syndromic

Syndromic is an adjective used in medicine to describe a condition that is part of a syndrome—an identifiable pattern of signs and symptoms that occur together and define a clinical presentation. The term is often used to distinguish conditions that are part of a broader syndrome from those that are nonsyndromic, where features may be limited to a single organ system or lack the full spectrum of associated anomalies.

In genetics and clinical medicine, a disorder is described as syndromic when multiple anomalies occur as part of a broader syndrome, typically with a shared etiologic basis such as a genetic mutation, chromosomal abnormality, or congenital infection. Syndromic conditions often show variable expressivity and penetrance, meaning features can differ in type and severity among individuals. Examples include Usher syndrome (deafness with progressive vision loss), Waardenburg syndrome (deafness with pigmentary abnormalities), CHARGE syndrome, and Down syndrome. By contrast, nonsyndromic forms lack the broader constellation of associated features.

In public health, syndromic surveillance refers to monitoring health data based on clinical features or symptoms—such as fever, cough, or vomiting—to detect potential outbreaks before laboratory confirmation. This approach uses predefined case definitions centered on symptom clusters rather than specific pathogens.

The term acknowledges phenotypic variability and pleiotropy, as a syndromic presentation may encompass diverse manifestations, ages of onset, and degrees of severity. Proper classification informs prognosis, management, genetic counseling, and research.