Proteus syndrome: new findings in seven patients

Reassessment of the Proteus syndrome literature: application of diagnostic criteria to published cases

The medical care of patients affected by rare disorders depends heavily on experiences garnered from prior cases, including those patients evaluated by the treating physician and those published in the medical literature. The utility of published cases is wholly dependent upon accurate diagnosis of those patients. In our experience, the rate of misdiagnosis in Proteus syndrome (PS) is high. Diagnostic criteria have been published, but these criteria have not been applied consistently and were published after many case reports appeared in the literature. We reviewed 205 cases of individuals reported to have PS in the literature and three of us independently applied the diagnostic criteria to these case reports. Our initial diagnostic congruence was 97.1% (199/205); the discrepancies in six cases were easily resolved. Only 97 (47.3%) of reported cases met the diagnostic criteria for PS; 80 cases (39%) clearly did not meet the criteria; and although 28 cases (13.7%) had features suggestive of PS, there were insufficient clinical data to make a diagnosis. Reported cases that met the PS criteria had a higher incidence of premature death, and other complications (scoliosis, megaspondyly, central nervous system abnormalities, tumors, otolaryngologic complications, pulmonary cystic malformations, dental and ophthalmogic complications) compared to those in the non-Proteus group. The cases that met the criteria were more often male, which has implications for hypotheses regarding the etiology and pathophysiology of PS. We also studied the attributes that led authors to conclude the reported patients had PS when we concluded they did not. We found that two of the diagnostic criteria (disproportionate overgrowth and connective tissue nevi) were often misinterpreted. In PS, the abnormal growth is asymmetric, distorting, relentless, and occurred at a faster rate compared to the rest of the body. Furthermore, PS was associated with irregular and disorganized bone, including hyperostoses, hyperproliferation of osteoid with variable calcification, calcified connective tissue, and elongation of long bones with abnormal thinning. In contrast, non-Proteus cases displayed overgrowth that was asymmetric but grew at a rate similar to the growth found in unaffected areas of the body. Also, the overgrowth in non-Proteus cases was associated with normal or enlarged bones together with ballooning of the overlying soft tissues. Taken together, these data show that (1) PS diagnostic criteria sort individuals with asymmetric overgrowth into distinct groups; (2) individuals with PS were more likely to have serious complications; (3) PS affects more males than females; and 4) the published diagnostic criteria are useful for clinical care and research. This article contains supplementary material, which may be viewed at the American Journal of Medical Genetics website at http://www.interscience.wiley.com/jpages/0148-7299/suppmat/index.html.

Principles for the surgical management of patients with Proteus syndrome and patients with overgrowth not meeting Proteus criteria

BACKGROUND

Proteus syndrome is a rare, sporadic disorder consisting of disproportionate overgrowth of multiple tissues, vascular malformations, and connective tissue or epidermal nevi. Patients with Proteus syndrome present with diverse and variable phenotypes because of the syndrome's mosaic pattern of distribution.

METHODS

Eighty patients with Proteus syndrome, satisfying published diagnostic criteria, and 51 patients with overgrowth not meeting Proteus criteria were identified from the literature. Three additional patients, one patient with Proteus syndrome and 2 patients with overgrowth, were treated at the author's institutions and are discussed in detail. All nonorthopedic and noncutaneous surgical interventions were reviewed.

RESULTS

Fourteen genitourinary, 9 gastrointestinal, and 5 otolaryngologic operations were performed on patients with Proteus syndrome. Six genitourinary, 5 gastrointestinal, and 2 otolaryngologic operations were performed on patients with overgrowth not meeting Proteus criteria. Eight patients with Proteus syndrome and 4 patients with overgrowth experienced thoracic manifestations, generally diffuse cystic pulmonary lesions, but only 1 of 12 underwent surgical treatment.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with visceral manifestations of either Proteus syndrome or overgrowth not meeting Proteus criteria should be treated in a similar manner. Lesions involving the ovaries and testes, because of the high incidence of neoplasm, should be managed aggressively. Gastrointestinal and renal lesions may be managed conservatively with frequent follow-up to minimize abdominal explorations. All patients undergoing surgery should have a thorough preoperative assessment of their airway and pulmonary reserve because of the relatively high frequency of tonsillar hypertrophy and pulmonary cystic involvement.

Craniofacial and dental manifestations of Proteus syndrome: a case report

The Proteus syndrome is a rare congenital hamartomatous condition that is characterized by a wide range of malformations, sometimes involving the face. Common manifestations include partial gigantism, congenital lipomas, and plantar hyperplasia. In this report we describe the craniofacial clinicopathological development in a girl with Proteus syndrome from age 6 to 20 years. The patient had pronounced hemifacial hypertrophy, exostoses in the left parietal region, and enlargement of the inferior alveolar nerve and mandibular canal in the affected region. The dental development of the affected left mandible and maxilla was characterized by extremely premature development and eruption of the primary and permanent teeth and by pronounced idiopathic root resorptions. The multidisciplinary management of the patient and the treatment outcome is reported. A review of the Proteus patients in the literature who exhibited manifestation in the craniofacial region is presented.

Proteus syndrome

Proteus syndrome is a rarely described dysplasia syndrome of the group of congenital hamartomas that arises from mosaic mutation. An extraordinary case history including imaging studies will be reported. This 17-year-old girl suffered from cachexia, lifelong chronic obstipation, different dysplasias, and lipomatous tumor-like lesions. The following findings were marked: macrodactyly, nevi, hemihypertrophy, aggressive lipomatosis, hemangiomas of the spleen, and skull and cerebral malformations. Additionally, an intestinal affection with fatty wall thickening was detected. In contrast to reports in the literature describing a reduced lifespan with a mean of few years, our patient is still alive. The treatment should take a palliative symptomatic approach considering the clinical situation.

Proteus syndrome with widespread portwine stain naevus

Proteus syndrome is a rare condition comprising asymmetrical overgrowth of different parts of the body in association with various cutaneous abnormalities. We describe a 3-year-old boy with Proteus syndrome, who presented with hemihypertrophy of the right leg, asymmetric macrodactyly, subcutaneous masses and a widespread portwine stain interspersed with angiokeratomas on the right leg, scrotum and on the middle and left side of the back. Doppler ultrasound of the right leg did not show hypercirculation, but did reveal the absence of the right superficial femoral vein.