Caring for someone with this diagnosis? Eleplan keeps diagnoses, medications, documents and every specialist in one plan.
Start free with EleplanMelnick-Needles syndrome
ORPHA:2484Malformation syndrome
Also called Melnick-Needles osteodysplasty
What it is
Melnick-Needles syndrome (MNS) belongs to the otopalatodigital syndrome spectrum disorder and is associated with a short stature, facial dysmorphism, osseous abnormalities involving the majority of the axial and appendicular skeleton resulting in impaired speech and masticatory problems.
Key facts
- Prevalence
- <1 / 1 000 000
- Age of onset
- Childhood
- Inheritance
- X-linked dominant
- Classified as
- Malformation syndrome
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
Very common80–99%
11Common30–79%
22- Abnormal cardiac septum morphology
- Abnormality of the pubic bone
- Abnormal rib morphology
- Anisospondyly
- Cone-shaped epiphyses of the phalanges of the hand
- Coxa valga
- Craniofacial hyperostosis
- Delayed eruption of teeth
- Facial asymmetry
- Frontal bossing
- Full cheeks
- Hearing impairment
- Hip dislocation
- Hydronephrosis
- Joint hypermobility
- Osteolytic defects of the phalanges of the hand
- Recurrent respiratory infections
- Scoliosis
- Short clavicles
- Short distal phalanx of finger
- Tooth malposition
- Vesicoureteral reflux
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.
Gene
ICD-10 codes
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.
Cross-references
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.
Powered by Eleplan
A rare diagnosis is just the start. Eleplan keeps the whole care plan in one place.
Diagnoses, medications, documents, appointments, and the whole care team — organized and always in sync, so you are not retelling the same story to every new specialist. With Ellie, your AI care assistant, on top of it. Free to start.