Use of telemedicine for ichthyosis: Patient advocacy group as conduit to expert physician advice.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Patients with rare diseases are challenged when it comes to finding physicians with expertise in their condition. The Foundation for Ichthyosis and Related Skin Types (FIRST) Tele-Ichthyosis program has provided telemedicine for patients and their families with keratinizing disorders since 2009. This study aims to characterize a decade of experience with the program. METHODS: This retrospective cohort study analyzed cases for demographics of patients and the clinicians who submitted their cases, nature of questions asked, number of expert responses, and characteristics of responses. Surveys were sent electronically to all users of the FIRST Tele-Ichthyosis service to assess experiences with the service and solicit constructive recommendations. Descriptive statistics were performed on the case review and responder surveys. RESULTS: Eighty-eight geographically diverse cases were reviewed showing increased use over time by various specialists for patients of all ages. Sixty-six percent of cases were definitively ichthyosis, and most submitters queried on diagnosis (47%) or treatment (72%). Most submitters described the service as easy to use (66.6%) and advice as timely (61.1%), clear (66.6%), and beneficial (61.1%). All submitters made suggestions for improvement (100%). Experts predominately worked with pediatric populations (70%) and reported self-motivation to volunteer and improve patients' lives (100%). Experts found technological barriers minor and provided feedback to enhance the service. CONCLUSIONS: This report highlights how a rare-disease patient advocacy group successfully supports physician collaboration and patient outcomes through secure and efficient telemedicine. Lessons learned are highly relevant in the current healthcare environment.

Gorlin Syndrome: Assessing Genotype-Phenotype Correlations and Analysis of Early Clinical Characteristics as Risk Factors for Disease Severity.

PURPOSE: Gorlin syndrome (GS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by lifetime risk of basal cell carcinomas (BCCs), skeletal anomalies (SAs), and other extracutaneous neoplasms. There is great variation in disease severity, and a genotype-phenotype correlation has not been well established. Here, we investigate whether patients' clinical characteristics predict disease severity to inform clinical decision making. METHODS: Data of 248 patients with GS were collected between 2014 and 2021 from three institutions. Multivariable regression analyses were performed to investigate whether clinical characteristics predicted disease burden. Genotype-phenotype correlations were investigated in 40 patients. RESULTS: Patients with SAs had a mean increase of 120 lifetime BCCs (95% CI, 27.1 to 213) relative to patients without SAs. Those with ≥ 2 SAs had 2.45 increased odds (95% CI, 1.01 to 5.91) of advanced or metastatic BCCs. Moreover, the presence of multiple SAs was associated with 5.00 increased odds of having a keratocystic odontogenic tumor (95% CI, 2.22 to 11.3) and 2.79 increased odds of an ovarian fibroma (95% CI, 1.05 to 7.40). Genotype-phenotype analyses showed that missense/in-frame mutations were more likely to be hereditary compared with severe deleterious mutation types (100% v 27%; P = .004). In addition, heat map visualization illustrated that those with more deleterious variants, like large deletions, trended toward increased burden of SAs and BCCs per year. CONCLUSION: GS patients with SAs may be at greater risk for developing more numerous and severe BCCs and other neoplastic growths including keratocystic odontogenic tumors and ovarian fibromas. Current clinical guidelines suggest yearly follow-up in individuals with GS. Since SAs are usually recognized at the time of diagnosis, our results suggest that more vigilant lifetime multidisciplinary surveillance should be considered for these patients starting in childhood.