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Congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) are any of several autosomal recessive diseases resulting from mutations of genes for enzymes mediating the biochemical steps of production of mineralocorticoids, glucocorticoids or sex steroids from cholesterol by the adrenal glands (steroidogenesis).
Most of these conditions involve excessive or deficient production of sex steroids and can alter development of primary or secondary sex characteristics in some affected infants, children, or adults.
The symptoms of CAH vary depending upon the form of CAH and the sex of the patient. Symptoms can include:
Due to inadequate mineralocorticoids:
- vomiting due to salt-wasting leading to dehydration and death
Due to excess androgens:
- functional and average sized penis in cases involving extreme virilization (but no sperm)
- ambiguous genitalia, in some females, such that it can be initially difficult to identify external genitalia as "male" or "female".
- early pubic hair and rapid growth in childhood
- precocious puberty or failure of puberty to occur (sexual infantilism: absent or delayed puberty)
- excessive facial hair, virilization, and/or menstrual irregularity in adolescence
- infertility due to anovulation
- clitoromegaly, enlarged clitoris and shallow vagina
Due to insufficient androgens and estrogens:
- Undervirilization in XY males, which can result in apparently female external genitalia
- In females, hypogonadism can cause sexual infantilism or abnormal pubertal development, infertility, and other reproductive system abnormalities
In the beginning, medical officials defined ABCD syndrome by the four key characteristics of the syndrome. In the first case study of the Kurdish girl, researches described her as having "albinism and a black lock at the right temporo-occipital region along Blaschko lines, her eyelashes and brows were white, the irises in her eyes appeared to be blue, she had spots of retinal depigmentation, and she did not react to noise." The albinism is interesting in this diagnosis because the skin of an affected individual is albino pale besides the brown patches of mispigmented skin. The "black locks" described and seen in clinical pictures of the infants are thick patches of black hair above the ears that form a half circle reaching to the other ear to make a crest shape.
As identified in this first case study and stated in a dictionary of dermatologic syndromes, ABCD syndrome has many notable features, including "snow white hair in patches, distinct black locks of hair, skin white except brown macules, deafness, irises gray to blue, nystagmus, photophobia, poor visual activity, normal melanocytes in pigmented hair and skin, and absent melanocytes in areas of leukoderma." Individuals have the blue/gray irises typical of people affected by blindness. The C of ABCD syndrome is what distinguishes this genetic disorder from BADS and it involves cell migration disorder of the neurocytes of the gut. This characteristic occurs when nerve cells do not function correctly in the gut, which results in aganglionosis: The intestines’ failure to move food along the digestive tract. Deafness or being unresponsive to noise due to very low quality of hearing was reported in every case of ABCD syndrome. The characteristics of ABCD syndrome are clearly evident in an inflicted individual.
No longer considered a separate syndrome, ABCD syndrome is today considered to be a variation of Shah-Waardenburg type IV. Waardenburg syndrome (WS) is described as "the combination of sensorineural hearing loss, hypopigmentation of skin and hair, and pigmentary disturbances of the irides." Hearing loss and deafness, skin mispigmentation and albinism, and pigmentary changes in irises are the similarities between WS and ABCD. According to a dictionary of dermatologic syndromes, Waardenburg syndrome has many notable features, including "depigmentation of hair and skin – white forelock and premature graying of hair, confluent thick eyebrows, heterochromic irides or hypopigmentation of iris, laterally displaced inner canthi, congenital sensorineural deafness, broad nasal root, autosomal dominant disorder, and other associated findings, including black forelocks."
Tetra-amelia syndrome is characterized by the complete absence of all four limbs. The syndrome causes severe malformations of various parts of the body, including the face and head, heart, nervous system, skeleton, and genitalia. In many cases, the lungs are underdeveloped, which makes breathing difficult or impossible. Because children with tetra-amelia syndrome have such serious medical problems, most are stillborn or die shortly after birth.
ABCD syndrome is the acronym for albinism, black lock, cell migration disorder of the neurocytes of the gut, and sensorineural deafness. It has been found to be caused by mutation in the endothelin B receptor gene (EDNRB).
The syndrome is a rare clinical disorder.
