Frontometaphyseal dysplasia
Last updated 21 Feb 2023
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Frontometaphyseal dysplasia is a disorder involving abnormalities in skeletal development and other health problems. It is a member of a group of related conditions called otopalatodigital spectrum disorders, which also includes otopalatodigital syndrome type 1, otopalatodigital syndrome type 2, Melnick-Needles syndrome, and terminal osseous dysplasia. In general, these disorders involve hearing loss caused by malformations in the tiny bones in the ears (ossicles), problems in the development of the roof of the mouth (palate), and bony abnormalities involving various areas of the skeleton.
Description
Frontometaphyseal dysplasia is a disorder involving abnormalities in skeletal development and other health problems. It is a member of a group of related conditions called otopalatodigital spectrum disorders, which also includes otopalatodigital syndrome type 1, otopalatodigital syndrome type 2, Melnick-Needles syndrome, and terminal osseous dysplasia. In general, these disorders involve hearing loss caused by malformations in the tiny bones in the ears (ossicles), problems in the development of the roof of the mouth (palate), and bony abnormalities involving various areas of the skeleton.
Frontometaphyseal dysplasia is distinguished from the other otopalatodigital spectrum disorders by the presence of joint deformities called contractures that restrict the movement of certain joints. People with frontometaphyseal dysplasia may also have bowed limbs, an abnormal curvature of the spine (scoliosis), and abnormalities of the fingers and hands.
Characteristic facial features may include prominent brow ridges; wide-set and downward-slanting eyes; a very small lower jaw and chin (micrognathia); and small, missing, or misaligned teeth. Some affected individuals have hearing loss.
In addition to skeletal abnormalities, individuals with frontometaphyseal dysplasia may have obstruction of the ducts between the kidneys and bladder (ureters), heart defects, or constrictions in the passages leading from the windpipe to the lungs (the bronchi) that can cause problems with breathing.
There are three types of frontometaphyseal dysplasia, known as type 1, type 2, and type 3. The three types differ in their genetic cause and the way they are inherited.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: X-linked dominant. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
FMD
Related patient information and medicines
Patient information leaflet
Hip problems
For example, a back problem can cause pain in the hip area and hip problems can be felt ... Causes of hip problems in children Developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) A painless condition that can affect newborns, DDH makes the hip joint unstable so that it can dislocate (something that very rarely happens to the hip joint otherwise). It is.
Patient information leaflet
Restricted growth
Dwarfism is a medical or genetic condition which causes people to have restricted growth so that they are shorter than average. Specifically, people with dwarfism grow no higher than 4 ft 10 ins (147 cm). It tends to be associated with other problems such as a cleft palate, club feet, chest abnormalities and abnormally shaped ears..
Patient information leaflet
Dislocation
A dislocation is an injury in which the bones in a joint are forced apart and out of their usual positions. To dislocate the bones of a large joint usually needs considerable force (although there are exceptions to this). Developmental dysplasia of the hip. For more information see the separate leaflet called Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip..
Patient information leaflet
Joint pain
This is different to the word arthritis , which means inflammation of the joint, which causes pain and sometimes warmth, redness and/or swelling of the joint. Conditions specifically affecting the hip joint in children may be harmless, such as irritable hip (transient synovitis) which usually resolves within a few... See the separate leaflets.
Patient information leaflet
Barrett's oesophagus
In Barrett's oesophagus the cells that line the lower gullet (oesophagus) are abnormal. The main cause is long-standing reflux of acid from the stomach into the oesophagus. Barrett's oesophagus is a condition which affects the lower gullet (oesophagus). It is named after the doctor who first describ... The changed cells in Barrett's oesophagus can.
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Premature babies
There are many reasons why babies may be born early or factors which may make this more likely. These include: Having more than one baby at a time (multiple pregnancy) - that is, twins, triplets, etc. Pre-eclampsia - a condition where the mother has high blood pressure. This may cause early labour or it may be deemed medically safest to deliver.
Further reading and references
- Frontometaphyseal dysplasia; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Giuliano F, Collignon P, Paquis-Flucklinger V, Bardot J, Philip N. A new three-generational family with frontometaphyseal dysplasia, male-to-female transmission, and a previously reported FLNA mutation. Am J Med Genet A. 2005 Jan 15;132A(2):222. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.30396. No abstract available.
