Última actualización:
August 09, 2007
Años publicados: 1992, 1996, 2002, 2007
Aplasia Cutis Congenita is a rare disorder with a complicated pattern of inheritance. Babies are born with the absence of certain layer(s) of skin, most often on the scalp, but also on the trunk, and/or arms and legs. The affected area is typically covered with a thin, transparent membrane. The skull and/or underlying areas may be visible and be abnormally developed. Aplasia Cutis Congenita may be the primary disorder or it may occur in association with other underlying disorders.
Individuals born with Aplasia Cutis Congenita lack skin (and therefore hair), in localized areas of the body, usually, but not always, on the scalp (70 percent of cases). In some cases, the trunk, arms, and/or legs may also be involved. Sometimes, the underlying bone may be missing as well as the skin. The affected area(s) are usually replaced with a thin transparent membrane. In some cases, these affected structures and other organs may be seen through the transparent membrane.
Most individuals with Aplasia Cutis Congenita exhibit no other abnormalities. However, in some rare cases, they may experience other physical characteristics including abnormalities of the ears, a form of paralysis (palsy) affecting one side of the face, an abnormally large head (macrocephaly), and/or congenital heart anomalies.
Aplasia Cutis Congenita may also occur as a physical condition characteristic of several other disorders, including Adams-Oliver Syndrome, Aplasia Cutis Congenita-Gastrointestinal, and Johanson-Blizzard Syndrome. (For more information on these disorders, see the Related Disorders section of this report.)
Aplasia Cutis Congenita is a rare disorder that may be inherited as an autosomal dominant or autosomal recessive trait. Human traits, including the classic genetic diseases, are the product of the interaction of two genes, one received from the father and one from the mother.
In dominant disorders, a single copy of the disease gene (received from either the mother or father) will be expressed “dominating” the other normal gene and resulting in the appearance of the disease. The risk of transmitting the disorder from affected parent to offspring is 50 percent for each pregnancy regardless of the sex of the resulting child.
In recessive disorders, the condition does not appear unless a person inherits the same defective gene for the same trait from each parent. If an individual receives one normal gene and one gene for the disease, the person will be a carrier for the disease, but usually will not show symptoms. The risk of transmitting the disease to the children of a couple, both of whom are carriers for a recessive disorder, is 25 percent. Fifty percent of their children risk being carriers of the disease, but generally will not show symptoms of the disorder. Twenty-five percent of their children may receive both normal genes, one from each parent, and will be genetically normal (for that particular trait). The risk is the same for each pregnancy.
Aplasia Cutis Congenita is a very rare disorder that affects males and females in equal numbers. At least five hundred cases have been reported in the medical literature. Absence of skin is obvious at birth (congenital).
Diagnosis of Aplasia Cutis Congenita is generally obvious at birth through the characteristic absence of skin affecting the scalp, trunk, arms, and/or legs.
Children diagnosed with Aplasia Cutis Congenita should receive a complete medical evaluation to determine whether this disorder is occurring on its own or as a secondary characteristic of another disorder. If Aplasia Cutis Congenita is occurring on its own, affected children should be monitored for symptoms and physical characteristics associated with this disorder.
Medical treatments of Aplasia Cutis Congenita include measures to prevent the drying out of the membrane by soothing, bland ointments. Antibiotics should be used only if signs of bacterial infection are present. The damaged area usually heals spontaneously.
Surgical care may include the repair of multiple scalp defects that usually, but not always, respond to procedures less traumatic than skin grafts. These may include such techniques as tissue expanders to fill in large areas or flap rotation to ease a piece of skin over an affected area.
Genetic counseling may be of benefit for affected individuals and their families.
Research on birth defects and their causes is ongoing. The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is sponsoring the Human Genome Project which is aimed at mapping every gene in the human body and learning why they sometimes malfunction. It is hoped that this new knowledge will lead to prevention and treatment of genetic disorders in the future.
Information on current clinical trials is posted on the Internet at www.clinicaltrials.gov. All studies receiving U.S. government funding, and some supported by private industry, are posted on this government web site.
