Progeria is a syndrome in individuals which causes physical signs and symptoms of premature old age. Progeria is a very rare and fatal disease. The syndrome’s name is Greek and means “prematurely old”. There are a few different types of progeria but the most common or “classic” type is called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome. This was named after the doctors in England who first discovered and described progeria, Dr. Jonathon Hutchinson in 1866 and Dr. Hastings Gilford in 1897.
Children who are affected by Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome typically look normal at birth. But then grow more slowly, they don’t gain weight, and overall fail to thrive. They then start to develop an odd facial appearance. This includes prominent eyes, a thin nose with a beaked tip, thin lips, a small chin, and ears that stick further out the side of the head overtime. It also results in hair loss, older looking skin, joint abnormalities, and a loss of fat under the skin known as subcutaneous fat. Individuals with this type of progeria typically live to only 13 years of age. Luckily this is a rare type, only 1 out of 4 million newborns worldwide are diagnosed with Hutchinson-Gilford progeria.
Another type of progeria is the Werner syndrome. This is the progeria diagnosed in older teens and young adults. Individuals with this disease grow and develop
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Some people describe the patient’s facial appearances as “bird-like”. As the disease progresses the individuals will develop cloudy eyes, skin sores, and type 2 diabetes, hardening of arteries which is known as atherosclerosis, and thinning of the bones. Since their body is aging so quickly their immune system is weaker and could develop different cancers. Most patients diagnosed with Werner Progeria syndrome only live until their 40s or 50s. Every 1 out of 200,000 people are diagnosed with this type of progeria
In the beginning of the second year, and last half of the first year the children will stop growing and gaining weight which is accompanied by the hair loss. Between the ages of two and three year the classic facial feature of the Progeria begin to show (Hennekam, 2006 pp. 2603-2624).
Once called the “leprechaun’s disease”, Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome was first described in 1886 by the English surgeon Jonathan Hutchinson and by Hastings Gilford in 1904. The main reason why it took so long to find the gene for Childhood Progeria is that it only affects about one baby in every four million to eight million in the world.
Genetics determine the traits an individual will inherit from their parents. In society today, the role of genetics is crucial; they decide ones physical appearance as well as their personality. However, if there is a mutation located in one of the genes that a child receives it is very likely a deformity will be present. A rare yet fatal defect from a gene mutation such as this is Progeria. This disorder is an unfortunate one that may occur in two forms, either Hutchison-Gilford Progeria or Werner syndrome. Not only do they affect the bone structure and appearance of the child, but they substantially shorten their life spans.
Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria syndrome, also known as HGPS, or Progeria, is a very rare genetic disease caused by a mutation in the cell. In 1886, Jonathan Hutchinson first reported case of a 3 ½ year old boy who had the appearance of an old man. In 1897 Hastings Gilford reported a second case with similar features. However, this mystery disease didn’t have a name until 1904, when it was named after the two men. People who have HGPS usually star showing symptoms by the age of 2, and only live to be a teen-mid-20s.
The condition includes those known as Pick’s Disease, Frontal Lobe Degeneration and Dementia associated with Motor Neurone disease.
A child with progeria does not show symptoms at birth; however, within the first two years the disease will make itself known. Signs of progeria include growth failure, loss of body fat and hair, aged-looking skin, stiffness of joints, hip dislocation, generalized atherosclerosis (the buildup of fat and cholesterol in the arteries), cardiovascular (heart) disease and stroke. Despite differences in ethnic
Progeria, also known as Hutchinson Gilford Progeria Syndrome, and Progeria syndrome, is an extremely rare genetic disease wherein symptoms resembling aspects of aging are manifested at a very early age. The Progeria come from the Greek words “pro” meaning “before” and “gēras” meaning “old age”. The disorder has a very low incident rate, occurring in an estimated 1 per 8 million live births. Those born with Progeria typically live to their mid teens and early twenties. It is a genetic condition that occurs as a new mutation, and is rarely inherited. Although the term Progeria applies strictly to all diseases characterized by premature aging symptoms, and is often used as
Some ways to detect Progeria are genetic tests of the patient’s blood and clinical exams. Furthermore, the major signs begin developing when the child is around eighteen to twenty-four months old and he will experience accelerated aging even though he was born looking normal. One major symptom is hair loss. Patients are born with hair texture and color, but around six months to two years, the hair begins to fall out. Then, from two to three years, they are usually bald, but might have some thin, light hair. Loss of eyelashes and eyebrows are also experienced. Along with hair loss, these children grow slowly resulting in a shrunken physique and minimal weight gain. For males, their approximate height and weight are 40 inches and 25 pounds; but females are about 32 inches and 20 pounds. In When Good Things Happen to Bad People, doctors have stated these kids will "grow to be very short," and "would never grow much beyond three feet."( Kusher 1-2) Moreover, there are distinctive physical traits in the face and body. "By the second year of life, there is also under development (hypoplasia) of the facial bones and the lower jaw." ("Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria") Also, "the face appears disproportionately small in comparison to the head, and bones of the front and the sides of the skull (cranium) are unusually prominent." ("Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria") Some other characteristics observed in the face are a thin
