Achondroplasia

Rare card · No. 34956

Achondroplasia is a genetic disorder whose primary feature is dwarfism. It is the most common cause of dwarfism and affects about 1 in 27,500 people. In those with the condition, the arms and legs are short, while the torso is typically of normal length. Those affected have an average adult height of 131 centimetres (4 ft 4 in) for males and 123 centimetres (4 ft) for females. Other features can include an enlarged head with prominent forehead (frontal bossing) and underdevelopment of the midface (midface hypoplasia). Complications can include sleep apnea or recurrent ear infections. Achondroplasia includes the extremely rare short-limb skeletal dysplasia with severe combined immunodeficiency. Achondroplasia is caused by a mutation in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene (located in chromosome 4) that results in its protein being overactive. Achondroplasia results in impaired endochondral bone growth (bone growth within cartilage). The disorder has an autosomal dominant...

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