Kisho is an information platform, not a medical provider. Nothing on this site constitutes medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment recommendations. All content is aggregated from publicly available sources (including ClinicalTrials.gov, PubMed, FDA.gov, and Orphanet) and is provided for informational purposes only. Clinical trial eligibility, treatment decisions, and any health-related actions should always be discussed with a qualified healthcare professional. Kisho does not endorse any specific therapy, organization, or clinical trial. Terms of use · Privacy policy
A rare hereditary disease characterized by intestinal obstruction and profound combined immune deficiency.
No HPO annotations are available for this condition.
Age of onset: before birth.
PI4KA-related disorder is a clinically variable disorder characterized by neurologic dysfunction, gastrointestinal manifestations (intestinal atresia, inflammatory bowel disease), and immunodeficiency. Onset is typically antenatal or in early childhood. Four overlapping clinical phenotypes have been described: • Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy with pyramidal features including lower limb spasticity, developmental delay, and intellectual disability, with or without inflammatory bowel disease. The most common presentation; neurologic features typically present in infancy or early childhood. • Severe antenatal-onset neurologic disorder with arthrogryposis and structural brain anomalies (e.g., perisylvian polymicrogyria, cerebellar hypoplasia) • Multiple intestinal atresia presenting shortly after birth, with or without immunodeficiency • Rarely, later-onset pure hereditary spastic paraplegia To date, 24 individuals have been identified with PI4KA pathogenic variants . The following description of the phenotypic features associated with this condition is based on these reports. Table 2. PI4KA-Related Disorder: Frequency of Select Features
PI4KA-related disorder is a clinically variable disorder characterized by neurologic dysfunction, gastrointestinal manifestations (bowel atresia, inflammatory bowel disease), and immunodeficiency. PI4KA-related disorder should be suspected in individuals with the following clinical, laboratory, and imaging features.
Clinical features
• Neurologic
Peripheral spasticity, often more marked in lower than upper limbs
No approved treatments are currently available for gastrointestinal defect and immunodeficiency syndrome. The disease remains an area of unmet medical need.
No clinical practice guidelines for PI4KA-related disorder have been published. Evaluations Following Initial Diagnosis To establish the extent of disease and needs in an individual diagnosed with PI4KA-related disorder, the evaluations summarized (if not performed as part of the evaluation that led to the diagnosis) are recommended. Table 4. Recommended Evaluations Following Initial Diagnosis in Individuals with PI4KA-Related Disorder
To date, no general surveillance guidelines have been developed; monitoring should be individualized. Table 6. Recommended Surveillance for Individuals with PI4KA-Related Disorder
System/Concern |
|---|
No clinical trials have been registered for gastrointestinal defect and immunodeficiency syndrome.
46 publications have been identified in PubMed for gastrointestinal defect and immunodeficiency syndrome. Research spans Case Report / Case Series (33%), Review / Meta-Analysis (26%), and Basic Science / Preclinical (24%).
Research Type | Count | % of Total |
|---|---|---|
Patient case studies | 15 | 33% |
Data assembled from 4 of 12 sources · Last updated Sep 20, 2026, 9:42 AM UTC
European rare disease database
Feature | Proportion ofPersons w/Feature1 | Comment |
|---|---|---|
manifestations | Limb spasticity | 16/16 |
Developmental delay | 14/16 | — |
Intellectual disability | 15/16 | — |
Seizures | 10/16 | — |
Ataxia | 10/16 | — |
Nystagmus | 8/16 | Brain MRI |
findings | Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy/delayed myelination | 12/16 |
Cerebellar hypoplasia/ atrophy | 12/19 | — |
Dysplastic/thin corpus callosum | 11/19 | — |
Perisylvian polymicrogyria | 4/19 | — |
Multiple intestinal atresia | 5/24 | — |
Inflammatory bowel disease | 4/24 | — |
Immunodeficiency | 6/21 | 1. Affected persons who died before a specific clinical sign would become apparent are not included in the table. Limb spasticity. All individuals with molecularly confirmed PI4KA-related disorder reported to date who survived beyond age one month developed or presented with limb spasticity. |
Source: GeneReviews — "PI4KA-Related Disorder"
Truncal hypotonia
Global developmental delay
Intellectual disability (mild to severe)
Seizures
Ataxia
Nystagmus
Intention tremor
Dysmetria
Dystonia
Arthrogryposis/contractures
Kyphosis or scoliosis
• Gastrointestinal
Source: GeneReviews — "PI4KA-Related Disorder"
The differential diagnosis of PI4KA-related disorder includes hypomyelinating leukodystrophies with early childhood onset (see for a nonexhaustive list of hypomyelinating leukodystrophies) and TTC7A-related gastrointestinal defects and immunodeficiency syndrome. Table 3. Genes of Interest in the Differential Diagnosis of PI4KA-Related Disorder
Gene | DiffDx Disorder | MOI | Key Features of DiffDx Disorder |
|---|---|---|---|
Hypomyelination congenital cataract | AR | Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy. Cerebellar signs are variably present. | Congenital cataracts variably present psychomotor regression; peripheral neuropathy present in majority of affected persons. Polymicrogyria, IBD, immunodeficiency have not been described. |
PLP1 | PLP1 disorders incl Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease spastic paraplegia 2 (SPG2) | XL | Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy. Prominent cerebellar features. Variable age of onset w/spastic paraparesis described as SPG2 in those w/later onset. |
RARS1 | RARS1-related hypomyelinating leukodystrophy (OMIM 616140) | AR | Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy. Severe refractory epilepsy/ epileptic encephalopathy has been described. |
TTC7A | Gastrointestinal defects immunodeficiency syndrome (OMIM 243150) | AR | Heterogeneous intestinal immunologic disease manifestations incl but not limited to multiple intestinal atresia, very early-onset IBD, combined immunodeficiency |
Source: GeneReviews — "PI4KA-Related Disorder"
Biomarker and diagnostic research for gastrointestinal defect and immunodeficiency syndrome has been reported in the published literature.
