Seckel syndrome: a report of a case

Central nervous system vasculopathy and Seckel syndrome: case illustration and systematic review

PURPOSE

To systematically review reported cases of Seckel syndrome (SS) and point out cases associated with central nervous system (CNS) vasculopathy and provide a summary of their clinical presentation, management, and outcomes including our illustrative case.

METHODS

We conducted a search on the MEDLINE, PubMed, Google Scholar, and Cochrane databases using the keywords "Seckel + syndrome." We identified 127 related articles reporting 252 cases of SS apart from our case. Moreover, we searched for SS cases with CNS vasculopathies from the same databases. We identified 7 related articles reporting 7 cases of CNS vasculopathies in SS patients.

RESULTS

The overall rate of CNS vasculopathy in SS patients is 3.16% (n = 8/253), where moyamoya disease (MMD) accounted for 1.97%. The mean age is 13.5 years (6-19 years), with equal gender distribution (M:F, 1:1). The most common presenting symptoms were headache and seizure followed by weakness or coma. Aneurysms were mostly located in the basilar artery, middle cerebral artery, and internal carotid artery, respectively. Regardless of the management approach, 50% of the cases sustained mild-moderate neurological deficit, 37.5% have died, and 12.5% sustained no deficit.

CONCLUSION

A high index of suspicion should be maintained in (SS) patients, and MMD should be part of the differential diagnosis. Prevalence of CNS vasculopathy in SS is 3.16% with a much higher prevalence of MMD compared to the general population. Screening for cerebral vasculopathy in SS is justifiable especially in centers that have good resources. Further data are still needed to identify the most appropriate management plan in these cases.

Prevalence of malocclusions in children with microcephaly associated with the Zika virus

INTRODUCTION

The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of malocclusion among children with Zika virus-associated microcephaly (MZV) and to describe the most common malocclusion in this population.

METHODS

This was a cross-sectional study including patients aged between 30 and 36 months diagnosed with MZV. Healthy children were randomly selected with the same sociodemographic characteristics as the control group. Information about arch-type, primate spaces, arch form, overbite, overjet, midline deviation, anterior crossbite, anterior open bite, and the posterior crossbite was recorded. The statistical analysis used descriptive analysis, Pearson chi-square test, and multivariate logistic regression.

RESULTS

Forty children comprised the MZV group, and 40 comprised the control group. Our results demonstrated a significantly higher prevalence of malocclusions in children who had MZV than the control group (P <0.001). Patients with MZV were more likely to have late eruption (P <0.001), hypoplastic maxillary arch (P <0.001), hypoplastic mandibular arch (P <0.001), excessive overjet (P <0.001), and posterior crossbite (P = 0.004).

CONCLUSIONS

The prevalence of malocclusion was higher among children with MZV. Late eruption, hypoplastic maxillary arch, hypoplastic mandibular arch, excessive overjet, and posterior crossbite were the most common characteristics for this population.

Seckel syndrome presenting with complete heart block

Seckel syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by facial dysmorphic features known as bird-headed dwarfism. Only about 100 cases have been reported. Cardiac anomalies have been described as a potential association with Seckel syndrome. We report a 21-year-old woman with Seckel syndrome and epilepsy who presented with status epilepticus. She was hypotensive and bradycardic. Her electrocardiogram showed complete heart block. She was placed on transcutaneous pacer with no response. A transvenous pacemaker was placed before inserting a suitable permanent pacemaker for her size. This is the third case of complete heart block associated with Seckel syndrome and raises concern about the potential association.

A Child with Seckel Syndrome and Arterial Stenosis: Case Report and Literature Review

Background

Seckel syndrome is a rare genetic disorder with autosomal recessive inheritance. It is characterized by dysmorphic features, intrauterine and postnatal growth restriction, microcephaly and mental retardation. Although cardiovascular complications are not prevalent in this syndrome, severe sinus bradycardia, hypertension and brain vasculopathy are reported. Here, for the first time, we describe a case of lower extremity arterial occlusion in a case of Seckel syndrome.

Case Presentation

An 8-year-old girl with the characteristic features of Seckel syndrome was admitted to the children's hospital with the complaint of left lower extremity pain and a deep ulcer on her left shin. On examination, the left extremity was cooler than the other side, with a bluish color. Dorsalis pedis and popliteal artery pulses were not palpable on the left. A wound measuring 3 by 5 cm with gangrenous margins was visible on the anterior surface of the left leg. Severe stenosis in the left superficial femoral artery was reported on angiography. Considering the lean body of the patient, angioplasty was not possible and conservative wound care, analgesic drugs and aspirin were recommended.

Conclusion

Clinicians should be suspicious of vascular complications in patients with Seckel syndrome, even in the absence of any other risk factors.

Clitoromegaly in Childhood and Adolescence: Behind One Clinical Sign, a Clinical Sea

The clitoris is a highly complex organ whose structure has only been clarified in recent years through the use of modern imaging techniques. Clitoromegaly is an abnormal enlargement of this organ. It may be congenital or acquired and is usually due to an excess of androgens in fetal life, infancy, or adolescence. Obvious clitoromegaly in individuals with ambiguous genitalia is easily identifiable, whereas borderline conditions can pass unnoticed. Case reports of clitoromegaly with or without clinical or biochemical hyperandrogenism are quite numerous. In these subjects, a comprehensive physical examination and an accurate personal and family history are needed to investigate the enlargement. We reviewed the literature on the conditions that may be involved in the development of clitoromegaly in childhood and adolescence.

Primordial dwarfism: overview of clinical and genetic aspects

Primordial dwarfism is a group of genetic disorders which include Seckel Syndrome, Silver-Russell Syndrome, Microcephalic Osteodysplastic Primordial Dwarfism types I/III, II and Meier-Gorlin Syndrome. This genetic disorder group is characterized by intra-uterine growth retardation and post-natal growth abnormalities which occur as a result of disorganized molecular and genomic changes in embryonic stage and, thus, it represents a unique area to study growth and developmental abnormalities. Lot of research has been carried out on different aspects; however, a consolidated review that discusses an overall spectrum of this disorder is not accessible. Recent research in this area points toward important molecular and cellular mechanisms in human body that regulate the complexity of growth process. Studies have emerged that have clearly associated with a number of abnormal chromosomal, genetic and epigenetic alterations that can predispose an embryo to develop PD-associated developmental defects. Finding and associating such fundamental changes to its subtypes will help in re-examination of alleged functions at both cellular and developmental levels and thus reveal the intrinsic mechanism that leads to a balanced growth. Although such findings have unraveled a subtle understanding of growth process, we further require active research in terms of identification of reliable biomarkers for different subtypes as an immediate requirement for clinical utilization. It is hoped that further study will advance the understanding of basic mechanisms regulating growth relevant to human health. Therefore, this review has been written with an aim to present an overview of chromosomal, molecular and epigenetic modifications reported to be associated with different subtypes of this heterogenous disorder. Further, latest findings with respect to clinical and molecular genetics research have been summarized to aid the medical fraternity in their clinical utility, for diagnosing disorders where there are overlapping physical attributes and simultaneously inform about the latest developments in PD biology.