View Patient Education
47,XYY syndrome is the presence of two Y chromosomes and one X chromosome in a phenotypic male.
(See also Overview of Chromosomal Abnormalities and see Overview of Sex Chromosome Abnormalities.)
The 47,XYY syndrome occurs in approximately 1/1000 live male births.
Affected boys tend to be taller than average and have a 10- to 15-point IQ reduction compared with family members. There are few physical problems. Minor behavior disorders, hyperactivity, attention-deficit disorder, and learning disorders are more common.
XYY syndrome was once thought to cause aggressive or violent criminal behavior, but this theory has been disproved.
Test your KnowledgeTake a Quiz!