Alstrom Syndrome
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| Alstrom syndrome Classification and external resources | |
| OMIM | 203800 |
|---|---|
| DiseasesDB | 465 |
| Cardiology Network |
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| Adult Congenital |
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| Biomarkers |
| Cardiac Rehabilitation |
| Congestive Heart Failure |
| CT Angiography |
| Echocardiography |
| Electrophysiology |
| Cardiology General |
| Genetics |
| Health Economics |
| Hypertension |
| Interventional Cardiology |
| MRI |
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| Peripheral Arterial Disease |
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| Pulmonary Embolism |
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| Valvular Heart Disease |
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Alström syndrome is a rare genetic disorder. It is among the rarest genetic disorders in the world, as currently it has only 266 reported cases in medical literature and only 411 known cases in 42 countries. It was first described by Carl-Henry Alström in Sweden in 1959. Alstrom syndrome is sometimes confused with Bardet-Biedl syndrome, which has similar symptoms. Bardet-Biedl syndrome tends to have later onset in its symptoms.
Diagnosis
The Jackson Laboratory in Bar Harbor, Maine, USA with the University of Southampton, UK isolated the single gene (ALMS1) responsible for Alstrőm Syndrome. The gene is recessive; it must be passed from both parents for the syndrome to manifest.
It is possible to clinically detect Alström syndrome in infancy, but more frequently, it is detected much later, as doctors tend to detect symptoms as separate problems. Currently, Alström syndrome is only diagnosed clinically, since genetic testing is still rare and only available on a limited basis.
Early symptoms
- Heart failure (Dilated cardiomyopathy) in over 60% of cases, usually within the first few weeks after birth, but sometimes the onset is in adolescence or adulthood.
- Light sensitivity and vision problems (Cone-rod dystrophy) in all cases, usually within 15 months of birth and progressively worsening until about 20 years of age
- Developmental delays in 50% of cases, learning disabilities in about 30% of cases
- Obesity in 100% of cases, apparent by 5 years of age, but often apparent in infancy (Alström infants usually have normal birth weights, and by adolescence, weights tend to be in the high-normal to normal range)
Further symptoms
- Progressive hearing loss
- Kidney problems
- Liver problems
- Insulin resistance/Type 2 diabetes
External links
- alstrom at NIH/UW GeneTests
- Alström Syndrome International home page
- The UK Alström Syndrome Support Group Home page
Acknowledgements
The content on this page was first contributed by: Scott P. Williams.
Initial content for this page in some instances came from Wikipedia
Acknowledgement and Attribution Regarding Sources of Content
Some of the initial content on this page may be incorporated in part from copyleft sources in the public domain including wikis such as Wikipedia and AskDrWiki. Drug information for patients came from the The National Library of Medicine. Infectious disease information may have come from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Differential Diagnoses are drawn from clinicians as well as an amalgamation of 3 sources: 1.The Disease Database; 2. Kahan, Scott, Smith, Ellen G. In A Page: Signs and Symptoms. Malden, Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishing, 2004:3; 3. Sailer, Christian, Wasner, Susanne. Differential Diagnosis Pocket. Hermosa Beach, CA: Borm Bruckmeir Publishing LLC, 2002:7 .
