Lymphedema-distichiasis syndrome (referred to as LDS in this GeneReview) is characterized by lower-limb lymphedema, and distichiasis (aberrant eyelashes ranging from a full set of extra eyelashes to a single hair). Lymphedema typically appears in late childhood or puberty, is confined to the lower limbs with or without involvement of the external genitalia, and is often asymmetric; severity varies within families. Males develop edema at an earlier age and have more problems with cellulitis than females. Distichiasis, which may be present at birth, is observed in 94% of affected individuals. About 75% of affected individuals have ocular findings including corneal irritation, recurrent conjunctivitis, and photophobia; other common findings include varicose veins and ptosis.

Episodic ataxia type 1 (EA1) is a potassium channelopathy characterized by constant myokymia and dramatic episodes of spastic contractions of the skeletal muscles of the head, arms, and legs with loss of both motor coordination and balance. During attacks individuals may experience a number of variable symptoms including vertigo, blurred vision, diplopia, nausea, headache, diaphoresis, clumsiness, stiffening of the body, dysarthric speech, and difficulty in breathing, among others. EA1 may be associated with epilepsy. Other possible associations include delayed motor development, cognitive disability, choreoathetosis, and carpal spasm. Usually, onset is in childhood or early adolescence.

Familial partial lipodystrophy type 1 (FPLD1), or Kobberling-type lipodystrophy, is characterized by loss of adipose tissue confined to the extremities, with normal or increased distribution of fat on the face, neck, and trunk (Kobberling and Dunnigan, 1986). For a general description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of familial partial lipodystrophy (FPLD), see 151660.

Satoyoshi syndrome is a rare disorder characterized by progressive, painful, intermittent muscle spasms, diarrhea or unusual malabsorption, endocrinopathy with amenorrhea, and secondary skeletal abnormalities. The disorder is also called komuragaeri disease by the Japanese; in Japanese 'komura' means calf and 'gaeri' means 'turnover' or spasm. All cases have apparently been sporadic, even when occurring in large families (Ehlayel and Lacassie, 1995).

The WAS-related disorders, which include Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome, X-linked thrombocytopenia (XLT), and X-linked neutropenia (XLN), are a spectrum of disorders of hematopoietic cells, with predominant defects of platelets and lymphocytes. Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome usually presents in infancy. Affected males have thrombocytopenia with intermittent mucosal bleeding, bloody diarrhea, and intermittent or chronic petechiae and purpura; recurrent bacterial, viral, fungal, and/or opportunistic infections; and eczema. Approximately 25%-40% of those who survive the early complications develop one or more autoimmune conditions including hemolytic anemia, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, immune-mediated neutropenia, vasculitis, rheumatoid arthritis, and immune-mediated damage to the kidneys and liver. Individuals with a WAS-related disorder, particularly those who have been exposed to Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), are at increased risk of developing lymphomas, which often occur in unusual extranodal locations including the brain, lung, or gastrointestinal tract. Males with XLT have small platelet volume and thrombocytopenia. Severe disease-related events include severe bleeding episodes (14%), autoimmunity (12%), life-threatening infections (7%), and malignancy (5%). Males with XLN typically have congenital neutropenia associated with myelodysplasia, hyperactive neutrophils, increased myeloid cell apoptosis, and lymphoid cell abnormalities.

Digital extensor muscle aplasia-polyneuropathy is a rare, hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy characterized by flexion deformities of the thumb and fingers, sensory deficit in the hand and polyneuropathic electrophysiologic findings in the limbs. Operation on the hands reveals extensor muscles and their tendons to be absent or hypoplastic. There have been no further descriptions in the literature since 1986.

Familial cerebral cavernous malformations (FCCM) is a disorder characterized by multiple vascular lesions in the brain and spinal cord that consist of clustered, endothelial-lined caverns ranging in diameter from a few millimeters to several centimeters. Cerebral and/or spinal cavernous malformations may increase in number over time, and individual lesions may increase or decrease in size. The number of cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs) identified in an individual ranges from one or two to hundreds of lesions (typical number 6-20 CCMs) depending on the individual's age and the quality and type of brain imaging used. Although CCMs have been reported in infants and children, the majority become evident between the second and fifth decades of life either incidentally or associated with seizures, focal neurologic deficits, headaches, and/or cerebral hemorrhage. Cutaneous vascular lesions are found in 9% and retinal vascular lesions in almost 5% of affected individuals. Up to 50% of individuals with FCCM remain symptom free throughout their lives.