Dyskeratosis Congenita and Corneal Refractive Surgery

Potential Risks of Corneal Refractive Surgery in Patients with Ectodermal Dysplasia

Ectodermal dysplasia (ED) involves the aberrant development of at least two ectodermal derivatives, such as skin, teeth, hair, sweat glands, and ocular tissue. The group of over 200 conditions is commonly classified into two major types: hypohidrotic/anhidrotic ED, in which sweat glands are either absent or significantly reduced, and hidrotic ED, in which sweat glands are normal. Ocular manifestations pertinent to patients undergoing corneal vision correction surgery include multifaceted dry eye syndrome, corneal pathology, such as recurrent erosions, scars, neovascularization, and limbal stem cell deficiency, and early-onset cataracts and glaucoma. In this article we discuss the current understanding of ED and offer factors to consider when these patients are seeking corneal refractive surgery.

Retinal manifestations of the neurocutaneous disorders

PURPOSE OF REVIEW

The neurocutaneous disorders are a genetically and phenotypically diverse group of congenital syndromes characterized by cutaneous, ocular, and central nervous system manifestations. This review provides an overview of the clinical features and retinal findings in selected neurocutaneous disorders.

RECENT FINDINGS

Advances in genetics and diagnostic retinal and neuroimaging allow for the recognition of retinal features of common neurocutaneous syndromes and for improved characterization of rarer entities based on previously underdiagnosed or unrecognized retinal findings.

SUMMARY

Better characterization of the neurocutaneous disorders allows for earlier recognition and the potential for expeditious vision-saving and life-saving treatment.

Premature aging disorders: A clinical and genetic compendium

Progeroid disorders make up a heterogeneous group of very rare hereditary diseases characterized by clinical signs that often mimic physiological aging in a premature manner. Apart from Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome, one of the best-investigated progeroid disorders, a wide spectrum of other premature aging phenotypes exist, which differ significantly in their clinical presentation and molecular pathogenesis. Next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based approaches have made it feasible to determine the molecular diagnosis in the early stages of a disease. Nevertheless, a broad clinical knowledge on these disorders and their associated symptoms is still fundamental for a comprehensive patient management and for the interpretation of variants of unknown significance from NGS data sets. This review provides a detailed overview on characteristic clinical features and underlying molecular genetics of well-known as well as only recently identified premature aging disorders and also highlights novel findings towards future therapeutic options.