This disease can cause problems with one's vision, muscle control, balance, and other essential body functions. Up until the age twenty-eight,
Elderly people physically slow down and have lower energy levels. There are changes in the body systems and organs that can usually result in all types of
The type of Progeria Sam had is called Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome, “child Progeria” rather than Werner’s syndrome, also know as “adult Progeria”, that does not occur until late teens, resulting in longer lives into the 40’s-50’s (“Progeria 101/FAQ"). Progeria has a vast amount of symptoms that the majority of those suffering deal with as well as symptoms that are seen less often. Throughout early infancy, children with Progeria resemble normal infants’ physical appearance. Around age 1 or 2 they begin to display extreme growth delay causing them to be short, and have low weight. Their faces appear to be small compared to their head size; furthermore, their faces seem shrunken, wrinkled, and slender. Skulls will have visible veins along the forehead, nose-bridge, as well as the other areas across the head. Other symptoms include having a small jaw, delayed or failed tooth development, deformity of teeth with crowding, beaked nose, prominent eyes, brittle nails, dislocated hips, skeletal defects, and loss of hair, eyebrows, and eyelashes (Chandravanshi et al.). More damaging symptoms are atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), cardiovascular issues (strokes heart attacks), arthritis, and osteoporosis (“Progeria 101/FAQ"). The children who have Progeria are very similar in appearance with little effects from various ethnicities (“Progeria 101/FAQ"). Normally the complications of atherosclerosis lead to the deaths of the children around
There are treatments to make living with this disorder a little easier. Babies born with this need immediate and intensive care in the NICU. Babies born with this are less able to maintain a safe body temperature. They are more prone to fluid loss, dehydration, and life threatening infections. In their first week of life to have any chance of survival they may need: intravenous tubes to deliver fluids and nutrients. They also need monitoring of electrolytes and sodium, lubrication for their eyes if they’re forced open. With having this disorder they have a hard time keeping their body temperatures normal, which means they need help in doing so… They need to be in a high humidity incubator to even maintain a normal body temperature and prevent cracks in their skin. The Doctors can prescribe antibiotics so the infection does not spread any further. Doctor can also prescribe retinoids which is any type of cream to accelerate the shedding of the skins scales. It is an ongoing treatment of keeping the skin moisturized and avoid more scaling or cracking that could lead to more infection. How long do babies diagnosed with this disorder
When babies with Bloom Syndrome are born, they are recognizable by their small weight, large head width wise, short height, and sometimes even extra fingers. Some genetic testing may be done to make sure that the child has Bloom Syndrome, but most likely one of the parents is a carrier of this disease, or has this disease. This disease does not have many treatment options, but there is somethings to make their lives easier. Some of those
The prognosis for all three forms of Griscelli syndrome is variable as per the type and whether or not treatment was given. As previously noted, HSCT has proven to be successful in the treatment of GS2. Patients receiving HSCT treatment have a considerably high chance (80 percent, according to the study above) of being cured of the disease and living a normal life following treatment. On the other hand, if a patient is diagnosed with GS2 and does not receive treatment, their prognosis is extremely poor. From the time of onset, GS2 is usually fatal within 1-4 years without treatment, with the mean age at the time of death being five years (Scheinfeld & Johnson, 2016). Patients diagnosed with GS1 have the most uncertain prognosis. The severity of the neurological issues associated with GS1 are not universal; some patients are completely wheelchair-bound, while other only have issues with speech and complex motor function. Surviving GS1 patients almost always require extremely close monitoring by a caregiver in order to ensure their safety. They may also receive various therapies for their neurological issues, however, this is not a general prognosis, as each case of GS1 is different (Çağdaş et al., 2012). Patients diagnosed with GS3 have the most positive prognosis. Since GS3 only manifests partial albinism, they do not have the risks associated with the neurological or immunological conditions involved with GS1 and GS2. Patients diagnosed with GS3 may receive
Hutchinson- Gilford Progeria Syndrome is reported about 1 in 8 million newborns (Parker 16). Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome equally affects both sexes and races of children and gives them an appearance of rapid aging (Nordqvist 1). The symptoms of this disease show around eighteen to twenty-four months of