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

Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome



Other Names:
Chondroectodermal dysplasia; Mesoectodermal dysplasia; Ellis Van Creveld syndrome; Chondroectodermal dysplasia; Mesoectodermal dysplasia; Ellis Van Creveld syndrome; Mesodermic dysplasia See More
Categories:
This disease is grouped under:

Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome is an inherited condition that affects bone growth. Affected people generally have short stature; short arms and legs (especially the forearm and lower leg); and a narrow chest with short ribs. Other signs and symptoms may include polydactyly; missing and/or malformed nails; dental abnormalities; and congenital heart defects. More than half of people affected by Ellis-van Creveld syndrome have changes (mutations) in the EVC or EVC2 genes; the cause of the remaining cases is unknown. The condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. Treatment is based on the signs and symptoms present in each person.[1][2]
Last updated: 8/5/2015

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.

Showing of 60 |
Medical Terms Other Names
Learn More:
HPO ID
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal fingernail morphology
Abnormal fingernails
Abnormality of the fingernails
[ more ]
0001231
Abnormal heart valve morphology 0001654
Abnormal oral mucosa morphology
Abnormality of lining of mouth
0011830
Atrioventricular canal defect 0006695
Failure to thrive
Faltering weight
Weight faltering
[ more ]
0001508
Foot polydactyly
Duplication of bones of the toes
0001829
Genu valgum
Knock knees
0002857
Hand polydactyly
Extra finger
0001161
Hypoplastic toenails
Underdeveloped toenails
0001800
Micromelia
Smaller or shorter than typical limbs
0002983
Nail dysplasia
Atypical nail growth
0002164
Narrow chest
Low chest circumference
Narrow shoulders
[ more ]
0000774
Neonatal short-limb short stature
Short limb dwarfism recognizable at birth
Short-limb dwarfism identifiable at birth
Short-limbed dwarfism identifiable at birth
[ more ]
0008921
Short distal phalanx of finger
Short outermost finger bone
0009882
Short thorax
Shorter than typical length between neck and abdomen
0010306
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal oral frenulum morphology 0000190
Abnormality of pelvic girdle bone morphology
Abnormal shape of pelvic girdle bone
0002644
Aplasia/Hypoplasia of the lungs
Absent/small lungs
Absent/underdeveloped lungs
[ more ]
0006703
Atrial septal defect
An opening in the wall separating the top two chambers of the heart
Hole in heart wall separating two upper heart chambers
[ more ]
0001631
Capitate-hamate fusion 0001241
Conical incisor
Cone shaped front tooth
Shark tooth incisor
[ more ]
0011065
Cryptorchidism
Undescended testes
Undescended testis
[ more ]
0000028
Epispadias 0000039
Hypodontia
Failure of development of between one and six teeth
0000668
Hypospadias 0000047
Intrauterine growth retardation
Prenatal growth deficiency
Prenatal growth retardation
[ more ]
0001511
Microdontia
Decreased width of tooth
0000691
Situs inversus totalis
All organs on wrong side of body
0001696
Strabismus
Cross-eyed
Squint
Squint eyes
[ more ]
0000486
Ventricular septal defect
Hole in heart wall separating two lower heart chambers
0001629
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormal hair quantity 0011362
Abnormal morphology of female internal genitalia 0000008
Abnormality of bone marrow cell morphology 0005561
Acute leukemia 0002488
Cubitus valgus
Outward turned elbows
0002967
Delayed eruption of teeth
Delayed eruption
Delayed teeth eruption
Delayed tooth eruption
Eruption, delayed
Late eruption of teeth
Late tooth eruption
[ more ]
0000684
Delayed skeletal maturation
Delayed bone maturation
Delayed skeletal development
[ more ]
0002750
Emphysema 0002097
Hydroureter 0000072
Intellectual disability
Mental deficiency
Mental retardation
Mental retardation, nonspecific
Mental-retardation
[ more ]
0001249
Renal hypoplasia/aplasia
Absent/small kidney
Absent/underdeveloped kidney
[ more ]
0008678
Synostosis of carpal bones
Fusion of wrist bones
0005048
Thin vermilion border
Decreased volume of lip
Thin lips
[ more ]
0000233
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of the alveolar ridges
Abnormality of gum ridge
0006477
Acetabular spurs 0010454
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Cleft upper lip
Harelip
0000204
Common atrium 0011565
Cone-shaped epiphyses of phalanges 2 to 5
Cone-shaped end part of digital bones 2 to 5
0006035
Dandy-Walker malformation 0001305
Ectodermal dysplasia 0000968
Horizontal ribs 0000888
Hypoplastic iliac wing 0002866
Natal tooth
Born with teeth
Teeth present at birth
[ more ]
0000695
Pectus carinatum
Pigeon chest
0000768
Postaxial foot polydactyly
Extra toe attached near the little toe
0001830
Postaxial hand polydactyly
Extra little finger
Extra pinkie finger
Extra pinky finger
[ more ]
0001162
Short long bone
Long bone shortening
0003026
Short ribs 0000773
Talipes equinovarus
Club feet
Club foot
Clubfeet
Clubfoot
[ more ]
0001762
Showing of 60 |
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 Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome. 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

  • Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
  • MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
  • 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

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • 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. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
  • PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Ellis-Van Creveld syndrome. 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. Harold Chen, MD, MS, FAAP, FACMG. Ellis-van Creveld Syndrome. Medscape Reference. April 2015; http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/943684-overview.
  2. Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. Genetics Home Reference. December 2012; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/ellis-van-creveld-syndrome.