Overgrowth syndromes with vascular malformations.

This review provides a clinically-oriented summary of the most commonly encountered overgrowth syndromes associated with vascular malformations. This manuscript will outline morphologic features, clinical evaluation and management of this complex group of patients. Recent genetic advances have aided in classification and help to explain overlapping clinical features in many cases.

Proteus syndrome caused by novel somatic AKT1 duplication.

Proteus syndrome (PS) is a rare overgrowth disorder that presents with asymmetrical growth of the bone and fat tissues following a mosaic pattern mutation. The estimated worldwide incidence is approximately one in one million live births. Proteus syndrome causes disfigurement and psychological impact through its effects on somatic tissue. Due to its rarity and diversity of tissues involved, it represents a significant challenge to caregivers and multidisciplinary medical teams. Here, we report a Saudi girl, with a large left cervical mass discovered antenatally. This mass was identified as a growing cystic hygroma, and she had features of overgrowth and hemangiomas. Whole exome sequencing was negative from the blood lymphocytes and affected tissue sample.  However, deletion duplication analysis from tissue shows a novel mosaic somatic mutation of the AKT1 gene. Somatic mutation remains an obstacle, and the geneticist has an essential role in its management, providing an established genetic diagnosis, prognosis, and family counselling.

Overgrowth syndromes and new therapies.

Overgrowth syndromes represent a diverse group of disorders with overlapping features. Interdisciplinary management by a team of experts in vascular anomalies is crucial for establishing the correct diagnosis and optimizing outcomes for these patients. Unique management considerations include increased risk for thrombosis and in some cases, cancer. In recent years, research has demonstrated that these disorders are primarily caused by somatic mutations in growth pathways, particularly the PI3K-mTOR pathway. This improved understanding had led to promising new therapies for this group of patients.

What's New in Genetic Skin Diseases.

The discoveries of new genes underlying genetic skin diseases have occurred at a rapid pace, supported by advances in DNA sequencing technologies. These discoveries have translated to an improved understanding of disease mechanisms at a molecular level and identified new therapeutic options based on molecular targets. This article highlights just a few of these recent discoveries for a diverse group of skin diseases, including tuberous sclerosis complex, ichthyoses, overgrowth syndromes, interferonopathies, and basal cell nevus syndrome, and how this has translated into novel targeted therapies and improved patient care.

[Macrodactylies of the hand and foot]. / Les macrodactylies de la main et du pied.

Macrodactyly is a rare congenital anomaly defined by an enlargement of all the structures of fingers or toes. Two forms of macrodactyly have been described. One form is static with an enlargement present at birth and growing proportionately to the other digits. The other is progressive with an enlargement beginning in early childhood and growing faster than that of the normal digits. Macrodactyly is responsible of a functional handicap and an aesthetic prejudice. Treatment may be indicated for this reason. Treatment must be individualised and depends on the proportionate size of the enlarged finger, growth rate and the patient's age when first seen. The parents and the child should be advised that multiple procedures may be required and that the result will be somewhat unsatisfactory. Surgical approaches include either reconstructive surgery or amputation. Amputation is indicated at any age for a large, unsightly and stiff digit that interferes with function of the rest of the hand. In feet with involvement of the lesser toes, proximal amputation has the best cosmetic and functional outcome. Epiphyseal arrest, bulk reduction procedures, finger shortening, lateral closing-wedge osteotomies or stripping of the nerves can be performed in the other cases.

Kasabach-Merritt syndrome caused by giant hemangiomas of the spleen in patients with Proteus syndrome.

Proteus syndrome is a rare hamartomous disorder with highly variable manifestations of disproportionate overgrowth of body parts, epidermal nevi and vascular malformations. We describe two patients who had typical clinical and imaging Proteus syndrome features. One of most characteristic findings in these two patients was that they had giant hemangiomas of the spleen that caused Kasabach-Merritt syndrome, demonstrating clinical bleeding and disseminated intravascular coagulation laboratory alterations. The present two cases are the first report of this complication in Proteus syndrome. The patients' bleeding tendency and hemostatic defects were completely corrected after they successfully underwent splenectomy.

The challenges of Proteus syndrome: diagnosis and management.

