Thoracic Dystrophy Research Articles

Syndromic Retinitis Pigmentosa.

Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a progressive inherited retinal dystrophy, characterized by the degeneration of photoreceptors, presenting as a rod-cone dystrophy. Approximately 20-30% of patients with RP also exhibit extra-ocular manifestations in the context of a syndrome. This manuscript discusses the broad spectrum of syndromes associated with RP, pathogenic mechanisms, clinical manifestations, differential diagnoses, clinical management approaches, and future perspectives. Given the diverse clinical and genetic landscape of syndromic RP, the diagnosis may be challenging. However, an accurate and timely diagnosis is essential for optimal clinical management, prognostication, and potential treatment. Broadly, the syndromes associated with RP can be categorized into ciliopathies, inherited metabolic disorders, mitochondrial disorders, and miscellaneous syndromes. Among the ciliopathies associated with RP, Usher syndrome and Bardet-Biedl syndrome are the most well-known. Less common ciliopathies include Cohen syndrome, Joubert syndrome, cranioectodermal dysplasia, asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, Mainzer-Saldino syndrome, and RHYNS syndrome. Several inherited metabolic disorders can present with RP including Zellweger spectrum disorders, adult Refsum disease, α-methylacyl-CoA racemase deficiency, certain mucopolysaccharidoses, ataxia with vitamin E deficiency, abetalipoproteinemia, several neuronal ceroid lipofuscinoses, mevalonic aciduria, PKAN/HARP syndrome, PHARC syndrome, and methylmalonic acidaemia with homocystinuria type cobalamin (cbl) C disease. Due to the mitochondria's essential role in supplying continuous energy to the retina, disruption of mitochondrial function can lead to RP, as seen in Kearns-Sayre syndrome, NARP syndrome, primary coenzyme Q10 deficiency, SSBP1-associated disease, and long chain 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency. Lastly, Cockayne syndrome and PERCHING syndrome can present with RP, but they do not fit the abovementioned hierarchy and are thus categorized as 'Miscellaneous'. Several first-in-human clinical trials are underway or in preparation for some of these syndromic forms of RP.

Surgical timing for asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy.

This report describes a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy who experienced severe respiratory distress and multiple complications after undergoing a corrective operation for a thoracic deformity. The optimal age for children with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy to receive a corrective operation is between 6 and 12 years old. For children under 6 years old, the decision to undergo an operation should be carefully evaluated.

Lethal Complications and Complex Genotypes in Shwachman Diamond Syndrome: Report of a Family with Recurrent Neonatal Deaths and a Case-Based Brief Review of the Literature.

Shwachman Diamond Syndrome (SDS) is a multi-system disease characterized by exocrine pancreatic insufficiency with malabsorption, infantile neutropenia and aplastic anemia. Life-threatening complications include progression to acute myeloid leukemia (AML) or myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS), critical deep-tissue infections and asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy. In most patients, SDS results from biallelic pathogenic variants in the SBDS gene, different combinations of which contribute to heterogenous clinical presentations. Null variants are not well tolerated, supporting the theory that the loss of SBDS expression is likely lethal in both mice and humans. A novel complex genotype (SBDS:c.[242C>G;258+2T>C];[460-1G>A]/WFS1:c.[2327A>T];[1371G>T]) was detected in a family with recurrent neonatal deaths. A female neonate died three hours after birth with hemolytic anemia, and a male neonate with severe anemia, thrombocytopenia and neutropenia succumbed on day 40 after Staphylococcus epidermidis infection. A subsequent review of the literature focused on fatal complications, complex SBDS genotypes and/or unusual clinical presentations and disclosed rare cases, of which some had unexpected combinations of genetic and clinical findings. The impact of pathogenic variants and associated phenotypes is discussed in the context of data sharing towards expanding scientific expert networks, consolidating knowledge and advancing an understanding of novel underlying genotypes and complex phenotypes, facilitating informed clinical decisions and disease management.

THU147 Peritoneal Dialysis To Improve Hyperglycemic Hyperosmolar State In Child With Renal Failure

Abstract Disclosure: P. Choudhari: None. S. Mootha: None. Background: Hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS) without ketosis is rare in children. While the crux of management of HHS is extensive hydration followed by insulin, this management can be difficult for children with kidney failure. Clinical Case: A 6-year-old female with complex medical history including Jeune syndrome (asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy), end stage renal disease status post kidney transplant, currently with rejection, now on peritoneal dialysis (PD), and history of steroid induced hyperglycemia was admitted for altered mental status. Several days prior to the current admission, she was admitted for an upper respiratory infection and found to have hyponatremia, which improved with fluid restriction and sodium supplementation. Subsequent worsening of hyponatremia led to adjustments in her PD to include higher amounts of dextrose in the dialysate (1.5% to 2.5%). At the current admission, she was found to have a blood glucose of 2096 mg/dL, uncorrected sodium of 121 mg/dL, corrected to 153 mg/dL, serum osmolality of 406 mOsm/kg, and hemoglobin A1c of 11.3%. She had mild acidemia and beta-hydroxybutyrate of 0.5 mmol/L. She was transferred to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) and intubated given her waxing and waning mental status and complex history. Since she was anuric, fluid resuscitation was carefully managed. She received a total of 14 mL/kg normal saline boluses, which lowered blood glucose by about 240 mg/dL. Multidisciplinary conversations between PICU, Endocrinology, and Nephrology culminated with a plan to attempt to slowly reduce blood glucose levels via PD prior to using regular insulin infusion. 24-hour PD was restarted with lower dextrose in the dialysate (1.5%). Due to persistent hypotension, she required norepinephrine infusion and stress dose hydrocortisone. With PD, blood glucose levels decreased by 20-30 mL/kg/hr in the first day. Regular insulin infusion was started, while continuing 24-hour PD, after blood glucoses stagnated at 1400-1500 mg/dL. After 4-5 days of PD and insulin infusion, the child’s blood glucoses decreased to 300-400 mg/dL. After tolerating her g-tube feeds, she was transitioned to an insulin pump as she was requiring high doses of insulin (1.8 units/kg/hr). Conclusion: We present a child with complex medical history, including history of steroid induced hyperglycemia, end stage renal disease status post renal transplant, anuria, currently on PD, who developed hyperglycemic hyperosmolar state (HHS). PD helped to lower her significant hyperglycemia, initially without insulin. There are few case reports on the use of PD or hemodialysis to improve hyperglycemia or hypernatremia in children with renal failure. This case demonstrates dialysis can be an effective strategy to attempt for children in a hyperosmolar state in whom aggressive fluid management can be detrimental. Presentation: Thursday, June 15, 2023

Skeletal Dysplasia: A Case Report.

This paper presents a rare case of fetal hydrops detected at just 23 weeks of gestation in a 22-year-old woman's first pregnancy. The fetal ultrasound revealed severe skeletal anomalies, craniofacial deformities, and thoracic abnormalities, suggesting a complex and severe skeletal dysplasia, potentially type IA Achondrogenesis-a lethal autosomal recessive condition marked by ossification delay. This case highlights the significance of advanced genetic testing, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and whole-genome sequencing (WGS), in diagnosing and understanding skeletal dysplasias. Skeletal dysplasias represent a group of genetic disorders that affect osteogenesis. The prevalence of this condition is 1 in 4000 births. Sadly, 25% of affected infants are stillborn, and around 30% do not survive the neonatal period. There is a wide range of rare skeletal dysplasias, each with its own specific recurrence risk, dysmorphic expression, and implications for neonatal survival and quality of life. When skeletal dysplasia is incidentally discovered during routine ultrasound screening in a pregnancy not known to be at risk of a specific syndrome, a systematic examination of the limbs, head, thorax, and spine is necessary to reach the correct diagnosis. Prenatal diagnosis of skeletal dysplasia is crucial for providing accurate counselling to future parents and facilitating the proper management of affected pregnancies. An accurate diagnosis can be a real challenge due to the wide spectrum of clinical presentations of skeletal dysplasia but advances in imaging technologies and molecular genetics have improved accuracy. Additionally, some of these skeletal dysplasias may present clinical overlap, making it especially difficult to distinguish. After the 11th revision of genetic skeletal disorder nosology, there are 771 entities associated with 552 gene mutations. The most common types of skeletal dysplasia are thanatophoric dysplasia, osteogenesis imperfect, achondroplasia, achondrogenesis, and asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy.

