Novel progressive acrodysostosis-like skeletal dysplasia, cerebellar atrophy, and ichthyosis

Am J Med Genet A. 2020 Oct;182(10):2214-2221. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.61782. Epub 2020 Aug 11.

Abstract

Acrodysostosis refers to a rare heterogeneous group of bone dysplasias that share skeletal features, hormone resistance, and intellectual disability. Two genes have been associated with acrodysostosis with or without hormone resistance (PRKAR1A and PDE4D). Severe intellectual disability has been reported with acrodysostosis but brain malformations and ichthyosis have not been reported in these syndromes. Here we describe a female patient with acrodysostosis, intellectual disability, cerebellar hypoplasia, and lamellar ichthyosis. The patient has an evolving distinctive facial phenotype and childhood onset ataxia. X-rays showed generalized osteopenia, shortening of middle and distal phalanges, and abnormal distal epiphysis of the ulna and radius. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed cerebellar atrophy without other brainstem abnormalities. Genetic workup included nondiagnostic chromosomal microarray and skeletal dysplasia molecular panels. These clinical findings are different from any recognized form of acrodysostosis syndrome. Whole exome sequencing did not identify rare or predicted pathogenic variants in genes associated with known acrodysostosis, lamellar ichthyosis, and other overlapping disorders. A broader search for rare alleles absent in healthy population databases and controls identified two heterozygous truncating alleles in FBNL7 and PPM1M genes, and one missense allele in the NPEPPS gene. Identification of additional patients is required to delineate the mechanism of this unique disorder.

Keywords: acrodysostosis; cerebellar ataxia; cerebellar atrophy; lamellar ichthyosis; skeletal dysplasia.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Intramural

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Atrophy / complications
  • Atrophy / diagnosis
  • Atrophy / genetics
  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Calcium-Binding Proteins / genetics*
  • Cerebellum / abnormalities*
  • Cerebellum / pathology
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Developmental Disabilities / complications
  • Developmental Disabilities / diagnosis
  • Developmental Disabilities / genetics
  • Developmental Disabilities / pathology
  • Dysostoses / complications
  • Dysostoses / diagnosis
  • Dysostoses / genetics*
  • Dysostoses / pathology
  • Epiphyses / physiopathology
  • Exome Sequencing
  • Female
  • Heterozygote
  • Humans
  • Ichthyosis / complications
  • Ichthyosis / diagnosis
  • Ichthyosis / genetics*
  • Ichthyosis / pathology
  • Intellectual Disability / complications
  • Intellectual Disability / diagnosis
  • Intellectual Disability / genetics*
  • Intellectual Disability / pathology
  • Middle Aged
  • Musculoskeletal Abnormalities / genetics
  • Musculoskeletal Abnormalities / physiopathology
  • Mutation, Missense / genetics
  • Nervous System Malformations / complications
  • Nervous System Malformations / diagnosis
  • Nervous System Malformations / genetics*
  • Nervous System Malformations / pathology
  • Osteochondrodysplasias / complications
  • Osteochondrodysplasias / diagnosis
  • Osteochondrodysplasias / genetics*
  • Osteochondrodysplasias / pathology
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases / genetics*
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Calcium-Binding Proteins
  • FBLN7 protein, human
  • PPM1M protein, human
  • Phosphoprotein Phosphatases

Supplementary concepts

  • Acrodysostosis
  • Cerebellar Hypoplasia