XYYYY syndrome is a very rare genetic disorder. Males usually have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, but people with this condition have three extra Y chromosomes. They have a total of 49 chromosomes instead of 46. Only twelve known cases of it have been diagnosed and it is believed to have a frequency of less than one in one million. Little is known about XYYYY syndrome.

XYYYY syndrome
Man with XYYYY syndrome
Man with XYYYY syndrome
Medical specialtyMedical genetics
Usual onsetPrenatal
DurationLifelong
Diagnostic methodKaryotype
FrequencyLess than 1 in 1,000,000

Symptoms

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The symptoms of XYYYY syndrome largely vary. Physical traits include hypertelorism (wide-spaced eyes), low-set ears, radioulnar synostosis (fusion of the radius and ulna bone in the arm), and clinodactyly (curved finger, usually the fifth finger).[1] In other disorders that affect the Y chromosome, like XYY syndrome and XYYY syndrome, a tall height is common, but this is not true for XYYYY syndrome.[2][3] The genitalia in people with XYYYY is normal, but azoospermia is common. This means the person cannot produce sperm and is infertile.[4]

Mentally, mild to moderate intellectual disability has been observed in every case.[3] Autism and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder are also common.[5]

History

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XYYYY syndrome was first found in 1968. This case was mosaic, meaning some cells had one X chromosome and four Y chromosomes but others did not. Mosaicism is common in this condition.[6] Of the twelve known cases, seven were not mosaic while the other five were.[5] Some of the other chromosomes that the mosaic cells had alongside XYYYY in some people with the condition are X0 and XYYY. The first non-mosaic case (meaning every cell had one X chromosome and four Y chromosomes) was found in a 14-month-old boy 1981.[6] When the boy was 7, a follow-up was done. This was the only long-term follow-up of XYYYY syndrome.[3]

Prevalence

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It is estimated that XYYYY syndrome affects one in one million males.[7]

References

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  1. Linden, Mary C.; Bender, Bruce G.; Robinson, Arthur (1995-10-01). "Sex Chromosome Tetrasomy and Pentasomy". Pediatrics. 96 (4): 672–682. doi:10.1542/peds.96.4.672. ISSN 0031-4005. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  2. Bartholdi, Deborah; Schinzel, Albert (2009), Lang, Florian (ed.), "Y Polysomies, in Males", Encyclopedia of Molecular Mechanisms of Disease, Berlin, Heidelberg: Springer, pp. 2265–2266, doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29676-8_1908, ISBN 978-3-540-29676-8, retrieved 2025-01-08
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Frey-Mahn, Gabriele; Behrendt, Gabriele; Geiger, Kathrin; Sohn, Christof; Schäfer, Dieter; Miny, Peter (2003). "Y chromosomal polysomy: A unique case of 49,XYYYY in amniotic fluid cells". American Journal of Medical Genetics Part A. 118A (2): 184–186. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.10051. ISSN 1552-4833. Retrieved 2024-01-08.
  4. Linden, Mary C.; Bender, Bruce G.; Robinson, Arthur (1995-10-01). "Sex Chromosome Tetrasomy and Pentasomy". Pediatrics. 96 (4): 672–682. doi:10.1542/peds.96.4.672. ISSN 0031-4005.
  5. 5.0 5.1 Demily C, Poisson A, Peyroux E, Gatellier V, Nicolas A, Rigard C, Schluth-Bolard C, Sanlaville D, Rossi M (2017). "Autism spectrum disorder associated with 49,XYYYY: case report and review of the literature". BMC Medical Genetics. 18 (9): 9. doi:10.1186/s12881-017-0371-1. PMC 5282903. PMID 28137251.
  6. 6.0 6.1 Sirota, L.; Zlotogora, Y.; Shabtai, F.; Halbrecht, I.; Elian, E. (1981). "49, XYYYY. A case report". Clinical Genetics. 19 (2): 87–93. doi:10.1111/j.1399-0004.1981.tb00676.x. ISSN 1399-0004. Retrieved 2025-01-08.
  7. "Orphanet: 49,XYYYY syndrome". www.orpha.net. Retrieved 2025-01-08.