endocrinopathy

Septooptic Dysplasia

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Optic nerve hypoplasia is most characteristic ocular feature of this syndrome.  It may be bilateral but often is unilateral.  The hypoplastic nerve head can have a ‘double margin’.  The outer ring consists of the junction of the sclera with the lamina cribrosa while the inner margin is darker and represents the junction of the RPE with the abnormally small nerve containing less than the normal number of axons.  Visual acuity depends upon the degree of nerve hypoplasia.  Nystagmus and strabismus may be present. 

Systemic Features: 

Midline brain defects are common.  This usually consists of an absent septum pellucidum but sometimes absence or thinning of the corpus callosum as well.  An ‘empty sella’ with a dysplastic pituitary gland and deficiencies in hormone output can be present.  Hypoglycemia, hypogonadism, short stature and corticotrophin deficiency may result.  There is considerable clinical heterogeneity and few patients have all of these features.  Only 29% of patients have the full spectrum of brain, optic nerve, and pituitary abnormalities.  It has been proposed that the severity of the brain midline defects can be correlated with the degree of endocrinopathy.  Mental retardation and features of autism spectrum disorders may be present.

A few patients have been reported with skeletal deformities such as syndactyly and hypoplastic digits.  Rare males have underdeveloped genitalia. 

Genetics

The majority of cases occur sporadically.  Among rare cases with a family history, homozygosity of a mutation in the HESX1 gene (3p21.2-p21.1) has been found suggesting an autosomal recessive etiology.  It seems likely that there remains considerable genetic heterogeneity and it is doubtful that septooptic dysplasia is a unique disorder.  

Bilateral optic nerve hypoplasia (165550) also occurs without the CNS malformations but it results from a different mutation.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

All patients with optic nerve hypoplasia should be evaluated for midline brain anomalies and endocrinopathy.  There is no treatment for the optic nerve hypoplasia but low vision aids could be helpful in selected cases with bilateral nerve dysplasia.  The hormonal deficiencies, of course, need to be corrected with appropriate replacements. 

References
Article Title: 

Endocrine status in patients with optic nerve hypoplasia: relationship to midline central nervous system abnormalities and appearance of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis on magnetic resonance imaging

Birkebaek NH, Patel L, Wright NB, Grigg JR, Sinha S, Hall CM, Price DA, Lloyd IC, Clayton PE. Endocrine status in patients with optic nerve hypoplasia: relationship to midline central nervous system abnormalities and appearance of the hypothalamic-pituitary axis on magnetic resonance imaging. J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2003 Nov;88(11):5281-6.

PubMed ID: 
14602752

McCune-Albright Syndrome

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

This disorder is of interest to ophthalmologists because compression of the optic nerve can occur from fibrous dysplasia of the canal.  However, this occurs only in some cases.  The risk of optic neuropathy is higher in patients with elevated levels of growth hormone.

Systemic Features: 

This disorder is clinically heterogeneous because of the variable degree of involvement of all bony tissue.  The primary manifestations are secondary to endocrine dysfunction and fibrous dysplasia.  Thyrotoxicosis, Cushing syndrome, pituitary gigantism, hearing deficits, and precocious puberty (in both sexes) are common.  The skin often has a cafe-au-lait pattern of pigmentation.

Genetics

Postzygotic activating mutations in the GNAS gene on chromosome 20 (20q13.2) are likely responsible for this disorder although too few familial cases have been reported to document a mode of inheritance.  It has been suggested that an autosomal dominant lethal gene is involved with survival only in the presence of significant mosaicism.

Treatment
Treatment Options: 

Recent evidence suggests that early treatment (before age 18 years) in patients with elevated growth hormone levels using pharmacologic intervention, surgery, and/or radiotherapy is associated with less optic neuropathy compared with patients who are treated later.  The impact on hearing impairment is less certain and awaits further studies.

Not all patients have significant optic nerve compression. Decompression of the optic nerve canal is beneficial in about half of cases in which significant nerve encasement is present but should be performed only when progressive optic neuropathy occurs, especially when growth hormone levels are elevated.

References
Article Title: 

McCune-Albright syndrome

Dumitrescu CE, Collins MT. McCune-Albright syndrome. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2008 May 19;3:12.

PubMed ID: 
18489744
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