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While only a few adults have been reported with 2q37 microdeletion syndrome, it is predicted that this number will rise as various research studies continue to demonstrate that most with the disorder do not have a shortened life span.
Therapy can help developmental delays, as well as physiotherapy for the low muscle tone. Exercise and healthy eating can reduce weight gain. Treatments are available for seizures, eczema, asthma, infections, and certain bodily ailments.
At the present time, there is no specific treatment that can undo any chromosomal abnormality, nor the genetic pattern seen in people with idic(15). The extra chromosomal material in those affected was present at or shortly after conception, and its effects on brain development began taking place long before the child was born. Therapies are available to help address many of the symptoms associated with idic(15). Physical, occupational, and speech therapies along with special education techniques can stimulate children with idic(15) to develop to their full potential.
In terms of medical management of the symptoms associated with Chromosome 15q11.2-q13.1 Duplication Syndrome, families should be aware that individuals with chromosome 15 duplications may tolerate medications differently and may be more sensitive to side effects for some classes of medications, such as the serotonin reuptake inhibitor type medications (SSRI).
Thus, these should be used with caution and any new medication should be instituted in a controlled setting, with slow titration of levels and with a clear endpoint as to what the expected outcome for treatment is.
There is an increased risk of sudden, unexpected death among children and adults with this syndrome. The full cause is not yet understood but it is generally attributed to SUDEP (Sudden Unexplained Death in Epilepsy).
About half of all 'marker' chromosomes are idic(15) but idic(15) in itself is one of the rare chromosome abnormalities. Incidence at birth appears to be 1 in 30,000 with a sex ratio of almost 1:1; however, since dysmorphic features are absent or subtle and major malformations are rare, chromosome analysis may not be thought to be indicated, and some individuals, particularly in the older age groups, probably remain undiagnosed. There are organizations for families with idic(15) children that offer extensive information and support.
Campomelic dysplasia has a reported incidence of 0.05-0.09 per 10000 live births.
In nearly 95% of the cases, death occurs in the neonatal period due to respiratory distress, generally related to small chest size or insufficient development of the trachea and other upper airway structures.
Among survivors of CMD, the skeletal malformations change over time to include worsening scoliosis or kyphosis resulting in decreased trunk size relative to the limb length. Neurological damage is also often seen including mental retardation and deafness. Even among survivors of the prenatal period, CMD patients have shortened life spans due to lifelong respiratory issues. Those patients with ambiguous genitalia or sex reversal at birth, of course, maintain that state, and are either sterile or have reduced fertility.
No cure is known for 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Certain individual features are treatable using standard treatments. The key is to identify each of the associated features and manage each using the best available treatments.
For example, in children, it is important that the immune problems are identified early, as special precautions are required regarding blood transfusion and immunization with live vaccines. Thymus transplantation can be used to address absence of the thymus in the rare, so-called "complete" 22q11.2 deletion syndrome. Bacterial infections are treated with antibiotics. Cardiac surgery is often required for congenital heart abnormalities. Hypoparathyroidism causing hypocalcaemia often requires lifelong vitamin D and calcium supplements. Specialty clinics that provide multi-system care allow for individuals with 22q11.2 deletion syndrome to be evaluated for all of their health needs and allow for careful monitoring of the patients. An example of this type of system is the 22q Deletion Clinic at SickKids Hospital in Toronto, Canada, which provides children with 22q11 deletion syndrome ongoing support, medical care and information from a team of health care workers.
22q11.2 deletion syndrome was estimated to affect between one in 2000 and one in 4000 live births. This estimate is based on major birth defects and may be an underestimate, because some individuals with the deletion have few symptoms and may not have been formally diagnosed. It is one of the most common causes of mental retardation due to a genetic deletion syndrome.
