Lipoprotein Lipase Deficiency.

OBJECTIVES: To analyse the clinical and molecular spectrum of Lipoprotein Lipase (LPL) deficiency and to highlight the effect of a cost-effective indigenous diet for management of this disorder. METHODS: This is a single-centre retrospective study. Fifteen patients from 14 kindreds with severe hypertriglyceridemia (more than 1000 mg/dl) were evaluated for a period of 12.5 y at Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kerala, India. RESULTS: Thirteen of 15 patients were referred after incidental detection of lipemic plasma, 1/15 had chylothorax in the neonatal period and 1/15 had pancreatitis. The mean age of presentation was 7 mo (ranging from 2 d to 4 y), and 20% of the patients had a positive history of consanguinity. Hepatomegaly (15/15), splenomegaly (9/15) and lipemia retinalis (14/15) were common findings. Lipemia retinalis was a useful non-invasive diagnostic tool. All the patients were subjected to diet modification and followed up at regular intervals. Fourteen of 15 complied with the diet, resulting in a dramatic improvement in the fasting lipid profile; only 1/15 developed pancreatitis. Genetic screening analysis was offered to 14/15 patients (1/15 was lost to follow-up); six different variants were identified, of which two were novel variants. CONCLUSIONS: Lipemic serum, chylothorax and recurrent pancreatitis in children should raise the suspicion of Lipoprotein Lipase deficiency. Early diagnosis and prompt initiation of a stringent fat-restricted diet are the keys to success for the management of LPL deficiency and prevention of pancreatitis.

Osteoglophonic Dysplasia: Phenotypic and Radiological Clues.

Osteoglophonic dysplasia (OD) is an extremely rare, skeletal dysplasia with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. Rhizomelic dwarfism, craniosynostosis, impacted teeth, hypodontia or anodontia, and multiple nonossifying bone lesions are the salient features of this condition. We report a 14-year-old girl with clinical and radiological features consistent with OD. She presented with disproportionate short stature, craniosynostosis, a prominent supraorbital ridge, delayed teeth eruption, hypodontia, and multiple nonossifying bone lesions in the femur, tibia, and fibula. She had hypophosphatemia, which is a known association in this dysplasia. She also had advanced bone age, which is an unreported feature of this dysplasia. This condition is caused by activating mutations in FGFR1 . A missense mutation was detected in the FGFR1 , NM_001174067 ( FGFR1 _v001):c.1115G > A [p.(Cys372Tyr)] confirming the diagnosis; this is the first mutation-proven case to be reported from India.

Cardiac spectrum, cytogenetic analysis and thyroid profile of 418 children with Down syndrome from South India: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the spectrum of congenital heart disease in children with Down syndrome and their cytogenetic profile (and that of parents of those with translocation), and thyroid profile. METHODS: A cross sectional study was conducted in 418 consecutive patients with Down syndrome attending the Department of Pediatric Genetics from a tertiary care centre in Kerala with a comprehensive Pediatric Cardiac Program, from November 2005 through April 2012. All children were offered cytogenetic analysis and were subjected to echocardiography. Parental karyotyping was offered for children with translocation type of Down syndrome. The thyroid profiles of all children were checked at the first visit and once every 6 mo during follow up. RESULTS: Congenital heart disease was present in 256 (63.4 %) of 404 children with Down syndrome. Ventricular septal defect (72; 28.1 %) was the commonest, followed by atrio-ventricular septal defect (70; 27.3 %) and patent ductus arteriosus (43; 16.8 %). Surgical correction was accomplished in 104 (40.6 %) with excellent intermediate-term outcomes. Three hundred eighty seven of 418 children (92.6 %) underwent cytogenetic tests. The abnormalities included non-disjunction (340, 87.8 %), translocation (33, 8.5 %) and mosaicism (12, 3.1 %). Hypothyroidism was detected in 57 children (13.6 %). CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of congenital heart disease in children with Down syndrome in Kerala is the highest reported (63.4 %). Ventricular septal defect is the most common heart disease in the present study. The results highlight the changing attitudes of families towards the surgical correction of congenital heart disease in children with Down syndrome. Prevalence of hypothyroidism in Down syndrome in Kerala is 13.6 %.

Macrostomia, thin upper vermilion border, long philtrum, broad halluces, and intellectual disability in two sibs.

We report on two sibs with marked global developmental delay, hearing loss, unusual facial morphology (hypertelorism, long philtrum, exaggerated cupid bow upper lip, thin upper vermilion, large mouth), and broad halluces which were partly bifid on radiographs. The phenotype in the sibs resembles acrocallosal syndrome but differs in absence of macrocephaly, underdeveloped callosal body, and post-axial polydactyly. The patients also resemble Greig cephalopolysyndactyly syndrome but the absence of macrocephaly, broad thumbs, polydactyly, affected sibs and parents make this diagnosis unlikely. Classical cytogenetic and array CGH failed to show an abnormality. The sibs may have a hitherto undescribed entity, possibly with an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance.