Joubert syndrome and related disorders: Report of five Tunisian cases

Abstract

Joubert syndrome and Joubert syndrome related disorders are rare autosomal recessive disorders, clinically and genetically heterogeneous characterized by cerebellar vermis hypoplasia and a peculiar midbrain-hindbrain malformation the “molar tooth sign”. Clinical picture is characterized by hypotonia, ataxia, developmental delay, abnormal eye movements and occasionally by abnormal respiratory pattern in the neonatal period. Combination of additional features, such as polydactyly, ocular coloboma, retinal dystrophy, renal disease, hepatic fibrosis, encephalocele, and other brain malformations define various clinical subtypes. We report five cases (belonging to four families) with associated elastopathy in one family. We discuss clinical heterogeneity in particular the unusual association to elastopathy in one family and absence of abnormal neonatal respiratory pattern in all five cases.