Hand-foot-genital syndrome is a rare condition that affects the development of the hands and feet, the urinary tract, and the reproductive system. People with this condition have abnormally short thumbs and first (big) toes, small fifth fingers that curve inward (clinodactyly), and short feet. The bones in the wrists and ankles may be fused in people with this condition, or hardening of these bones may be delayed. The other bones in the arms and legs are normal.

Variants (also called mutations) in the HOXA13 gene cause hand-foot-genital syndrome. The HOXA13 gene provides instructions for producing a protein that plays an important role in development before birth. Specifically, this protein appears to be critical for the formation and development of the limbs (particularly the hands and feet), urinary tract, and reproductive system.

Hand-foot-genital syndrome is very rare; only a few families with the condition have been reported worldwide.

This condition is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, which means one copy of the altered gene in each cell is sufficient to cause the disorder.

Published Date: October 12, 2023
Published By: National Institutes of Health