What is (are) Chromosome 16p13.3 deletion syndrome ?
Chromosome 16p13.3 deletion syndrome is a chromosome abnormality that can affect many parts of the body. People with this condition are missing a small piece (deletion) of chromosome 16 at a location designated p13.3. Although once thought to be a severe form of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, it is now emerging as a unique syndrome. Signs and symptoms may include failure to thrive, hypotonia (reduced muscle tone), short stature, microcephaly (unusually small head), characteristic facial features, mild to moderate intellectual disability, serious organ anomalies (i.e. heart and/or kidney problems), and vulnerability to infections. Chromosome testing of both parents can provide more information on whether or not the deletion was inherited. In most cases, parents do not have any chromosomal anomaly. However, sometimes one parent has a balanced translocation where a piece of a chromosome has broken off and attached to another one with no gain or loss of genetic material. The balanced translocation normally does not cause any signs or symptoms, but it increases the risk for having an affected child with a chromosomal anomaly like a deletion. Treatment is based on the signs and symptoms present in each person. To learn more about chromosomal anomalies in general, please visit our GARD webpage on Chromosome Disorders.