Question: What is (are) Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly ?
Answer: Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) is a disorder characterized by developmental delay and abnormalities of the head and face. Affected people are usually born with a small head that does not grow at the same rate as the body (progressive microcephaly). Developmental delay and intellectual disability can range from mild to severe. Facial abnormalities may include underdevelopment of the midface and cheekbones; a small lower jaw; small and abnormally-shaped ears; and other distinctive facial features. Other features of MFDM may include hearing loss, cleft palate, heart problems, abnormalities of the thumbs, abnormalities of the trachea and/or esophagus, and short stature. MFDM is caused by mutations in the EFTUD2 gene and is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the symptoms of Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly ?
Answer: What are the signs and symptoms of Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly? Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) may affect multiple parts of the body but primarily affects the head and face. People with MFDM are usually born with a small head (microcephaly) which does not grow at the same rate as the body. Intellectual disability ranges from mild to severe and is present in almost all affected people. Speech and language problems are also common. Facial abnormalities in affected people may include underdevelopment (hypoplasia) of the midface and cheekbones; a small lower jaw (micrognathia); small and malformed ears; facial asymmetry; and cleft palate. Other head and facial features may include a metopic ridge; up- or downslanting palpebral fissures; a prominent glabella (space between the eyebrows); a broad nasal bridge; a bulbous nasal tip; and an everted lower lip. Abnormalities of the ear canal, ear bones, or inner ear often lead to hearing loss. Affected people can also have a blockage of the nasal passages (choanal atresia) that can cause respiratory problems. Other signs and symptoms in some people with MFDM may include esophageal atresia, congenital heart defects, thumb anomalies, and/or short stature. The Human Phenotype Ontology provides the following list of signs and symptoms for Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly. If the information is available, the table below includes how often the symptom is seen in people with this condition. You can use the MedlinePlus Medical Dictionary to look up the definitions for these medical terms. Signs and Symptoms Approximate number of patients (when available) Abnormality of the antihelix 90% Abnormality of the tragus 90% Cleft palate 90% Cognitive impairment 90% Low-set, posteriorly rotated ears 90% Malar flattening 90% Microcephaly 90% Neurological speech impairment 90% Preauricular skin tag 90% Short nose 90% Short stature 90% Trigonocephaly 90% Upslanted palpebral fissure 90% Atresia of the external auditory canal 50% Epicanthus 50% Large earlobe 50% Overfolded helix 50% Preaxial hand polydactyly 50% Telecanthus 50% Trismus 50% Atria septal defect 7.5% Proximal placement of thumb 7.5% Seizures 7.5% Sensorineural hearing impairment 7.5% Ventricular septal defect 7.5% Esophageal atresia 5% Anteverted nares - Autosomal dominant inheritance - Autosomal recessive inheritance - Choanal atresia - Conductive hearing impairment - Deep philtrum - Delayed speech and language development - Feeding difficulties in infancy - Hypoplasia of midface - Low-set ears - Mandibulofacial dysostosis - Microtia - Respiratory difficulties - Slender finger - The Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) has collected information on how often a sign or symptom occurs in a condition. Much of this information comes from Orphanet, a European rare disease database. The frequency of a sign or symptom is usually listed as a rough estimate of the percentage of patients who have that feature. The frequency may also be listed as a fraction. The first number of the fraction is how many people had the symptom, and the second number is the total number of people who were examined in one study. For example, a frequency of 25/25 means that in a study of 25 people all patients were found to have that symptom. Because these frequencies are based on a specific study, the fractions may be different if another group of patients are examined. Sometimes, no information on frequency is available. In these cases, the sign or symptom may be rare or common.
Source: GARD

Question: What causes Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly ?
Answer: What causes mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly? Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) is caused by mutations in the EFTUD2 gene. This gene gives the body instructions for making part of spliceosomes, which help process a type of RNA- a chemical cousin of DNA that serves as a genetic blueprint for making proteins. Mutations in EFTUD2 impair the production or function of the enzyme from the gene, which impairs the processing of mRNA. However, at this time, it is not clear how this process causes the specific symptoms of MFDM.
Source: GARD

Question: Is Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly inherited ?
Answer: How is mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly inherited? Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. This means that having one mutated copy of the responsible gene in each cell of the body is enough to cause signs and symptoms of the condition. When a person with an autosomal dominant condition has children, each child has a 50% (1 in 2) chance to inherit the mutated copy of the gene. Most cases of MFDM are due to new mutations that occur for the first time in the affected person (called de novo mutations), and are not inherited from a parent. In other cases, an affected person inherits the mutation from a parent. The parent may be mildly affected or may be unaffected. Sometimes, an unaffected parent has the mutation only in some or all of their sperm or egg cells (not their body cells), which is known as germline mosaicism.
Source: GARD

Question: How to diagnose Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly ?
Answer: Is genetic testing available for mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly? Yes. Genetic testing is available for mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly (MFDM) and confirms the diagnosis in virtually all people suspected of having MFDM. There are two approaches to genetic testing for this condition. One is sequence analysis of the EFTUD2 gene to identify a mutation (which detects ~91% of affected people), and the other is deletion analysis (which detects ~9%), for people in whom sequencing does not detect a mutation. When a diagnosis of MFDM is strongly suspected but genetic testing is inconclusive, a clinical diagnosis may still be appropriate. However, given the high sensitivity of genetic testing for this condition, other disorders with overlapping features should first be carefully considered. The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.
Source: GARD

Question: What are the treatments for Mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly ?
Answer: How might mandibulofacial dysostosis with microcephaly be treated? Individualized treatment of craniofacial features is managed by a multidisciplinary team which may include various specialists. Surgery may be needed for a variety of abnormalities, in the newborn period or beyond. Treatment of hearing loss is individualized, and may involve conventional hearing aids, bone-anchored hearing aid, and/or cochlear implants. Occupational, physical, and/or speech/language therapies are involved as needed to optimize developmental outcome. Additional treatment information is available on GeneReviews' Web site.
Source: GARD