McKusick-Kaufman syndrome
Last updated 16 Apr 2024
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McKusick-Kaufman syndrome is a condition that affects the development of the hands, feet, heart, and reproductive system. It is characterised by a combination of three features: extra fingers and/or toes (polydactyly), congenital heart defects, and genital abnormalities. The most common genital abnormality is hydrometrocolpos, an accumulation of fluid in the vagina and uterus.
Description
McKusick-Kaufman syndrome is a condition that affects the development of the hands, feet, heart, and reproductive system. It is characterised by a combination of three features: extra fingers and/or toes (polydactyly), congenital heart defects, and genital abnormalities. The most common genital abnormality is hydrometrocolpos, an accumulation of fluid in the vagina and uterus.
In people with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome, the extra digits are typically on the same side of the hand or foot as the pinky or little toe (postaxial polydactyly). The congenital heart defects in individuals with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome can include an atrial septal defect or a ventricular septal defect, which are openings in the wall (septum) that separates the upper or lower chambers of the heart.
A genital abnormality called hydrometrocolpos is common in individuals with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome. Hydrometrocolpos can occur if part of the vagina fails to develop (vaginal agenesis) or if a membrane blocks the opening of the vagina. The blockage allows fluid to build up in the vagina and uterus, stretching these organs and leading to a fluid-filled mass. Other genital abnormalities associated with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome can include a urethral opening on the underside of the penis (hypospadias), a downward-curving penis (chordee), and undescended testes (cryptorchidism).
The signs and symptoms of McKusick-Kaufman syndrome overlap significantly with those of another genetic disorder, Bardet-Biedl syndrome. However, Bardet-Biedl syndrome has several features that are not typically seen in people with McKusick-Kaufman syndrome. These include a gradual loss of vision, developmental disabilities, kidney abnormalities, and obesity. Because some of these features are not apparent at birth, the two conditions can be difficult to tell apart in infancy and early childhood.
Both McKusick-Kaufman syndrome and Bardet-Biedl syndrome belong to a group of conditions called ciliopathies. Ciliopathies are inherited disorders that affect the structure or function of cilia, the microscopic, finger-like projections found on the surface of cells. Cilia are involved in signaling pathways that transmit information between cells.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal recessive. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
HMCS
Hydrometrocolpos syndrome
Hydrometrocolpos, postaxial polydactyly, and congenital heart malformation
Hydrometrocolpos-postaxial polydactyly syndrome
Kaufman-McKusick syndrome
MKS
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Further reading and references
- McKusick-Kaufman syndrome; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- David A, Bitoun P, Lacombe D, Lambert JC, Nivelon A, Vigneron J, Verloes A. Hydrometrocolpos and polydactyly: a common neonatal presentation of Bardet-Biedl and McKusick-Kaufman syndromes. J Med Genet. 1999 Aug;36(8):599-603.
- Scott CA, Marsden AN, Rebagliati MR, Zhang Q, Chamling X, Searby CC, Baye LM, Sheffield VC, Slusarski DC. Nuclear/cytoplasmic transport defects in BBS6 underlie congenital heart disease through perturbation of a chromatin remodeling protein. PLoS Genet. 2017 Jul 28;13(7):e1006936. doi: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1006936. eCollection 2017 Jul.
- Seo S, Baye LM, Schulz NP, Beck JS, Zhang Q, Slusarski DC, Sheffield VC. BBS6, BBS10, and BBS12 form a complex with CCT/TRiC family chaperonins and mediate BBSome assembly. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2010 Jan 26;107(4):1488-93. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0910268107. Epub 2010 Jan 4.
- Slavotinek AM, Biesecker LG. Phenotypic overlap of McKusick-Kaufman syndrome with bardet-biedl syndrome: a literature review. Am J Med Genet. 2000 Nov 27;95(3):208-15.
- Slavotinek AM. McKusick-Kaufman Syndrome. 2002 Sep 10 [updated 2020 Dec 3]. 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/NBK1502/
- Stone DL, Slavotinek A, Bouffard GG, Banerjee-Basu S, Baxevanis AD, Barr M, Biesecker LG. Mutation of a gene encoding a putative chaperonin causes McKusick-Kaufman syndrome. Nat Genet. 2000 May;25(1):79-82. doi: 10.1038/75637.
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