The prevalence of 22q11.2DS has been expected to rise because of multiple reasons: (1) Thanks to surgical and medical advances, an increasing number of people are surviving heart defects associated with the syndrome. These individuals are in turn having children. The chances of a 22q11.2DS patient having an affected child is 50% for each pregnancy; (2) Parents who have affected children, but who were unaware of their own genetic conditions, are now being diagnosed as genetic testing become available; (3) Molecular genetics techniques such as FISH (fluorescence in situ hybridization) have limitations and have not been able to detect all 22q11.2 deletions. Newer technologies have been able to detect these atypical deletions.
Recently, the syndrome has been estimated to affect up to one in 2000 live births. Testing for 22q11.2DS in over 9500 pregnancies revealed a prevalence rate of 1/992.
SCS is the most common craniosynostosis syndrome and affects 1 in every 25,000 to 50,000 individuals. It occurs in all racial and ethnic groups, and affects males and females equally. If a parent carries a copy of the SCS gene mutation, then there is a 50% chance their child will also carry a copy of the gene mutation, in which case, the child may or may not show signs of SCS. There is also a 50% chance their child will have two working copies of the gene, and would therefore, not have SCS. If both parents carry a single copy of the SCS gene mutation, then there is a 25% chance their child will have two gene mutation copies (so child would develop severe SCS), a 25% chance their child would have two normal copies of the gene (so would be completely normal), and a 50% chance their child would carry one gene mutation copy and 1 normal copy (so child may or may not display SCS). In rare situations, two normal parents can have a child with SCS due to a "de novo" mutation. The exact cause of the "de novo" mutation is unknown, but it doesn't seem to be related to anything that the parents did or didn't do during the pregnancy. SCS due to a "de novo" mutation is so rare that the proportion of past cases is unknown.
Campomelic dysplasia (CMD) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by bowing of the long bones and many other skeletal and extraskeletal features.
It is frequently lethal in the neonatal period due to respiratory insufficiency, but the severity of the disease is variable, and some patients survive into adulthood.
The name is derived from the Greek roots "campo" (or "campto"), meaning bent, and "melia", meaning limb.
An unusual aspect of the disease is that up to two-thirds of affected 46,XY genotypic males display a range of Disorders of Sexual Development (DSD) and genital ambiguities or may even develop as normal phenotypic females as in complete 46 XY sex reversal.
An atypical form of the disease with absence of bowed limbs is called, prosaically, acampomelic campomelic dysplasia (ACD) and is found in about 10% of patients, particularly those surviving the neonatal period.
The physical abnormalities resulting from SCS are typically mild and only require a minor surgical procedure or no procedure at all. One of the common symptoms of SCS is the development of short (brachydactyly), webbed fingers and broad toes (syndactyly). These characteristics do not cause any problems to the function of the hands or feet, and thus, no medical procedure is required to fix the abnormalities, unless the patient requests it. Webbing of the fingers may affect the base of the fingers, resulting in delayed hand growth during childhood, but this contributes no functional impairments. Sometimes, individuals with SCS develop broad toes because the bones at the ends of the toes are duplicating themselves. This is especially seen in the big toe, but requires no surgical intervention because it doesn't negatively affect the overall function of the foot. Individuals with these toe abnormalities walk normally and can wear normal footwear.
In more severe cases, frequent surgeries and clinical monitoring are required throughout development. A child born with asymmetrical unilateral coronal synostosis should undergo cranioplasty within its first year of life in order to prevent increased intracranial pressure and to prevent progressive facial asymmetry. Cranioplasty is a surgical procedure to correct prematurely fused cranial bones. The surgery acts to reconstruct and reposition the bones and sutures in order to promote the most normal growth. Cranioplasty is necessary in order to continue to grow and is important for two main reasons. First of all, the skull needs to be able to accommodate the growing brain following childbirth, which it can't because the skull doesn't grow as fast as the brain as long as the sutures remain fused. This results in an increase in pressure surrounding the brain and inhibits the brain from growing, causing the individual to experience significant problems, and if left untreated can eventually lead to death. Secondly, cranioplasty may be required for appearance purposes. This is especially the case in individuals with asymmetrical unilateral coronal synostosis, which requires reconstructive surgery of the face and skull. If cranioplasty is not performed, especially in individuals with unilateral coronal synostosis, then facial asymmetry will get worse and worse over time, which is why cranioplasty should be performed as soon as possible.