Jeune syndrome: Case report

Jeune syndrome, also known as asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, was first described by Jeune et al in a couple of siblings back in 1955. He described 2 boys with certain distinctive characteristics, particularly a severely narrow thorax [1]. We now know it is a rare genetic condition presented in only 1 per 1000 000 130 000 live births in the USA [1].

Clinical variability in DYNC2H1-related skeletal ciliopathies includes Ellis-van Creveld syndrome.

Deleterious variants of DYNC2H1 gene are associated with a wide spectrum of skeletal ciliopathies (SC). We used targeted parallel sequencing to analyze 25 molecularly unsolved families with different SCs. Deleterious DYNC2H1 variants were found in six sporadic patients and two monozygotic (MZ) twins. Clinical diagnoses included short rib-polydactyly type 3 in two cases, and asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (ATD) in one case. Remarkably, clinical diagnosis fitted with EvC, mixed ATD/EvC and short rib-polydactyly/EvC phenotypes in three sporadic patients and the MZ twins. EvC/EvC-like features always occurred in compound heterozygotes sharing a previously unreported splice site change (c.6140-5A>G) or compound heterozygotes for two missense variants. These results expand the DYNC2H1 mutational repertoire and its clinical spectrum, suggesting that EvC may be occasionally caused by DYNC2H1 variants presumably acting as hypomorphic alleles.

Revision after prior failed pectus excavatum repair: higher risks and greater complications than primary surgery.

Revision of a prior failed pectus excavatum (PE) repair is occasionally required. These procedures may be technically more complex and have a greater risk of complications. This study was performed to evaluate the outcomes of adult patients undergoing revision procedures. A retrospective review of adult patients who underwent revision of a prior PE repair from 2010 to 2023 at Mayo Clinic Arizona was performed. Patients were classified by prior procedure [minimally invasive repair of pectus excavatum (MIRPE), Open/Ravitch, and both] and the type of revision procedure performed [MIRPE, hybrid MIRPE, complex hybrid reconstruction, or complex reconstruction of acquired thoracic dystrophy (ATD)]. Outcomes and complications of these groups were analyzed and compared. In total, 190 revision cases were included (mean age was 33±10 years; 72.6% males, mean Haller Index: 4.4±1.8). For the initial repair procedure, 90 (47.4%) patients had a previous MIRPE, 87 (45.8%) patients a prior open repair, and thirteen (6.8%) patients had both. Furthermore, 30 (15.8%) patients had two or more prior interventions. Patients having had a prior MIRPE were able to be repaired with a revision MIRPE in 82.2% of the cases. Conversely, patients with a prior open repair (including those who had both prior MIRPE and open repairs) were much more likely to require complex reconstructions (85%) as none of the ATD patients in this group had an attempted MIRPE. Operative times were shortest in the MIRPE redo approach and longest in the complex reconstruction of the ATD patients (MIRPE 3.5±1.3 hours, ATD 6.9±1.8 hours; P<0.001). The median length of hospital stay was 5 days [interquartile range (IQR), 3.0 days] with the shortest being the MIRPE approach and the longest occurring in the complex reconstruction of the ATD patients [MIRPE 4 days (IQR, 3.0 days); ATD 7 days (IQR, 4.0 days); P<0.001]. Major and minor complications were more frequent in the ATD complex reconstruction group. Preoperative chronic pain was present in over half of the patients (52.6%). Although resolution was seen in a significant number of patients, significant pain issues persisted in 8.8% of the patients postoperatively. Overall, persistent, long term chronic pain was greatest in the post open/Ravitch patient group (open 13.6% vs. MIRPE 3.6%, P=0.02). Revision of a prior failed PE repair can be technically complex with a high risk of complications, prolonged duration of surgery, and lengthy hospitalization. Chronic pain is prevalent and its failure to completely resolve after surgery is not uncommon. The initial failed repair will influence the type of procedure that can be performed and potentially subsequent complications. Even when some recurrences after previous PE surgeries can be repaired with acceptable results, this study demonstrates the importance of proper primary repair due to these increased risks.

