Table 4.

Genes of Interest in the Differential Diagnosis of Mucopolysaccharidosis Type III

GeneDiffDx
Disorder
MOIClinical Features of DiffDx Disorder
Overlapping w/MPS IIIDistinguishing from MPS III
GNPTAB ML II AR
  • Coarse facies
  • Frequent ear infections
  • Inguinal & umbilical hernias
  • Dysostosis multiplex
  • Corneal clouding
  • Significant DD seen in 1st year of life
  • Death at age ~2 yrs from neurologic decline & multisystem involvement
ML III alpha/beta
  • Coarse facies
  • Frequent upper-respiratory & ear infections
  • Dysostosis multiplex
  • Slight corneal clouding
  • Normal to mildly impaired cognitive development
IDUA MPS I AR
  • Coarse facies
  • Frequent upper-respiratory & ear infections
  • Inguinal & umbilical hernias
  • DD & cognitive decline in severe form of disease
  • Hepatosplenomegaly
  • Dysostosis multiplex
  • Placid behavior in contrast to aggressive or hyperactive
  • Abnormal heparan & dermatan sulfate in urine GAG analysis
  • Corneal clouding
  • Hydrocephalus
IDS MPS II XL
  • Coarse facies
  • Frequent upper-respiratory & ear infections
  • Inguinal & umbilical hernias
  • DD & cognitive decline in severe form of disease
  • Behavioral abnormalities
  • Hepatosplenomegaly
  • Dysostosis multiplex
  • Observed almost exclusively in males
  • Abnormal heparan & dermatan sulfate in urine GAG analysis
  • Hydrocephalus
SUMF1 Multiple sulfatase deficiency AR
  • Hepatosplenomegaly
  • DD & cognitive impairment
  • Psychomotor regression
  • Hirsutism
  • Coarse facies
  • Ichthyosis
  • Abnormal enzymatic activity for multiple sulfatases
RAI1 Smith-Magenis syndrome See footnote 1
  • Speech delay
  • DD & cognitive impairment
  • Sleep disturbance
  • Behavioral outbursts
  • Hyperactivity
  • Infantile hypotonia & failure to thrive
  • Mild-to-moderate ID w/out regression
  • Characteristic dysmorphic facies
  • Stereotypic "lick & flip" & "self-hug" behaviors

AR = autosomal recessive; DD = developmental delay; DiffDx = differential diagnosis; ID = intellectual disability; ML = mucolipidosis; MOI = mode of inheritance; MPS = mucopolysaccharidosis; XL = X-linked

1.

Smith-Magenis syndrome is caused either by a 17p11.2 deletion that includes RAI1 or, less commonly, by a pathogenic variant in RAI1. Virtually all occurrences are de novo.

From: Mucopolysaccharidosis Type III

Cover of GeneReviews®
GeneReviews® [Internet].
Adam MP, Feldman J, Mirzaa GM, et al., editors.
Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2025.
Copyright © 1993-2025, University of Washington, Seattle. GeneReviews is a registered trademark of the University of Washington, Seattle. All rights reserved.

GeneReviews® chapters are owned by the University of Washington. Permission is hereby granted to reproduce, distribute, and translate copies of content materials for noncommercial research purposes only, provided that (i) credit for source (http://www.genereviews.org/) and copyright (© 1993-2025 University of Washington) are included with each copy; (ii) a link to the original material is provided whenever the material is published elsewhere on the Web; and (iii) reproducers, distributors, and/or translators comply with the GeneReviews® Copyright Notice and Usage Disclaimer. No further modifications are allowed. For clarity, excerpts of GeneReviews chapters for use in lab reports and clinic notes are a permitted use.

For more information, see the GeneReviews® Copyright Notice and Usage Disclaimer.

For questions regarding permissions or whether a specified use is allowed, contact: ude.wu@tssamda.

NCBI Bookshelf. A service of the National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health.