Vohwinkel syndrome (mutilating keratoderma) associated with craniofacial anomalies

Hereditary Hearing Impairment with Cutaneous Abnormalities

Syndromic hereditary hearing impairment (HHI) is a clinically and etiologically diverse condition that has a profound influence on affected individuals and their families. As cutaneous findings are more apparent than hearing-related symptoms to clinicians and, more importantly, to caregivers of affected infants and young individuals, establishing a correlation map of skin manifestations and their underlying genetic causes is key to early identification and diagnosis of syndromic HHI. In this article, we performed a comprehensive PubMed database search on syndromic HHI with cutaneous abnormalities, and reviewed a total of 260 relevant publications. Our in-depth analyses revealed that the cutaneous manifestations associated with HHI could be classified into three categories: pigment, hyperkeratosis/nail, and connective tissue disorders, with each category involving distinct molecular pathogenesis mechanisms. This outline could help clinicians and researchers build a clear atlas regarding the phenotypic features and pathogenetic mechanisms of syndromic HHI with cutaneous abnormalities, and facilitate clinical and molecular diagnoses of these conditions.

[Vohwinkel syndrome. Hearing loss and keratoderma on the hands and feet]

The combination of sensorineural hearing loss and keratoderma on the hands and feet is rare. We report the case of a child that failed newborn hearing screening and also showed keratoderma on both hands and feet. The child's father exhibited the same constellation of symptoms, which is typical for mutilating keratoderma with deafness (Vohwinkel syndrome). This hereditary autosomal dominant disease is caused by mutation of the GJB2 gene that encodes the protein connexin 26. In our case it was highly likely that the GJB2 gene in the father carried a spontaneous mutation that was inherited by the daughter.

Keratoderma hereditarium mutilans (Vohwinkel syndrome)

Keratoderma hereditarium mutilans, or Vohwinkel syndrome, is a very rare genetic skin condition which causes palmoplantar hyperkeratosis and constricting rings of the fingers and toes. Approximately 50 cases have been reported in the literature with only three having been managed surgically. All three had a high rate of recurrence and unfavourable results in the long term. We report two more cases managed surgically with a follow up of 5 and 8 years respectively. Our experience suggests that the use of full thickness grafts to line the released contractures does not work in the long term as the grafts become raised and painful, requiring multiple revisions. Surgical correction was easy to achieve but difficult to maintain and achieved poor outcomes in general. We therefore feel that the indication for surgical treatment should be a neurovascular compromise.

Ceratodermia mutilante de Vohwinkel: relato de três casos em uma família

A ceratodermia hereditária mutilante ou síndrome de Vohwinkel é afecção dermatológica rara caracterizada pelo espessamento cutâneo das palmas, plantas e dorso de mãos e pés, e por constrições em faixa dos dedos (pseudoainhum). São relatados três casos em uma família, envolvendo duas gerações. Em todos havia, adicionalmente, perda auditiva neurossensorial. Discutem-se o diagnóstico diferencial com outras ceratodermias palmoplantares e o tratamento com retinóides. Trata-se da primeira descrição dessa entidade no Brasil.

Vohwinkel's syndrome in three generations

Vohwinkel's syndrome or keratoderma hereditaria mutilans is a diffuse, honeycombed, palmar, and plantar keratosis usually accompanied by pseudoainhum near the distal interphalangeal creases. The mutilating keratoderma associated with sensorineural hearing loss is thought to have an etiologic basis, resting on a mutation of the GJB2 gene, which encodes the gap junction protein connexin26 (Cx26). This specific mutation results in impaired epidermal differentiation as well as inner ear function. We describe a patient with Vohwinkel's syndrome accompanied by high-frequency sensorineural hearing loss whose mother and son were similarly affected.

Birth defects in offspring of adult survivors of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. A Childrens Cancer Group/National Institutes of Health Report

BACKGROUND

It is not known if therapy for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) during childhood increases the risk of birth defects in the offspring of adult survivors. The Childrens Cancer Group (CCG), in collaboration with the National Institutes of Health (NIH), conducted a retrospective cohort study of adults successfully treated for childhood ALL to determine if their offspring had an increased incidence of birth defects compared with the offspring of their sibling controls.

METHODS

Study subjects were patients who had been enrolled on CCG ALL protocols, who were treated for ALL prior to age 20, who survived at least 2 years, and who were at least age 18. Survivors (N=593) and sibling controls (N=409) were interviewed by telephone.

RESULTS

The mean age of survivors was 22.6 years; the mean age of controls was 25.2 years. Among survivors, 93 (15.7%) had given birth to or fathered a total of 140 live-born offspring, (mean age, 3.4 years), and 122 (29.8%) sibling controls had given birth to or fathered a total of 228 live-born offspring (mean age, 5.9 years). There was no difference in the rate of birth defects between offspring of survivors and offspring of controls (3.6% [5 of 140] vs. 3.5% [8 of 228]; relative risk, 1.02; 95% confidence interval, 0.34, 3.05). No specific ALL therapy was associated with an increased rate of birth defects. Only female survivors reported offspring with birth defects (P=0.0735).

CONCLUSIONS

Adult survivors of childhood ALL in our study were not at greater risk for having offspring with birth defects compared with sibling controls. Although this is the largest group of ALL survivors studied to date, the number of offspring is still not large enough to detect small but significant differences in rare events such as birth defects. Studies following this cohort into later adulthood and studies of additional ALL survivors are necessary to adequately quantify the risks.