What is (are) Axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia ?
Axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia is a genetic disorder of bone growth. The term axial means towards the center of the body. Sphondylos is a Greek term meaning vertebra. Metaphyseal dysplasia refers to abnormalities at the ends of long bones. Axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia primarily affects the bones of the chest, pelvis, spine, upper arms and upper legs, and results in shortened stature. For reasons not well understood, this rare skeletal dysplasia is also associated with early and progressive vision loss. The underlying genetic cause of axial spondylometaphyseal dysplasia is currently unknown. It is thought to be inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion.