Project description:The association of penile fracture with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) has never been described. Our patient is a 41-year-old male with EDS who presented with a traumatic penile fracture, ten days following sexual intercourse. This report recognizes the possible heightened risk of structural penile injury in patients with connective tissue disorders such as EDS and emphasizes a need for a high index of suspicion of occult urethral injury and special considerations in surgical management of these complex cases.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a rare condition, it is critical that physicians be aware of this disease because it presents unique management challenges.CaseWe present a young woman who was admitted with a pelvic abscess after having a miscarriage and an appendiceal perforation. She had an exploratory laparotomy secondary to a persistent pelvic abscess and endured multiple postoperative complications. Based on her family history and physical characteristics, type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome was diagnosed.ConclusionThe decision to proceed with surgery should be weighed against tissue fragility in patients with type IV Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. A conservative, multidisciplinary team approach addresses whether to proceed with surgery and minimize postoperative complications if surgery is performed.
Project description:Dermatomyofibromas are a rare, benign, acquired neoplasm with less than 150 reported cases worldwide. The etiologic factors that contribute to the development of these lesions are currently unknown. To our knowledge, there have been only six previously reported cases of patients presenting with multiple dermatomyofibromas, and in each of these cases, there were less than ten lesions present. Herein, we describe a patient who developed more than 100 dermatomyofibromas over a period of years, and we argue that the patient's concurrent Ehlers-Danlos syndrome could have contributed to this unique presentation by inducing an increased fibroblast-to-myofibroblast transition.
Project description:Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a heterogeneous group of heritable connective tissue disorders whose primary clinical features include soft and extensible skin, articular hypermobility and tissue fragility. EDS type VIIC or 'human dermatosparaxis' is an autosomal recessive disease characterized by severe skin fragility and sagging redundant skin (major criteria) with a soft, doughy texture, easy bruising, premature rupture of fetal membranes and large hernias (minor criteria). Dermatosparaxis (meaning 'tearing of skin'), which has been described in several non-human species, is a disorder of the connective tissue resulting from a deficiency of the enzyme that cleaves the registration peptide off the N-terminal end of collagen after it has been secreted from fibroblasts. We describe a Mexican case from consanguineous parents with all the phenotypical characteristics previously described, plus skeletal abnormalities.
Project description:Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (EDS) is a heritable connective tissue disorder characterized by a varying degree of skin hyperextensibility and joint hypermobility. EDS is classified into 13 subtypes according to the most recent classification. These subtypes are clinically and genetically heterogenous. The spondylodysplastic subvariety of EDS (spEDS) is caused by homozygous mutations in B4GALT7, B3GALT6 and SLC39A13. To date, 13 individuals with molecularly diagnosed SLC39A13-related spEDS have been reported. The spEDS caused by biallelic pathogenic SLC39A13 variants are characterized by short stature, protuberant eyes with bluish sclera, finely wrinkled palms, hypermobile joints, hyperextensible skin and characteristic radiological findings. Herein, we report a case of 7-year-old-female child with spEDS associated with novel homozygous (pathogenic/likely pathogenic) missense variation of the SLC39A13 gene.
Project description:Ehlers-Danlos syndrome type IV, the vascular type of Ehlers-Danlos syndromes (EDS), is an inherited connective tissue disorder defined by characteristic facial features (acrogeria) in most patients, translucent skin with highly visible subcutaneous vessels on the trunk and lower back, easy bruising, and severe arterial, digestive and uterine complications, which are rarely, if at all, observed in the other forms of EDS. The estimated prevalence for all EDS varies between 1/10,000 and 1/25,000, EDS type IV representing approximately 5 to 10% of cases. The vascular complications may affect all anatomical areas, with a tendency toward arteries of large and medium diameter. Dissections of the vertebral arteries and the carotids in their extra- and intra-cranial segments (carotid-cavernous fistulae) are typical. There is a high risk of recurrent colonic perforations. Pregnancy increases the likelihood of a uterine or vascular rupture. EDS type IV is inherited as an autosomal dominant trait that is caused by mutations in the COL3A1 gene coding for type III procollagen. Diagnosis is based on clinical signs, non-invasive imaging, and the identification of a mutation of the COL3A1 gene. In childhood, coagulation disorders and Silverman's syndrome are the main differential diagnoses; in adulthood, the differential diagnosis includes other Ehlers-Danlos syndromes, Marfan syndrome and Loeys-Dietz syndrome. Prenatal diagnosis can be considered in families where the mutation is known. Choriocentesis or amniocentesis, however, may entail risk for the pregnant woman. In the absence of specific treatment for EDS type IV, medical intervention should be focused on symptomatic treatment and prophylactic measures. Arterial, digestive or uterine complications require immediate hospitalisation, observation in an intensive care unit. Invasive imaging techniques are contraindicated. Conservative approach is usually recommended when caring for a vascular complication in a patient suffering from EDS type IV. Surgery may, however, be required urgently to treat potentially fatal complications.
Project description:Vascular Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (vEDS) is a rare connective tissue disorder associated with COL3A1 gene mutation encoding type III collagen. Given the possible fatal prognosis if not treated timely, it is important to suspect and diagnose as soon as possible. Despite advances in endovascular technique, access point complications remain a serious challenge in patients with vEDS. Here, we describe a 30-year-old male patient who was diagnosed with vEDS after consecutive events of bilateral iliac vessels at an interval of 3 months: (1) spontaneous dissecting aneurysm of right iliac artery and (2) arteriovenous fistula between left internal iliac artery (IIA) and left common iliac vein. This patient was treated with iliac stent-grafts and overlapping femoral interposition graft (Dacron) in the 1st operation and access artery repair with surgical dissection after coil embolization of IIA and stent-graft insertion into left common to external iliac arteries in the 2nd operation. The patient has been treated with beta-blockers and anticoagulants for the management of vEDS and postoperative deep vein thrombosis, respectively. The stent-grafts in both iliac arteries and the access sites have been well-tolerated without any adverse effects for 14 months following the 2nd operation. In conclusion, given the vascular fragility and the potential for future events, additional vascular manipulation should be avoided unless it is in a life-threatening condition. In particular, meticulous hybrid interventions can be effective treatments.