Infantile spasms-broad thumbs syndrome

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Infantile spasms-broad thumbs syndrome

ORPHA:3173Disease

Also called Tsao-Ellingson syndrome

What it is

Infantile spasms-broad thumbs syndrome is a rare neurologic disorder characterized by profound developmental delay, facial dysmorphism (i.e. microcephaly, large anterior fontanel, hypertelorism, downslanting palpebral fissures, beaked nose, micrognathia), broad thumbs and flexion and/or extension spasms. Bilateral cataracts, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and hydrocele have also been reported. EEG shows hypsarrhythmic features and MRI may reveal partial agenesis of the corpus callosum, mild brain atrophy and/or ventriculomegaly. There have been no further descriptions in the literature since 1990.

Key facts

Prevalence
<1 / 1 000 000
Age of onset
Neonatal
Classified as
Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

Signs and symptoms

These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.

ICD-10 codes

G40.4filed under a broader ICD-10 category — shared with 28 other rare diseases

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Benefit programs to look at

Programs whose eligibility touches the same ICD-10 categories. Eligibility is decided by the administering agency, never by this page.

Cross-references

GARD 3002MONDO 0017852UMLS C4749287

Orphadata Science: Free access data from Orphanet. © INSERM 1999. Data version 2026-06-23. Available under CC BY 4.0. This is a reference, not medical advice.

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