Mosaic trisomy 8

From WikiMD's Food, Medicine & Wellness Encyclopedia

Alternate names[edit | edit source]

Mosaic trisomy chromosome 8; Trisomy 8 mosaicism

Definition[edit | edit source]

Mosaic trisomy 8 is a chromosomal abnormality that can affect many parts of the body. In individuals with mosaic trisomy 8, some of the body's cells have three copies of chromosome 8 (trisomy), while other cells have the usual two copies of this chromosome.

Epidemiology[edit | edit source]

  • Mosaic trisomy 8 is a rare condition which affects only 1 in every 25,000 to 50,000 liveborn babies.
  • It affects males more often than females.
  • More than 120 people with this condition have been reported in the medical literature.

Cause[edit | edit source]

  • Most cases of mosaic trisomy 8 occur due to a random event during the formation of the reproductive cells (egg and sperm) or after fertilization has taken place.
  • An error in cell division (called nondisjunction) may cause some eggs or sperm to have an abnormal number of chromosomes.
  • If an egg or sperm with an extra chromosome 8 contributes to the genetic makeup of an embryo, the embryo will have an extra copy of chromosome 8 in each cell.
  • As the embryo grows and divides, an attempt may be made to correct the mistake by eliminating one extra chromosome 8.
  • In individuals with mosaic trisomy 8, this attempt may be partly successful, leaving some cells with an extra chromosome 8 and some cells with the extra chromosome deleted (the usual chromosome number).
  • This correction process is called trisomy rescue.
  • In other cases, the egg and sperm may have a normal number of chromosomes, but an error of cell division (nondisjunction) occurs when the fertilized egg is growing and dividing.
  • If an error occurs during one of the divisions, it can cause some cells to have an abnormal number of chromosomes.
  • In people affected by mosaic trisomy 8, some of the body's cells have the usual two copies of chromosome 8, and other cells have three copies of this chromosome (trisomy).
  • The percentage of cells with trisomy 8 and which parts of the body are affected vary from person to person. This leads to variability in the range and severity of symptoms.

Inheritance[edit | edit source]

Most cases are not inherited; it often occurs sporadically as a random event during the formation of the reproductive cells (egg and sperm).

Signs and symptoms[edit | edit source]

The signs and symptoms of mosaic trisomy 8 vary but may include:

  • Characteristic facial features such as elongation of the skull (scaphocephaly), prominent forehead, widely-spaced eyes, deeply set eyes, broad upturned nose, and micrognathia
  • Brain malformations such as agenesis of the corpus callosum
  • Highly arched or cleft palate
  • Shortened neck with extra skin folds
  • Long slim body with a narrow chest, shoulders, and pelvis
  • Kidney and cardiac abnormalities
  • Camptodactyly and stiff joints
  • Absent malformed kneecap
  • Vertebral malformations such as scoliosis
  • Eye abnormalities
  • Most individuals with mosaic trisomy 8 have moderate intellectual disabilities (IQ between 50 and 75), with some people having a normal intelligence. There is no known connection between the percentage of trisomic cells and the severity of the intellectual disability.
  • Mosaic trisomy 8 also may increase the risk for infections, and seems to increase the risk for certain cancers such as Wilms tumor, myelodysplasia, and acute myeloid leukemia.

Clinical presentation[edit | edit source]

For most diseases, symptoms will vary from person to person. People with the same disease may not have all the symptoms listed.

80%-99% of people have these symptoms

  • Intellectual disability, moderate(IQ between 34 and 49)

30%-79% of people have these symptoms

  • Abnormality of the antihelix
  • Abnormality of the ribs(Rib abnormalities)
  • Broad nasal tip(Broad tip of nose)
  • Camptodactyly of finger(Permanent flexion of the finger)
  • Corneal opacity
  • Deep palmar crease(Deep palm line)
  • Deep plantar creases(Deep wrinkles in soles of feet)
  • Deeply set eye(Deep set eye)
  • Dolichocephaly(Long, narrow head)
  • Frontal bossing
  • Hydronephrosis
  • Hypertelorism(Wide-set eyes)
  • Limitation of joint mobility(Decreased joint mobility)
  • Long face(Elongation of face)
  • Macrotia(Large ears)
  • Micrognathia(Little lower jaw)
  • Narrow chest(Low chest circumference)
  • Narrow pelvis bone
  • Patellar aplasia(Absent kneecap)
  • Protruding ear(Prominent ear)
  • Scoliosis
  • Strabismus(Cross-eyed)
  • Vertebral segmentation defect
  • Vesicoureteral reflux
  • Wide nose(Broad nose)

5%-29% of people have these symptoms

  • Abnormality of cardiovascular system morphology
  • Agenesis of corpus callosum
  • Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita
  • Cleft palate(Cleft roof of mouth)
  • Clinodactyly of the 5th finger(Permanent curving of the pinkie finger)
  • Cryptorchidism(Undescended testes)
  • Decreased testicular size(Small testes)
  • Hearing impairment(Deafness)
  • High palate(Elevated palate)
  • Hypopigmented skin patches(Patchy loss of skin color)
  • Short neck(Decreased length of neck)
  • Short stature(Decreased body height)
  • Tall stature(Increased body height)

Diagnosis[edit | edit source]

Diagnosis is based on analysis of chromosomes via genetic testing, such as karyotype.

Treatment[edit | edit source]

  • Because mosaic trisomy 8 affects many different areas of the body, medical management often involves a team of doctors and other healthcare professionals. Treatment for mosaic trisomy 8 varies depending on the signs and symptoms present in each individual.
  • For example, for individuals with delays in motor skills such as walking, physical therapy or occupational therapy may be helpful.
  • Early intervention and special education may be recommended depending on the degree of intellectual disability.
  • If present, cleft palate, cardiac malformations, and kidney malformations may need to be surgically repaired.
  • Other surgeries and interventions may be needed depending on the nature and severity of the other features and their symptoms.


NIH genetic and rare disease info[edit source]

Mosaic trisomy 8 is a rare disease.


Mosaic trisomy 8 Resources
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