Lateral Thoracic Expansion for Jeune's Syndrome, Surgical Approach, and Technical Details

Jeune's syndrome, or asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (ATD), is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by skeletal dysplasia. Ribs are typically short and horizontal resulting-in lethal variant-in severe lung hypoplasia, progressive respiratory failure, and death. Lateral thoracic expansion (LTE) consists in staggered bilateral ribs osteotomy leading to chest expansion and lung development. Studies on LTE in ATD patients report encouraging data, but the rarity of ATD implies the lack of a standardized surgical path. The aim of this report is to present our experience with LTE, the technical modification we adopted, and patients' clinical outcome. We retrospectively reviewed data of 11 LTE performed in 7 ATD patients with lethal variant. Information regarding pre- and postoperative clinical conditions and surgical details was collected. We adopted a single-stage or a two-stage approach based on patient clinical condition. Computed tomography (CT) scan was performed before and after surgery and lung volume was calculated. Five patients are alive, while two died in intensive care unit for other than respiratory cause (sepsis). Most patients experienced clinical improvement in terms of decreased respiratory infections rate, need for ventilation, and improved exercise tolerance. Postoperative CT scan demonstrated a median lung volume increase of 88%. Mortality in ADT patients is high. However, LTE is a feasible and safe surgical approach, which could improve clinical conditions and survival rate. Survived patients showed postoperatively less oxygen requirement and improved clinical conditions.

Surgical treatment of an overgrown asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy patient

Abstract Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy may affect the development of multiple organs of the body, so these kinds of patients are usually short and thin. We met a 16-year-old female patient whose development exceeded the normal level. Although she was only 16 years old, her height was 167 cm and her weight was 71 Kg. Such development is extremely rare for this kind of patient, and there is no similar report in the previous literature. Comparatively, her thorax was narrow and small, and the ratio of thorax to trunk was uncoordinated, which made her situation particularly serious. We adopted Wenlin procedure combined with Wang procedure for correction. Since these two procedures were ideal orthopaedic operations, and could correct the depression effectively, we finally achieved satisfactory results.

Wang procedure for treatment of asphyxiating thoracic deformity

Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy is a rare and dangerous thoracic deformity, and its operation is challenging. In the past, several operations have been reported, but they all have disadvantages. Wang procedure is a new method for the treatment of pectus excavatum. Because this procedure can effectively eliminate various chest wall depressions, we use it in the treatment of asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy. This paper reports the use of Wang procedure in a 10-year-old child with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, and the result of the operation was satisfactory.

Median thoracic expansion combined with Nuss procedure for asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy

Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy is an extremely rare and complex thoracic deformity, and its operation is challenging. In the past, several kinds of operations have been reported, but they all have disadvantages. We designed a new surgical technique that combines median thoracic expansion with Nuss procedure, and we applied this technique to a 1-year-old patient with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy and achieved satisfactory results.

NPHP3 splice acceptor site variant is associated with infantile nephronophthisis and asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy; A rare combination

Nephronophthisis (NPHP) is a group of rare inherited ciliopathy disorders characterized by the multicystic dysplastic kidney, oligohydramnios, and tubulointerstitial nephritis that progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). NPHP is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder with extrarenal symptoms including skeletal deformities, nervous system anomalies, and ophthalmologic features. Three clinical subtypes, infantile, juvenile, and adolescent, have been recognized based on age of onset of ESRD. Infantile nephronophthisis with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy is a very rare association. Here, we investigated a consanguineous family having two neonates with a clinical phenotype of lethal infantile NPHP associated with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy. Whole exome sequence data analysis identified a splice acceptor site variant (Chr3-132408107-CCT-C; NM_153240.4: c.2694-2_2694-1del) in the NPHP3 gene. The segregation of a variant in the family was confirmed by Sanger sequencing. The lethal phenotype in our case might be due to respiratory insufficiency secondary to a severely restricted thoracic cage. Present work is an exclusive depiction of lethal infantile NPHP phenotype in association with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy that has not been reported before in families segregating NPHP3 mutations. Moreover, this work expands the phenotypic spectrum of NPHP3 variants. Overall, our findings add to the increasing body of evidence that mutations in ciliary genes/proteins show pleiotropic effects with phenotypic overlap between related disorders and apparently unrelated clinical entities.

Wenlin procedure for aphyxiating thoracic dystrophy with severe pulmonary hypertension

Surgery is the only effective method for the treatment of asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, but it was considered that severe pulmonary hypertension was the contraindication. We report a 13-year-old male patient of asphyxiating thoracic dysplasia with severe pulmonary hypertension. We performed Wenlin procedure for him and achieved satisfactory results.