- Physical
- Overgrowth
- Accelerated skeletal maturation
- Dysmorphic facial features
- Prominent eyes
- Bluish sclerae
- Coarse eyebrows
- Upturned nose
- Radiologic examination
- Accelerated osseous maturation
- Phalangeal abnormalities
- Tubular thinning of the long bones
- Skull abnormalities
- Mental
- Often associated with intellectual disability (of variable degree)
One of the most prominent and visible symptoms of Nevo Syndrome is the prenatal overgrowth, which continues into the infant and toddler stage. This excessive weight gain can be attributed to the low concentrations of growth hormone and insulin growth factor that are normally present to regulate weight gain. Other common symptoms associated with Nevo Syndrome are the outward wrist-drop, edema in hands and feet, undescended testes, low-set ears, hypotonia, the presence of low muscle tone in children, and long tapered fingers, and a highly arched palate.
Pearson syndrome is a mitochondrial disease characterized by sideroblastic anemia and exocrine pancreas dysfunction. Other clinical features are failure to thrive, pancreatic fibrosis with insulin-dependent diabetes and exocrine pancreatic deficiency, muscle and neurologic impairment, and, frequently, early death. It is usually fatal in infancy. The few patients who survive into adulthood often develop symptoms of Kearns-Sayre syndrome.
It is caused by a deletion in mitochondrial DNA. Pearson syndrome is very rare, less than hundred cases have been reported in medical literature worldwide.
The syndrome was first described by pediatric hematologist and oncologist Howard Pearson in 1979; the deletions causing it were discovered a decade later.
The key affected features of this condition are described in its name.
Scalp: There are raised nodules over the posterior aspect of the scalp, covered by scarred non-hair bearing skin.
Ears: The shape of the pinnae is abnormal, with the superior edge of the pinna being turned over more than usual. The size of the tragus, antitragus and lobule may be small.
Nipples: The nipples are absent or rudimentary. The breasts may be small or virtually absent.
Other features of the condition include:
Dental abnormalities: missing or widely spaced teeth
Syndactyly: toes or fingers may be partially joined proximally
Renal abnormalities: renal hypoplasia, pyeloureteral duplication
Eye abnormalities: Cataract, coloboma of the iris and asymmetric pupils.
Tetra-amelia syndrome ("" + "amelia"), also called autosomal recessive tetraamelia, is an extremely rare autosomal recessive congenital disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs. Other areas of the body are also affected by malformations, such as the face, skull, reproductive organs, anus and pelvis. The disorder is caused by mutations in the WNT3 gene.
It can be detected by the naked eye as well as dental or skull X-Ray testing.
Marshall-Smith Syndrome, discovered in 1971 (Marshall, Graham, Scott, Boner, & Smith), is characterized by unusual accelerated skeletal maturation (usually starting before birth) and symptoms like conspicuous physical characteristics, respiratory difficulties, and mental retardation. Cases described in the literature show a clinical variability regarding related symptoms. For instance, respiratory difficulties are ranging from absent to severe difficulties.
The presentation of this condition includes a characteristic facies. The cardiac manifestations include patent ductus arteriosus, congenital hypertrophy of the left ventricle, and pericardial effusions.
Neurodevelopmental outcome appears normal, but obsessive traits and anxiety have been reported. It may also be associated with recurrent infections with low immunoglobulin levels and gastric bleeding, and additional possible associations include lymphoedema and heterochromia iridis.