Surgery may also be required in individuals with vision problems. Vision problems usually arise due to a lack of space in the eye orbit and skull because of the abnormal bone structure of the face. Decreased space may also lead to abnormal or missing tear ducts and nerve damage. Reconstructive surgery is usually required in order to increase cranial space, correct tear duct stenosis, and/or correct ptosis of the eyelids in order to prevent amblyopia (lazy eye).
Midfacial surgery may also be required during early childhood to correct respiratory problems, dental malocclusion, and swallowing difficulties. A cleft palate is also corrected with surgery, and may involve the use of tympanostomy tubes. If needed, an individual will undergo orthognathic treatment and/or orthodontic treatment after facial development is complete. Since hearing loss is frequently associated with SCS, it is recommended that audiology screening persist throughout childhood.
After cranial reconstructive surgery, a child may be required to wear a molding helmet or some other form of head protection until the cranial bones set into place. This typically takes about three months and depends on the child's age and the severity of the condition. Following recovery, individuals with SCS look and act completely normal, so no one would even be able to tell that they have SCS.
Fryns syndrome is an autosomal recessive multiple congenital anomaly syndrome that is usually lethal in the neonatal period. Fryns (1987) reviewed the syndrome.
In a newborn boy thought to have Fryns syndrome, Clark and Fenner-Gonzales (1989) found mosaicism for a tandem duplication of 1q24-q31.2. They suggested that the gene for this disorder is located in that region. However, de Jong et al. (1989), Krassikoff and Sekhon (1990), and Dean et al. (1991) found possible Fryns syndrome associated with anomalies of chromosome 15, chromosome 6, chromosome 8(human)and chromosome 22, respectively. Thus, these cases may all represent mimics of the mendelian syndrome and have no significance as to the location of the gene for the recessive disorder.
By array CGH, Slavotinek et al. (2005) screened patients with DIH and additional phenotypic anomalies consistent with Fryns syndrome for cryptic chromosomal aberrations. They identified submicroscopic chromosome deletions in 3 probands who had previously been diagnosed with Fryns syndrome and had normal karyotyping with G-banded chromosome analysis. Two female infants were found to have microdeletions involving 15q26.2 (see 142340), and 1 male infant had a deletion in band 8p23.1 (see 222400).
Use of telomerase inhibitors such as Imetelstat seem to have very low toxicity compared to other chemotherapy. The only known side effect of most telomerase inhibitors is dose-induced neutropenia. Neuropsychological deficits can result from resection, chemotherapy, and radiation, as well as endocrinopathies. Additionally, an increase in gastrointestinal complications has been observed in survivors of pediatric cancers.
hTERT and yH2AX are crucial markers for prognosis and response to therapy. High hTERT and low yH2AX expression is associated with poor response to therapy. Patients with both high or low expression of these markers make up the moderate response groups.
Leukemia is rarely associated with pregnancy, affecting only about one in 10,000 pregnant women. Treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemias can often be postponed until after the end of the pregnancy. If treatment is necessary, then giving chemotherapy during the second or third trimesters is less likely to result in pregnancy loss or birth defects than treatment during the first trimester.
CLL treatment focuses on controlling the disease and its symptoms rather than on an outright cure. CLL is treated by chemotherapy, radiation therapy, biological therapy, or bone marrow transplantation. Symptoms are sometimes treated surgically (splenectomy – removal of enlarged spleen) or by radiation therapy ("de-bulking" swollen lymph nodes).
Initial CLL treatments vary depending on the exact diagnosis and the progression of the disease, and even with the preference and experience of the health care practitioner. Any of dozens of agents may be used for CLL therapy. An initial treatment regimen that contains fludarabine, cyclophosphamide, and rituximab (known as FCR) has demonstrated higher overall response rates and complete response rates.