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

Hydrocephalus-cleft palate-joint contractures syndrome



Hydrocephalus-cleft palate-joint contractures syndrome is a rare genetic disorder characterized by a buildup of fluid in the brain (hydrocephalus) due to a brain abnormality called Dandy-Walker malformation, cleft palate, and stiff or "frozen" joints (contractures). Less than 20 cases of hydrocephalus-cleft palate-joint contractures syndrome have been reported. Other symptoms might include: thin fingers with absent knuckles and reduced creases over the joints, ear abnormalities, heart defects, and clubfoot. The cause of hydrocephalus-cleft palate-joint contractures syndrome is not known, but it is likely genetic due to reports of affected family members and likely autosomal dominant inheritance. Treatment is specific to the symptoms present in each individual and might include surgical correction of birth defects such as cleft palate and clubfoot. 
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
80%-99% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of the hip bone
Abnormality of the hips
0003272
Abnormality of the pinna
Abnormally shaped ears
Auricular malformation
Deformed ears
Malformed ears
[ more ]
0000377
Camptodactyly of finger
Permanent flexion of the finger
0100490
Cleft palate
Cleft roof of mouth
0000175
Dandy-Walker malformation 0001305
Joint stiffness
Stiff joint
Stiff joints
[ more ]
0001387
Multiple joint contractures 0002828
Scoliosis 0002650
Trismus
Lockjaw
0000211
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Aplasia/Hypoplasia of the radius 0006501
Talipes equinovarus
Club feet
Club foot
Clubfeet
Clubfoot
[ more ]
0001762
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Neoplasm 0002664
Slender finger
Narrow fingers
Slender fingers
thin fingers
[ more ]
0001238
Strabismus
Cross-eyed
Squint
Squint eyes
[ more ]
0000486
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Autosomal dominant inheritance 0000006
Congenital neuroblastoma 0006742
Death in infancy
Infantile death
Lethal in infancy
[ more ]
0001522
Flexion contracture
Flexed joint that cannot be straightened
0001371
Hydrocephalus
Too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain
0000238
Open mouth
Gaped jawed appearance
Gaped mouthed appearance
Slack jawed appearance
[ more ]
0000194
Ptosis
Drooping upper eyelid
0000508
Ventricular septal defect
Hole in heart wall separating two lower heart chambers
0001629
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Last updated: 7/1/2020

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


Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Clinical overlap between Aase-Smith syndrome I and Gordon syndrome (see this term) has been suggested, due to the presence of distal arthrogryposis and cleft palate in both syndromes.
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

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

  • The Centers for Mendelian Genomics program is working to discover the causes of rare genetic disorders. For more information about applying to the research study, please visit their website.

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 Hydrocephalus-cleft palate-joint contractures 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. Victor A. McKusick. AASE-SMITH SYNDROME I. OMIM. 2/20/2014; http://www.omim.org/entry/147800.
  2. Aase-Smith syndrome. Orphanet. July 2007; http://www.orpha.net/consor/cgi-bin/OC_Exp.php?lng=en&Expert=916. Accessed 6/22/2016.