Proteus syndrome (PS) is a disorder of patchy or mosaic postnatal overgrowth of unknown etiology. The onset of overgrowth typically occurs in infancy and can involve any tissue of the body. Commonly involved tissues include connective tissue and bone, skin, central nervous system, the eye, but it apparently can affect any tissue. Diagnosing of PS is difficult and the diagnostic criteria are controversial. Our group advocates stringent diagnostic criteria to facilitate research and appropriate clinical care. The benefit of strict criteria is that they define a clinical group that is reasonably homogenous with respect to manifestations and prognosis. The overgrowth of PS is progressive and can be difficult to manage. The progressive overgrowth most commonly causes severe orthopaedic complications, but it can cause many other complications. One of the most common complications in patients with PS is deep venous thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, which can cause premature death. Effective management requires knowledge of the wide array of manifestations and complications of the disorder and a team approach that includes the geneticist, surgeons, and other specialists.

Targeted therapy for genetic cancer syndromes: Von Hippel-Lindau disease, Cowden syndrome, and Proteus syndrome.

Von Hippel-Lindau disease, Cowden syndrome, and Proteus syndrome are cancer syndromes which affect multiple organs and lead to significant decline in quality of life in affected patients. These syndromes are rare and typically affect the adolescent and young adult population, resulting in greater cumulative years of life lost. Improved understanding of the underpinnings of the genetic pathways underlying these syndromes and the rapid evolution of targeted therapies in general have made it possible to develop therapeutic options for these patients and other genetic cancer syndromes. Targeted therapies especially antiangiogenics and inhibitors of the PIK3CA/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway have shown activity in selected group of patients affected by these syndromes or in patients harboring specific sporadic mutations which are otherwise characteristic of these syndromes. Unfortunately due to the rare nature, patients with these syndromes are not the focus of clinical trials and unique results seen in these patients can easily go unnoticed. Most of the data suggesting benefits of targeted therapies are either case reports or small case series. Thus, a literature review was indicated. In this review we explore the use of molecularly targeted therapy options in Von Hippel-Lindau disease, Cowden syndrome, and Proteus syndrome.

Proteus syndrome: a natural clinical course of Proteus syndrome.

A 16-year-old Korean male patient presented with macrodactyly, hemihypertrophy of the face and extremities, plantar cerebriform hyperplasia, a subcutaneous mass of the left chest, macrocephaly and verrucous epidermal nevi. These findings are consistent with Proteus Syndrome. The clinical features, etiology, management, natural course and differential diagnosis of this case are discussed.

Proteus Syndrome: a difficult diagnosis and management plan.

RATIONALE: Proteus Syndrome (PS) is an extremely rare congenital pathology that causes overgrowth of multiple tissues, in particular bone and fat, following a mosaic pattern. The estimated incidence is of less than 1 per 1,000.000 live births and represents a significant challenge to the pediatric and orthopedic surgeons in order to establish a diagnosis and to elaborate a management plan. OBJECTIVES: We had the opportunity of treating many children who were afflicted by overgrowth syndromes and have been previously misdiagnosed as Proteus Syndrome in our department of pediatric and orthopedic surgery of "Maria Sklodowska Curie" Clinical Emergency Hospital for Children. This study helped us develop a diagnostic for these patients and report the first case of a confirmed PS in Romania. METHODS AND RESULTS: We report the case of a 5-year-old white male who is in the attention of the clinic since birth. He presented with multiple overgrowth bone segments, fatty subcutaneous or intraabdominal tumors and other connective tissues abnormalities. All the tests performed confirmed the diagnosis of PS at the age of 4 and the management is still to be decided. DISCUSSIONS: We followed the latest diagnostic indications and the patient fulfilled the general and specific criteria. The treatment is still in progress and it represents a challenge for the multidisciplinary medical team.

Proteus syndrome: an update.

Proteus syndrome is a complex disorder consisting variably of disproportionate, asymmetric overgrowth of body parts; cerebriform connective tissue nevi; epidermal nevi; vascular malformations of the capillary, venous, and lymphatic types; and dysregulated adipose tissue. Serious complications may ensue, such as pulmonary embolism, cystic lung disease, and various neoplasms. Somatic mosaicism, lethal in the nonmosaic state, is the best working hypothesis. Although Proteus syndrome data are consistent with this hypothesis, it has not been proven. The etiology is unknown to date. Diagnostic criteria are emphasized because misdiagnosis of Proteus syndrome is common. Finally, evaluation and management are discussed.