The following is a list of symptoms that have been associated with Roberts syndrome:
- Bilateral Symmetric Tetraphocomelia- a birth defect in which the hands and feet are attached to shortened arms and legs
- Prenatal Growth Retardation
- Hypomelia (Hypoplasia)- the incomplete development of a tissue or organ; less drastic than aplasia, which is no development at all
- Oligodactyly- fewer than normal number of fingers or toes
- Thumb Aplasia- the absence of a thumb
- Syndactyly- condition in which two or more fingers (or toes) are joined together; the joining can involve the bones or just the skin between the fingers
- Clinodactyly- curving of the fifth finger (little finger) towards the fourth finger (ring finger) due to the underdevelopment of the middle bone in the fifth finger
- Elbow/Knee Flexion Contractures- an inability to fully straighten the arm or leg
- Cleft Lip- the presence of one or two vertical fissures in the upper lip; can be on one side (unilateral) or on both sides (bilateral)
- Cleft Palate- opening in the roof of the mouth
- Premaxillary Protrusion- upper part of the mouth sticks out farther than the lower part of the mouth
- Micrognathia- small chin
- Microbrachycephaly- smaller than normal head size
- Malar Hypoplasia- underdevelopment of the cheek bones
- Downslanting Palpebral Fissures- the outer corners of the eyes point downwards
- Ocular Hypertelorism- unusually wide-set eyes
- Exophthalmos- a protruding eyeball
- Corneal Clouding- clouding of the front-most part of the eye
- Hypoplastic Nasal Alae- narrowing of the nostrils that can decrease the width of the nasal base
- Beaked Nose- a nose with a prominent bridge that gives it the appearance of being curved
- Ear Malformations
- Intellectual disability
- Encephalocele (only in severe cases)- rare defect of the neural tube characterized by sac-like protrusions of the brain
Mortality is high among those severely affected by Roberts syndrome; however, mildly affected individuals may survive to adulthood
Of the following common symptoms of Turner syndrome, an individual may have any combination of symptoms and is unlikely to have all symptoms.
- Short stature
- Lymphedema (swelling) of the hands and feet of a newborn
- Broad chest (shield chest) and widely spaced nipples
- Low posterior hairline
- Low-set ears
- Reproductive sterility
- Rudimentary ovaries gonadal streak (underdeveloped gonadal structures that later become fibrotic)
- Amenorrhoea, the absence of a menstrual period
- Increased weight, obesity
- Shortened metacarpal IV
- Small fingernails
- Characteristic facial features
- Webbed neck from cystic hygroma in infancy
- Aortic valve stenosis
- Coarctation of the aorta
- Bicuspid aortic valve (most common cardiac problem)
- Horseshoe kidney
- Visual impairments – sclera, cornea, glaucoma, etc.
- Ear infections and hearing loss
- High waist-to-hip ratio (the hips are not much bigger than the waist)
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (problems with concentration, memory, attention with hyperactivity seen mostly in childhood and adolescence)
- Nonverbal learning disability (problems with maths, social skills, and spatial relations)
Other features may include a small lower jaw (micrognathia), cubitus valgus, soft upturned nails, palmar crease, and drooping eyelids. Less common are pigmented moles, hearing loss, and a high-arch palate (narrow maxilla). Turner syndrome manifests itself differently in each female affected by the condition; therefore, no two individuals share the same features.
While most of the physical findings are harmless, significant medical problems can be associated with the syndrome. Most of these significant conditions are treatable with surgery and medication.
Nevo Syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder that usually begins during the later stages of pregnancy. Nevo Syndrome is caused by a NSD1 deletion, which encodes for methyltransferase involved with chromatin regulation. The exact mechanism as to how the chromatin is changed is unknown and still being studied. Nevo Syndrome is an example of one of about twelve overgrowth syndromes known today. Overgrowth syndromes are characterized with children experiencing a significant overgrowth during pregnancy and also excessive postnatal growth. Studies concerning Nevo Syndrome have shown a similar relation to Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, a connective tissue disorder. Nevo Syndrome is associated with kyphosis, an abnormal increased forward rounding of the spine, joint laxity, postpartum overgrowth, a highly arched palate, undescended testes in males, low-set ears, increased head circumference, among other symptoms.
Since the original identification of Schimmelpenning syndrome, the number of findings has expanded to the point that the syndrome is associated with a considerable constellation of abnormalities. The abnormalities may occur in a variety of combinations, and need not include all three aspects of the classic triad of sebaceous nevus, seizures and mental retardation. In 1998, a literature review by van de Warrenburg et al. found:
- seizures in 67% of cases
- mental retardation in 61% of cases
- ophthalmological abnormalities in 59% of cases
- involvement of other organ systems in 61% of cases
- structural abnormality of cerebrum or cranium in 72% of cases
The major neurological abnormalities include mental retardation to varying extent, seizures, and hemiparesis. Seizures, when present, typically begin during the first year of life. The most common structural central nervous system abnormalities in Schimmelpenning syndrome are hemimegalencephaly and ipselateral gyral malformations.
The major ocular abnormalities are colobomas and choristomas.
