A case of atypical late-onset Netherton syndrome without bamboo hair / 中华皮肤科杂志

A 24-year-old female patient presented with recurrent itchy annular erythema and scales on the trunk and extremities for 9 years. Histopathological study revealed hyperkeratosis with focal parakeratosis, neutrophil aggregation in the stratum corneum, blisters below the stratum corneum, and perivascular infiltration with lymphocytes, a small number of eosinophils and neutrophils in the superficial and middle dermis. Direct immunofluorescence assay showed negative staining for IgG, IgM, IgA and C3. Whole-exome sequencing of the SPINK5 gene showed a missense mutation c.2423C>T (p.T808I) in exon 25, and a splicing site mutation c.2965-1G>A in exon 31. The compound heterozygosity for the two mutations may be the cause of Netherton syndrome in the patient. Based on the clinical manifestations and genetic testing results, the patient was diagnosed with Netherton syndrome.

A Case of Netherton's Syndrome in a Newborn

Netherton's syndrome is an unusual disorder which consists of triad of ichtyosiform dermatosis, multiple defects of hair shaft and an atopic diathesis. The finding of bamboo hair is pathognomic in Netherton's syndrome and the ichthyosiform dermatosis may consist of either ichtyosis linearis circumflexa or congenital ichthyosiform erythroderma. Often, variability in the clinical features leads to a delay in diagnosis in many cases. We report a case of Netherton's syndrome diagnosed in the neonatal period. The patient presented with severe ichthyosis and confirmed microscopically distinctive bamboo hair.