Trisomy X Syndrome (XXX Syndrome or Triple X Syndrome) - Condition and Symptoms
Trisomy X Syndrome (also known as Triple X Syndrome and as XXX Syndrome) is a chromosomal abnormality which is found exclusively in women. Women normally have two XX chromosomes. Women affected with Trisomy X Syndrome have three X chromosomes. In some women with Trisomy X Syndrome, only some of the body’s cells have a third X chromosome. This type of Trisomy X Syndrome is called mosaic Trisomy X Syndrome. Women with mosaic Trisomy X Syndrome often have fewer and less severe symptoms than women who have three X chromosomes in every cell. The condition is not inherited, but rather results from a malformed sperm or egg.
Many women affected by this disorder have no symptoms, but in other women the symptoms may be quite noticeable. The major complications associated with this syndrome are distinct physical characteristics, learning disabilities, and developmental delays. The developmental delays can sometimes lead to problems in school and difficulty with friendships and social functioning. Other, less common complications are the early decline in ovary function, ovary abnormalities, seizures, and kidney abnormalities.
Your doctor will diagnose Trisomy X Syndrome by performing a chromosome analysis on a blood sample. The condition can also be identified during prenatal testing (amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling). Most women go undiagnosed, as they exhibit few (if any) symptoms and suffer few (if any) physical changes.
It is possible that Trisomy X Syndrome may not cause any symptoms. When it does, symptoms include a small head, delayed motor development, speech and language difficulties, impaired social development, learning disabilities, weak muscle tone, tall frame, skin folds on the inner corner of the eyes, and difficulty managing stress and personal relationships.
There is no treatment for the condition itself, since it is genetic. Instead, treatment focuses on the symptoms. If speech and language are affected, a speech therapist can provide help. If learning disabilities exist, they are addressed according to the disability. If stress is a problem, psychological counseling may be of benefit.
Filing for Social Security Disability with a Diagnosis of Trisomy X Syndrome
Unfortunately, there is no specific listing for Trisomy X Syndrome in the Social Security Administration’s guide to disabling conditions (the “Blue Book”), so proving total disability and obtaining disability benefits because of a diagnosis of Trisomy X Syndrome can be difficult.
Trisomy X Syndrome is mentioned in Section 10.00 Multiple Body Systems – Adult and in Section 110.00 Multiple Body - Childhood, the same sections that address mosaic Down Syndrome. The Social Security Administration (SSA) comments under Paragraph C.2. of those sections that Trisomy X Syndrome is one of the “other impairments that can cause deviation from, or interruption of, the normal function of the body or interfere with development…”
The SSA bases its approval for disability benefits not on the severity of your condition, but on the severity of the limitations your condition imposes on you (i.e., “residual functional capacity”). If the symptoms of Trisomy X Syndrome keep you from obtaining and keeping gainful employment, then you may be eligible for disability benefits. However, you must have medical documentation that 1) provides a chromosomal analysis and diagnosis of your condition and 2) describes in detail the symptoms of your condition that are severe enough to prevent you from working. For example, if as a result of Trisomy X Syndrome you have severe learning disabilities that keep you from finding and keeping gainful employment, then your medical records should be able to detail the diagnosis of your learning disability, its severity, and how it limits your day-to-day functioning.
Your Trisomy X Syndrome Disability Case
If you are disabled because of Trisomy X Syndrome that is so severe it prevents you from working, you may well be entitled to Social Security Disability benefits. Although total disability based on a diagnosis of Trisomy X Syndrome can be difficult to prove compared to other disabling conditions, working closely with medical professionals and a qualified Social Security Disability attorney or advocate to collect and present the appropriate documentation to support your disability claim in front of the Disability Determination Services (DDS) can help ensure that your Trisomy X Syndrome disability case will have the highest possible chance of success.
