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

Emanuel syndrome



Emanuel syndrome is a chromosomal disorder that is characterized by learning problems and stunted growth and development.[1] The signs and symptoms are varied and may include decreased muscle tone (hypotonia) and developmental delay in childhood, intellectual disability severe, extremely small head (microcephaly), distinctive facial features, small jaw, ear anomalies, arched palate (roof of the mouth), cleft palate, heart defects, kidney malformations, and genital abnormalities (in males). Emanuel syndrome is caused by the presence of additional genetic material of the chromosomes 11 and 22 in each cell. This condition is usually inherited from a parent who has a balanced translocation between chromosomes 11 and 22.[1][2] Treatment depends on the signs and symptoms present in the individual. People with Emanuel syndrome are typically by a team of several specialists.[2]
Last updated: 6/28/2016

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
Global developmental delay 0001263
30%-79% of people have these symptoms
Aortic valve stenosis
Narrowing of aortic valve
0001650
Broad jaw
Broad lower face
Wide jaw
[ more ]
0012802
Cerebral atrophy
Degeneration of cerebrum
0002059
Congenital hip dislocation
Dislocated hip since birth
0001374
Constipation 0002019
Cryptorchidism
Undescended testes
Undescended testis
[ more ]
0000028
Deeply set eye
Deep set eye
Deep-set eyes
Sunken eye
[ more ]
0000490
Delayed eruption of teeth
Delayed eruption
Delayed teeth eruption
Delayed tooth eruption
Eruption, delayed
Late eruption of teeth
Late tooth eruption
[ more ]
0000684
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
Dental crowding
Crowded teeth
Dental overcrowding
Overcrowding of teeth
[ more ]
0000678
Dysphagia
Poor swallowing
Swallowing difficulties
Swallowing difficulty
[ more ]
0002015
Ectopic anus
Abnormal anus position
0004397
Failure to thrive
Faltering weight
Weight faltering
[ more ]
0001508
Feeding difficulties
Feeding problems
Poor feeding
[ more ]
0011968
Gastroesophageal reflux
Acid reflux
Acid reflux disease
Heartburn
[ more ]
0002020
Generalized hypotonia
Decreased muscle tone
Low muscle tone
[ more ]
0001290
High palate
Elevated palate
Increased palatal height
[ more ]
0000218
Hooded eyelid 0030820
Hypogonadism
Decreased activity of gonads
0000135
Infertility 0000789
Intellectual disability
Mental deficiency
Mental retardation
Mental retardation, nonspecific
Mental-retardation
[ more ]
0001249
Kyphoscoliosis 0002751
Long philtrum 0000343
Low hanging columella 0009765
Low-set ears
Low set ears
Lowset ears
[ more ]
0000369
Low-set nipples 0002562
Macrotia
Large ears
0000400
Micrognathia
Little lower jaw
Small jaw
Small lower jaw
[ more ]
0000347
Micropenis
Short penis
Small penis
[ more ]
0000054
Myopia
Close sighted
Near sighted
Near sightedness
Nearsightedness
[ more ]
0000545
Preauricular pit
Pit in front of the ear
0004467
Preauricular skin tag 0000384
Pulmonic stenosis
Narrowing of pulmonic valve
0001642
Recurrent otitis media
Recurrent middle ear infection
0000403
Recurrent respiratory infections
Frequent respiratory infections
Multiple respiratory infections
respiratory infections, recurrent
Susceptibility to respiratory infections
[ more ]
0002205
Seizure 0001250
Single umbilical artery
Only one artery in umbilical cord instead of two
0001195
Strabismus
Cross-eyed
Squint
Squint eyes
[ more ]
0000486
Supernumerary ribs
Extra ribs
0005815
Truncus arteriosus 0001660
Upslanted palpebral fissure
Upward slanting of the opening between the eyelids
0000582
5%-29% of people have these symptoms
Abnormality of the ankles 0003028
Agenesis of corpus callosum 0001274
Anal atresia
Absent anus
0002023
Arnold-Chiari malformation 0002308
Astigmatism
Abnormal curving of the cornea or lens of the eye
0000483
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
Bifid uvula 0000193
Breech presentation
Feet or buttocks of fetus positioned near opening of uterus
0001623
Congenital diaphragmatic hernia 0000776
Cough
Coughing
0012735
Dandy-Walker malformation 0001305
Decreased fetal movement
Less than 10 fetal movements in 12 hours
0001558
Hydrocephalus
Too much cerebrospinal fluid in the brain
0000238
Hypermetropia
Farsightedness
Long-sightedness
[ more ]
0000540
Inguinal hernia 0000023
Intrauterine growth retardation
Prenatal growth deficiency
Prenatal growth retardation
[ more ]
0001511
Microcephaly
Abnormally small skull
Decreased circumference of cranium
Decreased size of skull
Reduced head circumference
Small head circumference
[ more ]
0000252
Multiple joint contractures 0002828
Oligohydramnios
Low levels of amniotic fluid
0001562
Patent ductus arteriosus 0001643
Premature birth
Premature delivery of affected infants
Preterm delivery
[ more ]
0001622
Ptosis
Drooping upper eyelid
0000508
Recurrent candida infections 0005401
Redundant neck skin
Excess neck skin
Excess skin over the neck
Redundant skin folds of neck
Redundant skin over the neck
[ more ]
0005989
Renal hypoplasia
Small kidneys
Underdeveloped kidneys
[ more ]
0000089
Sacral dimple
Spinal dimple
0000960
Severe hearing impairment
Severe deafness
Severe hearing loss
[ more ]
0012714
Submucous cleft lip 0009101
Unilateral renal agenesis
Absent kidney on one side
Missing one kidney
Single kidney
[ more ]
0000122
Ventricular septal defect
Hole in heart wall separating two lower heart chambers
0001629
Percent of people who have these symptoms is not available through HPO
Abnormality of metabolism/homeostasis
Laboratory abnormality
Metabolism abnormality
[ more ]
0001939
Cleft palate
Cleft roof of mouth
0000175
Delayed eruption of primary teeth
Delayed eruption of baby teeth
Delayed eruption of milk teeth
Late eruption of baby teeth
Late eruption of milk teeth
[ more ]
0000680
Facial asymmetry
Asymmetry of face
Crooked face
Unsymmetrical face
[ more ]
0000324
Hearing impairment
Deafness
Hearing defect
[ more ]
0000365
Hypoplasia of the corpus callosum
Underdevelopment of part of brain called corpus callosum
0002079
Kyphosis
Hunched back
Round back
[ more ]
0002808
Muscular hypotonia
Low or weak muscle tone
0001252
Renal agenesis
Absent kidney
Missing kidney
[ more ]
0000104
Scoliosis 0002650
Thickened nuchal skin fold
Thickened skin folds of neck
Thickened skin over the neck
[ more ]
0000474
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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


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

In-Depth Information

  • GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions.
  • 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 Emanuel 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. Submit a new question

  • My son has Emanuel syndrome. He has had increased urination and after many tests an MRI showed 3 tumors on his spine. Is there a known link between spinal tumors and Emanuel syndrome? If so, are these tumors usually benign? See answer

  • I have a chance to work with a child who has Emanuel sydrome. What is a child with this capable of learning?   Is there a Web page that summarizes this syndrome and would be helpful to me? See answer



  1. Emanuel syndrome. Genetics Home Reference. January, 2017; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/emanuel-syndrome.
  2. Emanuel BS, Zackai EH & Medne L. Emanuel Syndrome. GeneReviews. August 31, 2017; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1263/.