Kabuki syndrome
Last updated 1 Nov 2022
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Kabuki syndrome is a disorder that can affect many parts of the body. It is characterised by distinctive facial features including arched eyebrows; long eyelashes; long openings of the eyelids (long palpebral fissures) with the lower lids turned out (everted) at the outside edges; a flat, broadened tip of the nose; and large protruding earlobes. The name of this disorder comes from the resemblance of its characteristic facial appearance to stage makeup used in traditional Japanese Kabuki theater.
Description
Kabuki syndrome is a disorder that can affect many parts of the body. It is characterised by distinctive facial features including arched eyebrows; long eyelashes; long openings of the eyelids (long palpebral fissures) with the lower lids turned out (everted) at the outside edges; a flat, broadened tip of the nose; and large protruding earlobes. The name of this disorder comes from the resemblance of its characteristic facial appearance to stage makeup used in traditional Japanese Kabuki theater.
People with Kabuki syndrome may have mild to severe developmental delay and intellectual disability. Affected individuals may also have seizures, an unusually small head size (microcephaly), or weak muscle tone (hypotonia). Some have eye problems such as rapid, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus) or eyes that do not look in the same direction (strabismus).
Other characteristic features of Kabuki syndrome include short stature and skeletal abnormalities such as abnormal side-to-side curvature of the spine (scoliosis), short fifth (pinky) fingers, or problems with the hip and knee joints. The roof of the mouth may have an abnormal opening (cleft palate) or be high and arched, and dental problems are common in affected individuals. People with Kabuki syndrome may also have fingerprints with unusual features and fleshy pads at the tips of the fingers. These prominent finger pads are called fetal finger pads because they normally occur in human fetuses; in most people they disappear before birth.
A wide variety of other health problems occur in some people with Kabuki syndrome. Among the most commonly reported are heart abnormalities, frequent ear infections (otitis media), hearing loss, and early puberty.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal dominant. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Kabuki make-up syndrome
Kabuki makeup syndrome
KMS
Niikawa-Kuroki syndrome
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Further reading and references
- Kabuki syndrome; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Adam MP, Hannibal M. Kabuki Syndrome. 2011 Sep 1 [updated 2026 Apr 23]. 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/NBK62111/
- Banka S, Lederer D, Benoit V, Jenkins E, Howard E, Bunstone S, Kerr B, McKee S, Lloyd IC, Shears D, Stewart H, White SM, Savarirayan R, Mancini GM, Beysen D, Cohn RD, Grisart B, Maystadt I, Donnai D. Novel KDM6A (UTX) mutations and a clinical and molecular review of the X-linked Kabuki syndrome (KS2). Clin Genet. 2015 Mar;87(3):252-8. doi: 10.1111/cge.12363. Epub 2014 Mar 27.
- Barry KK, Tsaparlis M, Hoffman D, Hartman D, Adam MP, Hung C, Bodamer OA. From Genotype to Phenotype-A Review of Kabuki Syndrome. Genes (Basel). 2022 Sep 29;13(10):1761. doi: 10.3390/genes13101761.
- Bogershausen N, Wollnik B. Unmasking Kabuki syndrome. Clin Genet. 2013 Mar;83(3):201-11. doi: 10.1111/cge.12051. Epub 2012 Nov 26.
- Bokinni Y. Kabuki syndrome revisited. J Hum Genet. 2012 Apr;57(4):223-7. doi: 10.1038/jhg.2012.28. Epub 2012 Mar 22.
- Dentici ML, Di Pede A, Lepri FR, Gnazzo M, Lombardi MH, Auriti C, Petrocchi S, Pisaneschi E, Bellacchio E, Capolino R, Braguglia A, Angioni A, Dotta A, Digilio MC, Dallapiccola B. Kabuki syndrome: clinical and molecular diagnosis in the first year of life. Arch Dis Child. 2015 Feb;100(2):158-64. doi: 10.1136/archdischild-2013-305858. Epub 2014 Oct 3.
- Kuniba H, Yoshiura K, Kondoh T, Ohashi H, Kurosawa K, Tonoki H, Nagai T, Okamoto N, Kato M, Fukushima Y, Kaname T, Naritomi K, Matsumoto T, Moriuchi H, Kishino T, Kinoshita A, Miyake N, Matsumoto N, Niikawa N. Molecular karyotyping in 17 patients and mutation screening in 41 patients with Kabuki syndrome. J Hum Genet. 2009 May;54(5):304-9. doi: 10.1038/jhg.2009.30. Epub 2009 Apr 3.
