National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Hypothalamic hamartomas


Other Names:
Hamartoma of the hypothalamus
Categories:
Hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) are rare, tumor-like malformations that occur during fetal development and are present at birth. The lesions usually do not change in size or spread to other locations. Both the type and severity of symptoms vary greatly among patients with hypothalamic hamartomas.[1] Common symptoms include frequent gelastic seizures (spontaneous laughing, giggling and/or smirking) or dacrystic seizures (crying or grunting); developmental delays; and/or precocious puberty. Additional symptoms may include cognitive impairment; emotional and behavioral difficulties; and endocrine disturbances. These symptoms often start early in life but are frequently misdiagnosed. For some patients, endocrine (hormonal) disturbances such as central precocious puberty may be the only symptom. These patients can often be treated successfully with medications. For some, however, HH can be disabling.  For those with HH and epilepsy, it is common for the disorder to progress and for different types of seizures to develop. The seizures associated with HH often cannot be well-controlled with the standard seizure medications. For some, additional treatment such as surgical removal, radiosurgery, or  thermoablation may be indicated. Though hypothalamic hamartomas can occur in patients with certain genetic disorders (such as Pallister-Hall syndrome), the majority of cases are sporadic. [1][2][3]
Last updated: 6/22/2016

This table lists symptoms that people with this disease may have. For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed. This information comes from a database called the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) . The HPO collects information on symptoms that have been described in medical resources. The HPO is updated regularly. Use the HPO ID to access more in-depth information about a symptom.

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Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Death in infancy
Infantile death
Lethal in infancy
[ more ] 		0001522
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormal heart morphology
Abnormality of the heart
Abnormally shaped heart
Heart defect
[ more ] 		0001627
Abnormality of cardiovascular system morphology 0030680
Anterior hypopituitarism 0000830
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Cleft palate
Cleft roof of mouth
0000175
Depressed nasal bridge
Depressed bridge of nose
Flat bridge of nose
Flat nasal bridge
Flat, nasal bridge
Flattened nasal bridge
Low nasal bridge
Low nasal root
[ more ] 		0005280
Glioma 0009733
Hip dislocation
Dislocated hips
Dislocation of hip
[ more ] 		0002827
Hydrocephalus
Too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain
0000238
Hypothalamic hamartoma 0002444
Macrocephaly
Increased size of skull
Large head
Large head circumference
[ more ] 		0000256
Median cleft lip
Central cleft upper lip
0000161
Microglossia
Abnormally small tongue
Underdevelopment of the tongue
[ more ] 		0000171
Micrognathia
Little lower jaw
Small jaw
Small lower jaw
[ more ] 		0000347
Micromelia
Smaller or shorter than typical limbs
0002983
Micropenis
Short penis
Small penis
[ more ] 		0000054
Occipital encephalocele
Brain tissue sticks out through back of skull
0002085
Postaxial hand polydactyly
Extra little finger
Extra pinkie finger
Extra pinky finger
[ more ] 		0001162
Pulmonary hypoplasia
Small lung
Underdeveloped lung
[ more ] 		0002089
Renal dysplasia 0000110
Short nose
Decreased length of nose
Shortened nose
[ more ] 		0003196
Short ribs 0000773
Skeletal dysplasia 0002652
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

Making a diagnosis for a genetic or rare disease can often be challenging. Healthcare professionals typically look at a person’s medical history, symptoms, physical exam, and laboratory test results in order to make a diagnosis. The following resources provide information relating to diagnosis and testing for this condition. If you have questions about getting a diagnosis, you should contact a healthcare professional.

Testing Resources

  • The Genetic Testing Registry (GTR) provides information about the genetic tests for this condition. The intended audience for the GTR is health care providers and researchers. Patients and consumers with specific questions about a genetic test should contact a health care provider or a genetics professional.

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Hypothalamic hamartomas. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

  • The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.

In-Depth Information

  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Hypothalamic hamartomas. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Kerrigan, John. Hypothalamic Hamartoma. National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD). 2012; http://rarediseases.org/rare-diseases/hypothalamic-hamartoma/. Accessed 6/22/2016.
  2. Understanding HH. Hope for Hypothalamic Hamartoma. http://www.hopeforhh.org/what-is-hh/. Accessed 6/22/2016.
  3. Hypothalamic Hamartoma. Barrow Neurological Institute. September 8, 2015; https://www.barrowneuro.org/specialty/hypothalamic-hamartoma/. Accessed 6/22/2016.