System/Concern | Evaluation | Comment |
|---|---|---|
anomalies | Consider renal ( pelvic) imaging. | Assess for structural anomalies. |
Hearing | Audiologic assessment | Assess for hearing loss. |
Vision | Ophthalmologic assessment | Assess for nystagmus, visual acuity, optic nerve atrophy, strabismus, ocular motor dyspraxia. Genetic |
counseling | By genetics professionals1 | To inform affected persons their families re nature, MOI, implications of PI4KA-related disorder to facilitate medical personal decision making Family support resources |
Treatment of Manifestations in Individuals with PI4KA-Related Disorder Manifestation/Concern | Treatment | Considerations/Other Limb spasticity motor delays |
Speech impairment | Speech-language therapy; use of communication aids (e.g., talker) | — |
Intellectual disability | Educational support | — |
Seizures | Use of standard anti-seizure medications; dependent on specific seizure type | Dysphagia |
Source: GeneReviews — "PI4KA-Related Disorder"
Recent investigation of anti-apoptotic medications in laboratory and animal models of TTC7A-related gastrointestinal defects and immunodeficiency syndrome (OMIM 243150) suggest that leflunomide may be a potential treatment for bowel inflammation and stenosis in this condition . Due to the phenotypic and mechanistic overlap between TTC7A- and PI4KA-related bowel disease, this treatment may be applicable to PI4KA-related disorder. To date, however, no data exist to support the efficacy of leflunomide in treating PI4KA-related bowel disease. Search ClinicalTrials.gov in the US and EU Clinical Trials Register in Europe for access to information on clinical studies for a wide range of diseases and conditions. Note: There may not be clinical trials for this disorder.
Source: GeneReviews — "PI4KA-Related Disorder"
View trials for gastrointestinal defect and immunodeficiency syndrome
Evaluation
Frequency |
|---|
Neurologic | Neurologic assessment to monitor for progression of limb spasticity, dysphagia, cerebellar signs, dystonia, seizures | Annually as indicated by symptomatology Developmental delay/ |
Intellectual disability | Assessment of developmental milestones by pediatrician | As indicated by clinical presentation Inflammatory bowel disease |
Hearing | Audiology eval | Annually throughout childhood Vision |
Source: GeneReviews — "PI4KA-Related Disorder"
Research summaries |
12 |
26% |
Laboratory research | 11 | 24% |
Disease patterns and progression | 5 | 11% |
Testing and diagnosis research | 2 | 4% |
Other research | 1 | 2% |
Liu H (2026). [PMID: 42058216](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42058216/). *Front Immunol*. [Review / Meta-Analysis]
Muniraju T (2026). [PMID: 42055761](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/42055761/). *BMJ Case Rep*. [Case Report / Case Series]
Tuñas LC (2026). [PMID: 41779466](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41779466/). *Einstein (Sao Paulo)*. [Case Report / Case Series]
Masoch F (2026). [PMID: 41791989](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41791989/). *Rev Med Interne*. [Review / Meta-Analysis]
Lin S (2026). [PMID: 41517791](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41517791/). *Medicine (Baltimore)*. [Case Report / Case Series]
Davita TR (2026). [PMID: 41862227](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41862227/). *Immunobiology*. [Case Report / Case Series]
Mei HF (2026). [PMID: 41986272](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41986272/). *Zhonghua Er Ke Za Zhi*. [Case Report / Case Series]
Chamarthi VS (2026). [PMID: 31747205](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31747205/). *Unknown Journal*. [Other]
Thawabteh FA (2026). [PMID: 41958672](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41958672/). *Front Immunol*. [Review / Meta-Analysis]
Műzes G (2025). [PMID: 41229388](https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41229388/). *Rev Med Virol*. [Review / Meta-Analysis]