Surgical treatment of asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy with median thoracic expansion and Nuss procedure

Asphyxiating thoracic dystropy can be divided into two types: type I is cylindrical with slight depressions on chest wall, and type II is non-cylindrical with serious depressions on the chest wall. The nature of the depressions determines the choice of operation. For type I patients, the relatively reasonable operation is median thoracic expansion. However, due to the existence of depressions, the effect is not ideal. In order to eliminate the effect of depression, we designed a operation with an additional Nuss procedure to median thoracic expansion. We applied this operation to a 3-year-old patient and achieved good results.

MO042: Biallelic variants in TTC21B as a rare cause of early-onset arterial hypertension and tubuloglomerular kidney disease

Abstract BACKGROUND Massively parallel sequencing (MPS) has propelled precision medicine into the next generation. With genetic data more accessible than ever, the focus has now shifted from obtaining data to converting the acquired data into applicable clinical information. A major obstacle to such task arises when there is limited knowledge of the phenotypic spectrum of a genetic entity, limiting the application of virtual panels and prioritization of genetic candidates. METHOD We performed in-depth clinical, imaging and histological phenotyping of an index family presenting with extremely early-onset hypertension and kidney disease. We then performed genetic investigations on the proband, starting with a limited MPS panel testing for monogenic causes of arterial hypertension. This was followed by Genomics England 100 000 Genomes Project whole genome sequencing (WGS) and application of a 26-gene virtual panel for ‘extreme early-onset hypertension’. Subsequently, we reviewed the 100 000 Genomes Project rare disease data for patients recruited with extreme early-onset hypertension. We also conducted a literature review to identify any existing studies correlating TTC21B mutations and systemic hypertension. RESULTS The proband (Table 1, II.1) was a 3.5-year-old girl presenting with severe hypertension, proteinuria, kidney failure, left ventricular hypertrophy, liver function test abnormalities and growth retardation. A kidney ultrasound scan showed bilateral small kidneys with loss of corticomedullary differentiation. Kidney biopsy showed sclerosed glomeruli, severe tubular atrophy with tubulointerstitial fibrosis in addition to arteriolar changes in secondary to systemic hypertension. Her sibling (Table 1, II.2) equally presented with early-onset hypertension and progressive kidney disease. MPS panel testing and WGS virtual panel for early-onset hypertension both failed to identify pathogenic variants. Manual curation of WGS data then revealed a heterozygous nonsense variant p.(Gln834Ter) in conjunction with a heterozygous missense variant p.(Pro209Leu) in TTC21B, both of which were predicted to be pathogenic according to ACMG criteria. This was missed as the gene did not form part of the hypertension virtual panel. TTC21B mutations have been previously associated with typical ciliopathies such as nephronophthisis (NPHP) and Jeune asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, but only recently implicated in glomerular kidney disease such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Literature review suggests roles for TTC21B (IFT139) both in the primary cilium and in podocyte cytoskeleton, revealing a striking association between TTC21B missense variants and early-onset hypertension. Searching the 100 000 Genomes Project revealed one additional case of arterial hypertension and mild proteinuria explained by biallelic mutations in TTC21B. CONCLUSION In conclusion, biallelic mutations in TTC21B produce a spectrum of phenotypes from typical ciliopathies to kidney-limited phenotypes. The latter are mostly encountered in patients carrying two missense, often hypomorphic, variants, and are characterized by lesions of the glomerular as well as the tubulointerstitial compartment, resembling both FSGS and NPHP. Increased clinical recognition of this mixed glomerular and tubulointerstitial disease with often mild or absent features of a typical ciliopathy as well as inclusion of TTC21B on gene panels for early-onset arterial hypertension may shorten the diagnostic odyssey for patients affected by this rare tubuloglomerular kidney disease.