The multifaceted challenges of Proteus syndrome.

Proteus syndrome is a rare and sporadic disorder that causes postnatal overgrowth of multiple tissues in a mosaic pattern. The overgrowth can involve skin, subcutaneous tissue, connective tissue (including bone), the central nervous system, and viscera. Complications of Proteus syndrome include, among others, progressive skeletal deformities, invasive lipomas, benign and malignant tumors, and deep venous thrombosis with pulmonary embolism. Care of patients with Proteus syndrome presents significant challenges to both physicians and parents because of the various medical as well as psychosocial consequences of the disease. Herein, the case of a 5-year-old patient who manifested a number of these complications is presented. Current knowledge about the diagnosis, natural history, etiology, and management of the disorder is reviewed.

Epidermal nevus syndromes.

A clinical entity called "the epidermal nevus syndrome" does not exist. Rather, there are various epidermal nevus syndromes that can be distinguished by clinical, histopathological, and genetic criteria. In this review, five distinct epidermal nevus syndromes, recognizable by different types of associated epithelial nevi, are described. The Schimmelpenning syndrome is characterized by a sebaceous nevus associated with cerebral anomalies, coloboma, and lipodermoid of the conjunctiva. By contrast, cataracts are a prominent feature of the nevus comedonicus syndrome. The pigmented hairy epidermal nevus syndrome includes Becker nevus, ipsilateral hypoplasia of the breast, and skeletal defects such as scoliosis. In the Proteus syndrome, the associated epidermal nevus is of a flat, velvety, nonorganoid type. The CHILD syndrome occurs almost exclusively in girls. The associated CHILD nevus shows unique features such as a diffuse form of lateralization, ptychotropism, and microscopic changes of verruciform xanthoma. The five epidermal nevus syndromes differ in their genetic basis. The Schimmelpenning and nevus comedonicus syndromes are most likely nonhereditary traits. By contrast, the pigmented hairy epidermal nevus syndrome and the Proteus syndrome may be explained by paradominant inheritance. The CHILD syndrome is caused by an X-linked dominant mutation exerting a lethal effect on male embryos. A correct diagnosis of these phenotypes is important for both recognition and treatment of associated anomalies as well as for genetic counseling.

Hamartosis y asimetría corporal / Harmartosis and body asymetric

En el presente trabajo se ha ilustrado 5 enfermedades que tienen en común la hipertrofia asimétrica de miembros: Klippel-Treanunay-Weber, Proteus, Ollier, Maffucci y Neurofibromatosis. Estas cinco entidades son poco conocidas. Se requiere mostrar sus características clínico-radiológicas mejorando así el diagnóstico y tratamiento de las mismas. La etiología en todos los casos es desconocida. No se ha encontrado transmisión hereditaria, excepto en la Neurofibromatosis. No van asociadas a retardo mental. Las características clínicas son: en el sindrome Klippel-Trenaunay-Weber: Hemangiomas, hiertrofia ósea y/o de tejidos blandos, varicosidades. En el sindrome proteus: gigantismo de manos y/o pies, hipertrofia ósea y/o de tejidos blando. En la enfermedad de Ollier: Encontromas.En el sindrome Maffucci: Encondromas y hemangiomas. Y en la Neurofibromatosis, manchas café con leche, nerufibromas, hipertrofia ósea y/o de tejidos blandos, escoliosis, angulación de la tibia. El pronóstico depende de las complicaciones, pero generalmente es benigno; en la mayoría de los casos, compatible con la vida normal. Los exámenes radiológicos son muy importantes para el diagnóstico y tratamiento, observándose imágenes de ensanchamiento, alargamiento, angulación, acortamiento óseo y anomalias vasculares entre otras. El tratamiento depende del cuadro de cada paciente siendo el rol más importante el del cirujano ortopédico, despús de haberse llegado a un diagnóstico multidisciplinario