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

Geroderma osteodysplastica



Other Names:
GO; Walt Disney dwarfism; Gerodermia osteodysplastica; GO; Walt Disney dwarfism; Gerodermia osteodysplastica; Geroderma osteodysplasticum See More
Categories:
This disease is grouped under:

Geroderma osteodysplastica is a rare disease characterized by lax, wrinkled skin, loose joints and a typical face with a prematurely aged appearance. Bone problems may include severe osteoporosis leading to frequent fractures, underdeveloped cheekbones and jaw (malar and mandibular hypoplasia) and a variable degree of growth deficiency. This condition is caused by mutations in the GORAB gene. Inheritance is autosomal recessive.[1]
Last updated: 7/15/2014

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
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Beaking of vertebral bodies 0004568
Biconcave vertebral bodies 0004586
Hyperextensible skin
Hyperelastic skin
Skin hyperelasticity
Stretchable skin
[ more ]
0000974
Joint hyperflexibility
Joints move beyond expected range of motion
0005692
Osteoporosis 0000939
Recurrent fractures
Increased fracture rate
Increased fractures
Multiple fractures
Multiple spontaneous fractures
Varying degree of multiple fractures
[ more ]
0002757
Redundant skin
Loose redundant skin
Redundant skin folds
Sagging, redundant skin
[ more ]
0001582
Severe short stature
Dwarfism
Proportionate dwarfism
Short stature, severe
[ more ]
0003510
Thin skin 0000963
Vertebral compression fractures
Compression fracture
0002953
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Hip dislocation
Dislocated hips
Dislocation of hip
[ more ]
0002827
Muscular hypotonia
Low or weak muscle tone
0001252
Scoliosis 0002650
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of epiphysis morphology
Abnormal shape of end part of bone
0005930
Abnormality of vision
Abnormality of sight
Vision issue
[ more ]
0000504
Global developmental delay 0001263
Hernia 0100790
Intellectual disability, mild
Mental retardation, borderline-mild
Mild and nonprogressive mental retardation
Mild mental retardation
[ more ]
0001256
Malar flattening
Zygomatic flattening
0000272
Mandibular prognathia
Big lower jaw
Increased projection of lower jaw
Increased size of lower jaw
Large lower jaw
Prominent chin
Prominent lower jaw
[ more ]
0000303
Microcornea
Cornea of eye less than 10mm in diameter
0000482
Pectus carinatum
Pigeon chest
0000768
Pes planus
Flat feet
Flat foot
[ more ]
0001763
Platyspondyly
Flattened vertebrae
0000926
Prematurely aged appearance
Precociously senile appearance
0007495
Talipes 0001883
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal recessive inheritance 0000007
Camptodactyly
Permanent flexion of the finger or toe
0012385
Cutis laxa
Loose and inelastic skin
0000973
Deeply set eye
Deep set eye
Deep-set eyes
Sunken eye
[ more ]
0000490
Delayed speech and language development
Deficiency of speech development
Delayed language development
Delayed speech
Delayed speech acquisition
Delayed speech development
Impaired speech and language development
Impaired speech development
Language delay
Language delayed
Language development deficit
Late-onset speech development
Poor language development
Speech and language delay
Speech and language difficulties
Speech delay
[ more ]
0000750
Femoral bowing
Bowed thighbone
0002980
Hyperextensibility of the finger joints
Finger joint hyperextensibility
Hyperextensible digits
Hyperextensible finger
[ more ]
0001187
Hypoplasia of the maxilla
Decreased size of maxilla
Decreased size of upper jaw
Maxillary deficiency
Maxillary retrusion
Small maxilla
Small upper jaw
Small upper jaw bones
Upper jaw deficiency
Upper jaw retrusion
[ more ]
0000327
Intellectual disability
Mental deficiency
Mental retardation
Mental retardation, nonspecific
Mental-retardation
[ more ]
0001249
Irregular vertebral endplates 0003301
Kyphoscoliosis 0002751
Microcephaly
Abnormally small skull
Decreased circumference of cranium
Decreased size of skull
Reduced head circumference
Small head circumference
[ more ]
0000252
Osteopenia 0000938
Periodontitis 0000704
Progeroid facial appearance
Premature aged appearance
0005328
Tibial bowing
Bowed shankbone
Bowed shinbone
[ more ]
0002982
Wormian bones
Extra bones within cranial sutures
0002645
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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

  • Orphanet lists European clinical trials, research studies, and patient registries enrolling people with this condition. 
  • Cutis Laxa Research Study
    University of Pittsburgh
    Dept. of Human Genetics
    A300 Crabtree Hall, GSPH
    130 De Soto Street
    Pittsburgh, PA 15261
    Telephone: 412-383-7369
    E-mail: cutislax@pitt.edu
    Website: http://www.cutislaxa.pitt.edu
    The Cutis Laxa Research Study is an ongoing project coordinated by the University of Pittsburgh. Their research focuses on identifying the genetic causes of cutis laxa in an effort to better understand the effect of gene mutations and develop new treatments. Use the provided contact information to learn more.

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.

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. 
  • 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 Geroderma osteodysplastica. 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. GORAB. Genetics Home Reference (GHR). July 14, 2014; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/gene/GORAB. Accessed 7/15/2014.