- Morava E, Illes T, Weisenbach J, Karteszi J, Kosztolanyi G. Clinical and genetic heterogeneity in frontometaphyseal dysplasia: severe progressive scoliosis in two families. Am J Med Genet A. 2003 Jan 30;116A(3):272-7. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.10831.
- Robertson S, Wade E. FLNA-Related Otopalatodigital Spectrum Disorders. 2005 Nov 30 [updated 2025 Jun 26]. In: Adam MP, Bick S, Mirzaa GM, Wallace SE, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews(R) [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2026. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1393/
- Robertson SP, Jenkins ZA, Morgan T, Ades L, Aftimos S, Boute O, Fiskerstrand T, Garcia-Minaur S, Grix A, Green A, Der Kaloustian V, Lewkonia R, McInnes B, van Haelst MM, Mancini G, Illes T, Mortier G, Newbury-Ecob R, Nicholson L, Scott CI, Ochman K, Brozek I, Shears DJ, Superti-Furga A, Suri M, Whiteford M, Wilkie AO, Krakow D. Frontometaphyseal dysplasia: mutations in FLNA and phenotypic diversity. Am J Med Genet A. 2006 Aug 15;140(16):1726-36. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.31322.
- Robertson SP, Twigg SR, Sutherland-Smith AJ, Biancalana V, Gorlin RJ, Horn D, Kenwrick SJ, Kim CA, Morava E, Newbury-Ecob R, Orstavik KH, Quarrell OW, Schwartz CE, Shears DJ, Suri M, Kendrick-Jones J, Wilkie AO; OPD-spectrum Disorders Clinical Collaborative Group. Localized mutations in the gene encoding the cytoskeletal protein filamin A cause diverse malformations in humans. Nat Genet. 2003 Apr;33(4):487-91. doi: 10.1038/ng1119. Epub 2003 Mar 3.
- Robertson SP. Otopalatodigital syndrome spectrum disorders: otopalatodigital syndrome types 1 and 2, frontometaphyseal dysplasia and Melnick-Needles syndrome. Eur J Hum Genet. 2007 Jan;15(1):3-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5201654. Epub 2006 Aug 23.
- Wade EM, Daniel PB, Jenkins ZA, McInerney-Leo A, Leo P, Morgan T, Addor MC, Ades LC, Bertola D, Bohring A, Carter E, Cho TJ, Duba HC, Fletcher E, Kim CA, Krakow D, Morava E, Neuhann T, Superti-Furga A, Veenstra-Knol I, Wieczorek D, Wilson LC, Hennekam RC, Sutherland-Smith AJ, Strom TM, Wilkie AO, Brown MA, Duncan EL, Markie DM, Robertson SP. Mutations in MAP3K7 that Alter the Activity of the TAK1 Signaling Complex Cause Frontometaphyseal Dysplasia. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 Aug 4;99(2):392-406. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2016.05.024. Epub 2016 Jul 15.
- Wade EM, Halliday BJ, Jenkins ZA, O'Neill AC, Robertson SP. The X-linked filaminopathies: Synergistic insights from clinical and molecular analysis. Hum Mutat. 2020 May;41(5):865-883. doi: 10.1002/humu.24002. Epub 2020 Mar 11.
- Wade EM, Jenkins ZA, Daniel PB, Morgan T, Addor MC, Ades LC, Bertola D, Bohring A, Carter E, Cho TJ, de Geus CM, Duba HC, Fletcher E, Hadzsiev K, Hennekam RCM, Kim CA, Krakow D, Morava E, Neuhann T, Sillence D, Superti-Furga A, Veenstra-Knol HE, Wieczorek D, Wilson LC, Markie DM, Robertson SP. Autosomal dominant frontometaphyseal dysplasia: Delineation of the clinical phenotype. Am J Med Genet A. 2017 Jul;173(7):1739-1746. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.38267. Epub 2017 May 12.
- Zenker M, Nahrlich L, Sticht H, Reis A, Horn D. Genotype-epigenotype-phenotype correlations in females with frontometaphyseal dysplasia. Am J Med Genet A. 2006 May 15;140(10):1069-73. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.31213.
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