For information about clinical trials being conducted at the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, MD, contact the NIH Patient Recruitment Office:
Tollfree: (800) 411-1222
TTY: (866) 411-1010
Email: [email protected]
For information about clinical trials sponsored by private sources, contact:
www.centerwatch.com
TEXTBOOKS
Behrman RE, ed. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics, 15th ed. Philadelphia, PA: W.B. Saunders Company; 1996:1835.
Champion RH, et al., eds. Textbook of Dermatology. 5th ed. Cambridge, MA: Blackwell Scientific Publications; 1992:519-23.
Habif TP, ed. Clinical Dermatology. 2nd ed. St. Louis, MO: The C.V. Mosby Company; 1990:614.
JOURNAL ARTICLES
Komuro Y, Yanai A, Seno H, et al. Surgical treatment of aplasia cutis congenita of the scalp associated with bilateral coronal synostosis. J Craniofac Surg. 2002;13:513-19.
Rhee ST, Colville C, Buchman SR. Complete osseous regeneration of a large skull defect in a patient with cutis aplasia: a conservatiove approach. J Craniofac Surg. 2002;13:497-500.
Caksen Kurtoglu S. Our experience with aplasia cutis congenita. J Dermatol. 2002;29:376-79.
Prager W, Scholz S, Rompel R. Aplasia cutis congenita in two siblings. Eur J Dermatol. 2002;12:228-30.
Cambiaghi S, Schiera A, Tasin L, et al. Aplasia cutis congenita in surviving co-twins: four unrelated cases. Pediatr Dermatol. 2001;18:511-15.
Beekmans SJ, Wiebe M. Surgical treatment of aplasia cutis congenita in the Adams-Oliver syndrome. J Craniofac Surg. 2001;12:569-72.
Donati V, Arena S, Capilli G, et al. Reparation of a severe case of aplasia cutis congenita with engineered skin. Biol Neonate. 2001;80:273-76.
Casanova D, Amar E, Bardot J, et al. Aplasia cutis congenita. Report on 5 family cases involving the scalp. Eur J Pediatr Surg. 2001;11:280-84.
FROM THE INTERNET
McKusick VA, ed. Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM). Baltimore. MD: The Johns Hopkins University; Entry No: 107600; Last Update: 4/30/99.
The Forsythe Institute. Craniofacial Disorders: Aplastic cutis congenita (ACC) and Adams-Oliver Syndrome AOS). 2000:1p.
eMedicine – Aplasia Cutis Congenita: Article by Mark A Crowe, MD
www.emedicine.com/DERM/topic32.htm
NORD y la Fundación MedicAlert se han asociado en un nuevo programa para brindar protección a pacientes con enfermedades raras en situaciones de emergencia.
Aprende más https://rarediseases.org/patient-assistance-programs/medicalert-assistance-program/Asegurarse de que los pacientes y los cuidadores estén equipados con las herramientas que necesitan para vivir su mejor vida mientras manejan su condición rara es una parte vital de la misión de NORD.
Aprende más https://rarediseases.org/patient-assistance-programs/rare-disease-educational-support/Este programa de asistencia, primero en su tipo, está diseñado para los cuidadores de un niño o adulto diagnosticado con un trastorno raro.
Aprende más https://rarediseases.org/patient-assistance-programs/caregiver-respite/The information provided on this page is for informational purposes only. The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) does not endorse the information presented. The content has been gathered in partnership with the MONDO Disease Ontology. Please consult with a healthcare professional for medical advice and treatment.
The Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center (GARD) has information and resources for patients, caregivers, and families that may be helpful before and after diagnosis of this condition. GARD is a program of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
View reportOrphanet has a summary about this condition that may include information on the diagnosis, care, and treatment as well as other resources. Some of the information and resources are available in languages other than English. The summary may include medical terms, so we encourage you to share and discuss this information with your doctor. Orphanet is the French National Institute for Health and Medical Research and the Health Programme of the European Union.
View reportOnline Mendelian Inheritance In Man (OMIM) has a summary of published research about this condition and includes references from the medical literature. The summary contains medical and scientific terms, so we encourage you to share and discuss this information with your doctor. OMIM is authored and edited at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
View report