Laparoscopic gastrostomy in a patient with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy

Asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy (ATD), also known as Jeune syndrome, is an autosomal recessive disease which causes thoracic insufficiency. Complications and life expectancy vary based on specific mutations. Infants with this condition may require operative feeding access in addition to surgery for other associated anomalies. No prior cases of laparoscopic surgery in ATD have been recorded in the literature. This case demonstrates that with proper technique, laparoscopic surgery can be accomplished safely. Newborn diagnosed with ATD prenatally with anatomical 20-week ultrasound who required long term enteral feeding access due to inability to tolerate oral feeds secondary to tachypnea. Patient underwent laparoscopic gastrostomy tube placement at 2 weeks of age. This was well tolerated, and no complications arose from insufflation pressure despite small thoracic volumes. Pressure control ventilation was used along with frequent desufflation breaks. Patient tolerated tube feeds at goal until expiration at 8 weeks of age. Laparoscopic surgery can be safely performed in patients with ATD with appropriate monitoring and ventilatory support. Although ATD is commonly fatal, this type of palliative surgery can improve patients’ quality of life and allow them to discharge home safely so they can spend more time with family.

Lethal and life-limiting skeletal dysplasias: Selected prenatal issues.

Skeletal dysplasias are a heterogeneous group of congenital bone and cartilage disorders with a genetic etiology. The current classification of skeletal dysplasias distinguishes 461 diseases in 42 groups. The incidence of all skeletal dysplasias is more than 1 in every 5000 newborns. The type of dysplasia and associated abnormalities affect the lethality, survival and long-term prognosis of skeletal dysplasias. It is crucial to distinguish skeletal dysplasias and correctly diagnose the disease to establish the prognosis and achieve better management. It is possible to use prenatal ultrasonography to observe predictors of lethality, such as a bell-shaped thorax, short ribs, severe femoral shortening, and decreased lung volume. Individual lethal or life-limiting dysplasias may have more or less specific features on prenatal ultrasound. The prenatal features of the most common skeletal dysplasias, such as thanatophoric dysplasia, osteogenesis imperfecta type II, achondrogenesis, and campomelic dysplasia, are discussed in this article. Less frequent dysplasias, such as asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy, fibrochondrogenesis, atelosteogenesis, and homozygous achondroplasia, are also discussed.

THE CASE OF JEUNE SYNDROME AMONG THE PRECARPATHIAN POPULATION

Despite the fact that Jeune syndrome is rather rare, neonatologists and pediatricians need to be aware of this pathology. This will facilitate early diagnostics of the condition and aid in the choice of the most adequate algorithms for its monitoring and treatment. The aim: To describe the case of Jeune syndrome among the Precarpathian population. Infant patient with Jeune syndrome and relevant medical records. Methods used in the study: clinical-genealogical and syndromal analysis, general clinical examination, radiologic method, including computed tomography (CТ) scan with 3D image reconstruction, methods of ultrasound diagnostics. The study was conducted in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki Ethical Principles. The newborn baby was diagnosed with asphyxiating thoracic dystrophy on the basis of personal observation and conducted complex examination. According to the literature, this syndrome is rarely diagnosed in this age group. The diagnosis was based on the clinical and phenotypic manifestations of the syndrome, primarily on the characteristic association of symptoms of specific chest deformity and severe respiratory failure with oxygen dependence in the patient. Skeletal and pulmonary changes on radiographs and computed tomography scans were rather indicative. Brief follow-up data on the patient at the age of nine months are given.

Distrofia torácica asfixiante o Síndrome de Jeune

La distrofia torácica asfixiante (DTA), también denominada Síndrome de Jeune, es una enfermedad genética autosómica recesiva, cuya causa se desconoce en muchos casos. Sin embargo, se han identificado mutaciones en al menos 11 distintos genes.[1,2] Su frecuencia se estima en 1:130000 recién nacidos vivos.[3] La afección clínica se manifiesta en los huesos, principalmente en el tórax y las costillas. El tórax pequeño y las costillas cortas, son causa de la cavidad torácica, característicamente en “forma de campana” que, restringe el crecimiento y la expansión de los pulmones, lo que causa dificultad respiratoria.[3,4] La forma letal de este síndrome se debe a insuficiencia respiratoria secundaria a la hipoplasia pulmonar y al estrechamiento de la caja torácica.[4] La DTA se puede asociar también con brazos y piernas cortas, formas inusuales de los huesos pélvicos, dedos adicionales de pies o manos y problemas renales, cardíacos, hepáticos y oculares.[1,2,3] El objetivo es reportar un caso clínico de la forma letal de DTA.