Koolen-de Vries syndrome

What it is, symptoms and effects

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

Koolen-de Vries syndrome is a disorder characterized by developmental delay and mild to moderate intellectual disability. People with this disorder typically have a disposition that is described as cheerful, sociable, and cooperative. They usually have weak muscle tone (hypotonia) in childhood. About half have recurrent seizures (epilepsy).

Affected individuals often have distinctive facial features including a high, broad forehead; droopy eyelids (ptosis); a narrowing of the eye openings (blepharophimosis); outer corners of the eyes that point upward (upward-slanting palpebral fissures); skin folds covering the inner corner of the eyes (epicanthal folds); a bulbous nose; and prominent ears. Males with Koolen-de Vries syndrome often have undescended testes (cryptorchidism). Defects in the walls between the chambers of the heart (septal defects) or other cardiac abnormalities, kidney problems, and skeletal anomalies such as foot deformities occur in some affected individuals.

Causes and biological mechanisms

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

Koolen-de Vries syndrome is caused by genetic changes that eliminate the function of one copy of the KANSL1 gene in each cell. Most affected individuals are missing a small amount of genetic material, including the KANSL1 gene, from one copy of chromosome 17. This type of genetic abnormality is called a microdeletion. A small number of individuals with Koolen-de Vries syndrome do not have a chromosome 17 microdeletion but instead have a mutation within the KANSL1 gene that causes one copy of the gene to be nonfunctional.

The microdeletion that causes Koolen-de Vries syndrome occurs on the long (q) arm of chromosome 17 at a location designated q21.31. While the exact size of the deletion varies among affected individuals, most are missing a sequence of about 500,000 DNA building blocks (base pairs) containing several genes. However, because individuals with KANSL1 gene mutations have the same signs and symptoms as those with the microdeletion, researchers have concluded that the loss of this gene accounts for the features of this disorder.

The KANSL1 gene provides instructions for making a protein that helps regulate gene activity (expression) by modifying chromatin. Chromatin is the complex of DNA and protein that packages DNA into chromosomes. The protein produced from the KANSL1 gene is found in most organs and tissues of the body before birth and throughout life. By its involvement in controlling the activity of other genes, this protein plays an important role in the development and function of many parts of the body. Loss of one copy of this gene impairs normal development and function, but the relationship of KANSL1 gene loss to the specific signs and symptoms of Koolen-de Vries syndrome is unclear.

Inheritance and family implications

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

Koolen-de Vries syndrome is considered an autosomal dominant condition because a deletion or mutation affecting one copy of the KANSL1 gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder. In most cases, the disorder is not inherited. The genetic change occurs most often as a random event during the formation of reproductive cells (eggs and sperm) or in early fetal development. Affected people typically have no history of the disorder in their family. While it is possible for them to pass the condition on to their children, no individuals with Koolen-de Vries syndrome have been known to reproduce.

Most people with Koolen-de Vries syndrome caused by a deletion have had at least one parent with a common variant of the 17q21.31 region of chromosome 17 called the H2 lineage. This variant is found in 20 percent of people of European and Middle Eastern descent, although it is rare in other populations. In the H2 lineage, a 900 kb segment of DNA, which includes the region deleted in most cases of Koolen-de Vries syndrome, has undergone an inversion. An inversion involves two breaks in a chromosome; the resulting piece of DNA is reversed and reinserted into the chromosome.

People with the H2 lineage have no health problems related to the inversion. However, genetic material can be lost or duplicated when the inversion is passed to the next generation. Other, unknown factors are thought to play a role in this process. So while the inversion is very common, only an extremely small percentage of parents with the inversion have a child affected by Koolen-de Vries syndrome.

How common is it?

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

The prevalence of Koolen-de Vries syndrome is estimated to be 1 in 16,000. However, the underlying genetic cause is often not identified in people with intellectual disability, so this condition is likely underdiagnosed.

Reported clinical features and what the terms mean

The following findings are associated with this condition in Orphanet. They are not a checklist for diagnosing yourself, and they do not all occur in every affected person. Some are examination, imaging or laboratory findings that cannot be recognised at home.

The frequency labels describe how often a finding was reported among people with the condition in the source. They do not give the chance that a person with that symptom has the condition. Definitions below reproduce HPO terminology; they explain the term, not the likely severity in an individual.

Blepharophimosis · Very frequent (99-80%)

A fixed reduction in the vertical distance between the upper and lower eyelids with short palpebral fissures.

Broad forehead · Very frequent (99-80%)

Width of the forehead or distance between the frontotemporales is more than two standard deviations above the mean (objective); or apparently increased distance between the two sides of the forehead.

Bulbous nose · Very frequent (99-80%)

Increased volume and globular shape of the anteroinferior aspect of the nose.

Coarse facial features · Very frequent (99-80%)

Absence of fine and sharp appearance of brows, nose, lips, mouth, and chin, usually because of rounded and heavy features or thickened skin with or without thickening of subcutaneous and bony tissues.

Epicanthus · Very frequent (99-80%)

A fold of skin starting above the medial aspect of the upper eyelid and arching downward to cover, pass in front of and lateral to the medial canthus.

Everted lower lip vermilion · Very frequent (99-80%)

An abnormal configuration of the lower lip such that it is turned outward i.e., everted, with the Inner aspect of the lower lip vermilion (normally opposing the teeth) being visible in a frontal view.

Global developmental delay · Very frequent (99-80%)

A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.

High forehead · Very frequent (99-80%)

An abnormally increased height of the forehead.

Other findings in the same source

From: Orphanet

Additional reported features include Hypotonia (Very frequent (99-80%)); Intellectual disability (Very frequent (99-80%)); Long face (Very frequent (99-80%)); Overfolded helix (Very frequent (99-80%)); Prominent nasal bridge (Very frequent (99-80%)); Protruding ear (Very frequent (99-80%)); Ptosis (Very frequent (99-80%)); Thick nasal alae (Very frequent (99-80%)); Underdeveloped nasal alae (Very frequent (99-80%)); Upslanted palpebral fissure (Very frequent (99-80%)). This is a selected summary, not a complete description of the condition.

Which doctor should you see?

The suggested department for discussing Koolen-de Vries syndrome is Clinical Genetics, with a clinical geneticist as the relevant type of clinician. Paediatrician (children) or physician (adults), with clinical geneticist referral.

This is an editorial referral starting point. The appropriate clinic depends on the person’s age, symptoms, previous diagnosis and local services. The first clinician can decide whether another specialty or a team is needed; a department label does not confirm the diagnosis.

How to prepare for an assessment

Bring a short timeline of the main symptoms: when they first appeared, whether they are constant or episodic, what seems to change them, and how they affect daily activities. Include previous reports, discharge summaries, current medicines and supplements, allergies, and any relevant family history. A dated record is more useful than trying to match every feature in an online article.

Ask the clinician what is already established and what remains uncertain. If a test is suggested, ask what question it answers, what its limitations are and how the result would change the next step. The information here is not an instruction to arrange every possible test. In children, bring growth, developmental and school information if it is relevant to the concern.

• Does the exact genetic or chromosome finding explain the observed features?
• Would a genetic counsellor help the family understand the result?
• Which organ-specific assessments are appropriate for this particular diagnosis?

Treatment discussions and follow-up

The material gathered for this draft does not provide a complete condition-specific treatment pathway for Koolen-de Vries syndrome. That gap does not mean that treatment is unavailable. A clinician needs to establish the diagnosis and review current guidance before recommending medicines, procedures, rehabilitation or other support.

Before leaving the appointment, clarify the next review date, who will communicate results, and whom to contact if the situation changes. Discuss difficulties with sleep, work, school, mobility, eating or emotional wellbeing when these are relevant. Practical support may require coordination between the treating clinician and other services.

The collected references do not establish a complete prevention or long-term outlook section for this entry. Missing information should not be interpreted as proof that prevention is impossible or that a particular outcome is inevitable. Ask what is known for the exact subtype, stage and personal circumstances, and which uncertainties remain.

When to seek emergency help

Severe breathing difficulty, collapse, new stroke-like symptoms, a seizure that is prolonged or repeated without recovery, uncontrolled major bleeding, or an immediate risk of self-harm require emergency help. In India, call 112 or reach the nearest emergency department. This is a general, non-exhaustive warning list; it is not a condition-specific triage tool.