial shape
MedGen UID:
98409
Concept ID:
C0424503
Finding
An abnormal morphology (form) of the face or its components.
Premature adrenarche
MedGen UID:
137972
Concept ID:
C0342546
Disease or Syndrome
Onset of adrenarche at an earlier age than usual.
Strabismus
MedGen UID:
21337
Concept ID:
C0038379
Disease or Syndrome
A misalignment of the eyes so that the visual axes deviate from bifoveal fixation. The classification of strabismus may be based on a number of features including the relative position of the eyes, whether the deviation is latent or manifest, intermittent or constant, concomitant or otherwise and according to the age of onset and the relevance of any associated refractive error.

Recent clinical studies

Diagnosis

van der Laan L, Karimi K, Rooney K, Lauffer P, McConkey H, Caro P, Relator R, Levy MA, Bhai P, Mignot C, Keren B, Briuglia S, Sobering AK, Li D, Vissers LELM, Dingemans AJM, Valenzuela I, Verberne EA, Misra-Isrie M, Zwijnenburg PJG, Waisfisz Q, Alders M, Sailer S, Schaaf CP, Mannens MMAM, Sadikovic B, van Haelst MM, Henneman P
Genet Med 2024 Mar;26(3):101050. Epub 2023 Dec 18 doi: 10.1016/j.gim.2023.101050. PMID: 38126281
Priolo M, Mancini C, Pizzi S, Chiriatti L, Radio FC, Cordeddu V, Pintomalli L, Mammì C, Dallapiccola B, Tartaglia M
Genes (Basel) 2022 May 16;13(5) doi: 10.3390/genes13050889. PMID: 35627274Free PMC Article

Clinical prediction guides

Wimmer MC, Brennenstuhl H, Hirsch S, Dötsch L, Unser S, Caro P, Schaaf CP
Clin Genet 2024 May;105(5):499-509. Epub 2024 Jan 14 doi: 10.1111/cge.14480. PMID: 38221796

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