Skeletal abnormalities may include dental irregularities, scoliosis, vitamin D-resistant rickets and hypophosphatemia. Cardiovascular abnormalities include ventricular septal defect and co-arctation of the aorta; urinary system issues include horseshoe kidney and duplicated urinary collection system.
Approximately one-third of all women with Turner syndrome have a thyroid disorder. Usually it is hypothyroidism, specifically Hashimoto's thyroiditis. If detected, it can be easily treated with thyroid hormone supplements.
Scalp–ear–nipple syndrome (also known as "Finlay–Marks syndrome") is a condition associated with aplasia cutis congenita.
1. Blood. With Pearson Syndrome, the bone marrow fails to produce white blood cells called neutrophils. The syndrome also leads to anemia, low platelet count, and aplastic anemia It may be confused with transient erythroblastopenia of childhood.
2. Pancreas. Pearson Syndrome causes the exocrine pancreas to not function properly because of scarring and atrophy
Individuals with this condition have difficulty absorbing nutrients from their diet which leads to malabsorption. infants with this condition generally do not grow or gain weight.
Café au lait spots are usually present at birth, permanent, and may grow in size or increase in number over time.
Cafe au lait spots are themselves benign and do not cause any illness or problems. However, they may be associated with syndromes such as Neurofibromatosis Type 1 and McCune-Albright syndrome.
The size and shape of the spots do not have any meaning or implications with regards to diagnosis of associated syndromes.
Diagnosis is visual with measurement of spot size. The number of spots can have clinical significance for diagnosis of associated disorders such as Neurofibromatosis type I. Greater than or equal to 6 spots of at least 5mm in diameter in pre-pubertal children and at least 15mm in post-pubertal individuals is one of the major diagnostic criteria for NF1.
The Kocher–Debré–Semelaigne syndrome is hypothyroidism in infancy or childhood characterised by lower extremity or generalized muscular hypertrophy, myxoedema, short stature and cretinism. The absence of painful spasms and pseudomyotonia differentiates this syndrome from its adult form, which is Hoffmann syndrome.
The syndrome is named after Emil Theodor Kocher, Robert Debré and Georges Semelaigne.
Also known as Debre–Semelaigne syndrome or cretinism-muscular hypertrophy, hypothyroid myopathy, hypothyroidism-large muscle syndrome, hypothyreotic muscular hypertrophy in children, infantile myxoedema-muscular hypertrophy, myopathy-myxoedema syndrome, myxoedema-muscular hypertrophy syndrome, myxoedema-myotonic dystrophy syndrome.
Kocher-Debre-Semelaigne syndrome gives infant a Hercules appearance.
Little is known about the natural history of Roberts syndrome due to its wide clinical variability. The prognosis of the disease depends on the malformations, as the severity of the malformations correlates with survival. The cause of death for most fatalities of Roberts syndrome have not been reported; however, five deaths were reportedly due to infection.
The following are observations that have been made in individuals with cytogenetic findings of PCS/HR or ESCO2 mutations:
- The symptom of prenatal growth retardation is the most common finding and can be moderate to severe. Postnatal growth retardation can also be moderate to severe and correlates with the degree of severity of limb and craniofacial malformations.
- In limb malformations, the upper limbs are typically more severely affected than the lower limbs. There have been many cases of only upper limb malformation.
- In hand malformations, the thumb is most often affected, followed by the fifth finger (the little finger). In severe cases, the patient may only have three fingers and in rare cases only one.
- In craniofacial malformations, mildly affected individuals will have no abnormalities of the palate. The most severely affected will have a fronto-ethmoid-nasal-maxillary encephalocele.
- The severity of limb malformations and craniofacial malformations is correlated.
- Other abnormalities can occur in different parts of the body, including:
- Heart- atrial septal defects, ventricular septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus
- Kidneys- polycystic kidney, horseshoe kidney
- Male Genitals- enlarged penis, cryptorchidism
- Female Genitals- enlarged clitoris
- Hair- sparse, silvery-blonde scalp hair
- Cranial Nerve Paralysis, Moyamoya disease, Stroke, Intellectual disability
Cantú syndrome (hypertrychotic osteochondrodysplasia) is a rare condition characterized by hypertrichosis, osteochondrodysplasia, and cardiomegaly. Less than 50 cases have been described in the literature; they are associated with a mutation in the "ABCC9"-gene that codes for the ABCC9-protein.