A subtype of autosomal recessive limb-girdle muscular dystrophy characterized by a childhood onset of progressive shoulder and pelvic girdle muscle weakness and atrophy frequently associated with calf hypertrophy, diaphragmatic weakness, and/or variable cardiac abnormalities. Mild to moderate elevated serum creatine kinase levels and positive Gowers sign are reported.

6q25 microdeletion syndrome is a recently described syndrome characterized by developmental delay, facial dysmorphism and hearing loss.

Atrial fibrillation is the most common sustained cardiac rhythm disturbance, affecting more than 2 million Americans, with an overall prevalence of 0.89%. The prevalence increases rapidly with age, to 2.3% between the ages of 40 and 60 years, and to 5.9% over the age of 65. The most dreaded complication is thromboembolic stroke (Brugada et al., 1997). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of atrial fibrillation, see 608583.

EFEMP2-related cutis laxa, or autosomal recessive cutis laxa type 1B (ARCL1B), is characterized by cutis laxa and systemic involvement, most commonly arterial tortuosity, aneurysms, and stenosis; retrognathia; joint laxity; and arachnodactyly. Severity ranges from perinatal lethality as a result of cardiopulmonary failure to manifestations limited to the vascular and craniofacial systems.

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia-13 (ARVD13) is characterized by progressive fibrofatty myocardial replacement, primarily of the right ventricle. The main clinical features are structural and functional abnormalities of the ventricles, electrocardiographic depolarization/repolarization changes, reentrant arrhythmias, and sudden death (summary by van Hengel et al., 2013).

Arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy/dysplasia-14 (ARVD14) is characterized by palpitations, chest pain, and presyncope. Electrocardiography shows epsilon waves, T-wave inversion across anterior leads, premature ventricular contractions, ventricular tachycardia, and left bundle branch block. Dilation of the right ventricle with hypokinesia and aneurysmal changes are seen on echocardiography. Cardiac MRI may show fibrofatty infiltration, which has been confirmed by endocardial biopsy in some patients. Sudden death may occur (Mayosi et al., 2017). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of ARVD, see ARVD1 (107970).

Loeys-Dietz syndrome (LDS) is characterized by vascular findings (cerebral, thoracic, and abdominal arterial aneurysms and/or dissections), skeletal manifestations (pectus excavatum or pectus carinatum, scoliosis, joint laxity, arachnodactyly, talipes equinovarus, and cervical spine malformation and/or instability), craniofacial features (hypertelorism, strabismus, bifid uvula / cleft palate, and craniosynostosis that can involve any sutures), and cutaneous findings (velvety and translucent skin, easy bruising, and dystrophic scars). Individuals with LDS are predisposed to widespread and aggressive arterial aneurysms and pregnancy-related complications including uterine rupture and death. Individuals with LDS can show a strong predisposition for allergic/inflammatory disease including asthma, eczema, and reactions to food or environmental allergens. There is also an increased incidence of gastrointestinal inflammation including eosinophilic esophagitis and gastritis or inflammatory bowel disease. Wide variation in the distribution and severity of clinical features can be seen in individuals with LDS, even among affected individuals within a family who have the same pathogenic variant.

Immunodeficiency-93 and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (IMD93) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by onset of recurrent viral and bacterial infections, particularly with encapsulated bacteria, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy in the first months or years of life. Immunologic workup typically shows decreased circulating B cells and hypo- or agammaglobulinemia, sometimes with neutropenia or T-cell lymphocytosis, although laboratory findings may be variable among patients. Ig replacement therapy is beneficial. Cardiac involvement can also include atrial septal defect, valvular insufficiency, and pre-excitation syndrome. Rare myopathic or neurologic involvement has been reported, but these features are not consistently part of the disorder and may be related to other genetic defects (summary by Niehues et al., 2020 and Saettini et al., 2021).