[Cutis laxa associated to cardiac failure] / Cutis Laxa associada à insuficiência cardíaca congestiva.

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To focus attention on a rare pathology of the childhood which presents premature aging of the skin and can be lethal. METHODS: The authors present a case of cutis laxa, syndrome of premature aging, in an eight year-old child, and discuss the classification, diagnosis and prognosis of the disease. RESULTS: The child presented signs of premature aging when he was four years-old. The diagnosis of cutis laxa was confirmed by skin biopsy. The patient presented heart failure, a systemic complication different from those previously described, and died at eight years of age. CONCLUSIONS: The importance of the diagnosis of cutis laxa resides in the fact that besides characteristic dermatological findings, there are frequent systemic complications that can be the focus of preventive measures, since there is no specific treatment for this disease. Genetic counseling is another important issue in this condition.