- Lederer D, Grisart B, Digilio MC, Benoit V, Crespin M, Ghariani SC, Maystadt I, Dallapiccola B, Verellen-Dumoulin C. Deletion of KDM6A, a histone demethylase interacting with MLL2, in three patients with Kabuki syndrome. Am J Hum Genet. 2012 Jan 13;90(1):119-24. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2011.11.021. Epub 2011 Dec 22.
- Liu S, Hong X, Shen C, Shi Q, Wang J, Xiong F, Qiu Z. Kabuki syndrome: a Chinese case series and systematic review of the spectrum of mutations. BMC Med Genet. 2015 Apr 21;16:26. doi: 10.1186/s12881-015-0171-4.
- Micale L, Augello B, Maffeo C, Selicorni A, Zucchetti F, Fusco C, De Nittis P, Pellico MT, Mandriani B, Fischetto R, Boccone L, Silengo M, Biamino E, Perria C, Sotgiu S, Serra G, Lapi E, Neri M, Ferlini A, Cavaliere ML, Chiurazzi P, Monica MD, Scarano G, Faravelli F, Ferrari P, Mazzanti L, Pilotta A, Patricelli MG, Bedeschi MF, Benedicenti F, Prontera P, Toschi B, Salviati L, Melis D, Di Battista E, Vancini A, Garavelli L, Zelante L, Merla G. Molecular analysis, pathogenic mechanisms, and readthrough therapy on a large cohort of Kabuki syndrome patients. Hum Mutat. 2014 Jul;35(7):841-50. doi: 10.1002/humu.22547. Epub 2014 Apr 9.
- Miyake N, Koshimizu E, Okamoto N, Mizuno S, Ogata T, Nagai T, Kosho T, Ohashi H, Kato M, Sasaki G, Mabe H, Watanabe Y, Yoshino M, Matsuishi T, Takanashi J, Shotelersuk V, Tekin M, Ochi N, Kubota M, Ito N, Ihara K, Hara T, Tonoki H, Ohta T, Saito K, Matsuo M, Urano M, Enokizono T, Sato A, Tanaka H, Ogawa A, Fujita T, Hiraki Y, Kitanaka S, Matsubara Y, Makita T, Taguri M, Nakashima M, Tsurusaki Y, Saitsu H, Yoshiura K, Matsumoto N, Niikawa N. MLL2 and KDM6A mutations in patients with Kabuki syndrome. Am J Med Genet A. 2013 Sep;161A(9):2234-43. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.36072. Epub 2013 Aug 2.
- Miyake N, Mizuno S, Okamoto N, Ohashi H, Shiina M, Ogata K, Tsurusaki Y, Nakashima M, Saitsu H, Niikawa N, Matsumoto N. KDM6A point mutations cause Kabuki syndrome. Hum Mutat. 2013 Jan;34(1):108-10. doi: 10.1002/humu.22229. Epub 2012 Oct 17.
- Ng SB, Bigham AW, Buckingham KJ, Hannibal MC, McMillin MJ, Gildersleeve HI, Beck AE, Tabor HK, Cooper GM, Mefford HC, Lee C, Turner EH, Smith JD, Rieder MJ, Yoshiura K, Matsumoto N, Ohta T, Niikawa N, Nickerson DA, Bamshad MJ, Shendure J. Exome sequencing identifies MLL2 mutations as a cause of Kabuki syndrome. Nat Genet. 2010 Sep;42(9):790-3. doi: 10.1038/ng.646. Epub 2010 Aug 15.
- Paulussen AD, Stegmann AP, Blok MJ, Tserpelis D, Posma-Velter C, Detisch Y, Smeets EE, Wagemans A, Schrander JJ, van den Boogaard MJ, van der Smagt J, van Haeringen A, Stolte-Dijkstra I, Kerstjens-Frederikse WS, Mancini GM, Wessels MW, Hennekam RC, Vreeburg M, Geraedts J, de Ravel T, Fryns JP, Smeets HJ, Devriendt K, Schrander-Stumpel CT. MLL2 mutation spectrum in 45 patients with Kabuki syndrome. Hum Mutat. 2011 Feb;32(2):E2018-25. doi: 10.1002/humu.21416. Epub 2010 Dec 7.
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