Skip to main content
Journal of Medical Genetics logoLink to Journal of Medical Genetics
. 1996 Nov;33(11):928–934. doi: 10.1136/jmg.33.11.928

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: two case reports show heterogeneous cutaneous abnormalities, an association with genetically programmed ageing changes, and increased chromosomal radiosensitivity.

B Kerr 1, G S Ashcroft 1, D Scott 1, M A Horan 1, M W Ferguson 1, D Donnai 1
PMCID: PMC1050787  PMID: 8950673

Abstract

Rothmund-Thomson syndrome is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder associated with characteristic cutaneous changes, sparse hair, juvenile cataracts, short stature, skeletal defects, dystrophic teeth and nails, and hypogonadism. Mental retardation is unusual. An increased incidence of certain malignancies has been reported. Clonal or mosaic chromosome abnormalities and abnormalities in DNA repair mechanisms have been reported in some cases. We report two cases of Rothmund-Thomson syndrome, both with intellectual handicap, associated in one with a previously undescribed histological appearance of involved skin, suggesting that the spectrum of abnormalities is even more heterogeneous than previously presumed. Both cases exhibited chromosomal radiosensitivity of lymphocytes which may be an indication of a DNA repair defect. This is the first report of an association between Rothmund-Thomson syndrome and unique, intrinsic, age related skin changes.

Full text

PDF
929

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ashcroft G. S., Horan M. A., Ferguson M. W. The effects of ageing on cutaneous wound healing in mammals. J Anat. 1995 Aug;187(Pt 1):1–26. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Berg E., Chuang T. Y., Cripps D. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. A case report, phototesting, and literature review. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1987 Aug;17(2 Pt 2):332–338. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Bigelow S. B., Rary J. M., Bender M. A. G2 chromosomal radiosensitivity in Fanconi's anemia. Mutat Res. 1979 Nov;63(1):189–199. doi: 10.1016/0027-5107(79)90115-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Blaustein H. S., Stevens A. W., Stevens P. D., Grossman M. E. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome associated with annular pancreas and duodenal stenosis: a case report. Pediatr Dermatol. 1993 Jun;10(2):159–163. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1470.1993.tb00046.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Cohen M. M., Levy H. P. Chromosome instability syndromes. Adv Hum Genet. 1989;18:43-149, 365-71. doi: 10.1007/978-1-4613-0785-3_2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Der Kaloustian V. M., McGill J. J., Vekemans M., Kopelman H. R. Clonal lines of aneuploid cells in Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. Am J Med Genet. 1990 Nov;37(3):336–339. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.1320370308. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Fenske N. A., Lober C. W. Structural and functional changes of normal aging skin. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1986 Oct;15(4 Pt 1):571–585. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(86)70208-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Gilchrest B. A. Skin aging and photoaging: an overview. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1989 Sep;21(3 Pt 2):610–613. doi: 10.1016/s0190-9622(89)70227-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Hall J. G., Pagon R. A., Wilson K. M. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome with severe dwarfism. Am J Dis Child. 1980 Feb;134(2):165–169. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1980.02130140039013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Higurashi M., Conen P. E. In vitro chromosomal radiosensitivity in "chromosomal breakage syndromes". Cancer. 1973 Aug;32(2):380–383. doi: 10.1002/1097-0142(197308)32:2<380::aid-cncr2820320214>3.0.co;2-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Kaufmann S., Jones M., Culler F. L., Jones K. L. Growth hormone deficiency in the Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. Am J Med Genet. 1986 Apr;23(4):861–868. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.1320230403. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Kuhn E. M. Effects of X-irradiation in G1 and G2 on Bloom's Syndrome and normal chromosomes. Hum Genet. 1980;54(3):335–341. doi: 10.1007/BF00291579. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Moss C. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: a report of two patients and a review of the literature. Br J Dermatol. 1990 Jun;122(6):821–829. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2133.1990.tb06272.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Orstavik K. H., McFadden N., Hagelsteen J., Ormerod E., van der Hagen C. B. Instability of lymphocyte chromosomes in a girl with Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. J Med Genet. 1994 Jul;31(7):570–572. doi: 10.1136/jmg.31.7.570. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Parshad R., Price F. M., Pirollo K. F., Chang E. H., Sanford K. K. Cytogenetic response to G2-phase X irradiation in relation to DNA repair and radiosensitivity in a cancer-prone family with Li-Fraumeni syndrome. Radiat Res. 1993 Nov;136(2):236–240. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Parshad R., Sanford K. K., Jones G. M. Chromatid damage after G2 phase x-irradiation of cells from cancer-prone individuals implicates deficiency in DNA repair. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 1983 Sep;80(18):5612–5616. doi: 10.1073/pnas.80.18.5612. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Parshad R., Sanford K. K., Kraemer K. H., Jones G. M., Tarone R. E. Carrier detection in xeroderma pigmentosum. J Clin Invest. 1990 Jan;85(1):135–138. doi: 10.1172/JCI114403. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Roth D. E., Campisano L. C., Callen J. P., Hersh J. H., Yusk J. W. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: a case report. Pediatr Dermatol. 1989 Dec;6(4):321–324. doi: 10.1111/j.1525-1470.1989.tb00918.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Sanford K. K., Parshad R., Gantt R., Tarone R. E., Jones G. M., Price F. M. Factors affecting and significance of G2 chromatin radiosensitivity in predisposition to cancer. Int J Radiat Biol. 1989 Jun;55(6):963–981. doi: 10.1080/09553008914551001. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Sanford K. K., Parshad R., Price F. M., Jones G. M., Tarone R. E., Eierman L., Hale P., Waldmann T. A. Enhanced chromatid damage in blood lymphocytes after G2 phase x irradiation, a marker of the ataxia-telangiectasia gene. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1990 Jun 20;82(12):1050–1054. doi: 10.1093/jnci/82.12.1050. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Scott D., Spreadborough A., Levine E., Roberts S. A. Genetic predisposition in breast cancer. Lancet. 1994 Nov 19;344(8934):1444–1444. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(94)90615-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Shinya A., Nishigori C., Moriwaki S., Takebe H., Kubota M., Ogino A., Imamura S. A case of Rothmund-Thomson syndrome with reduced DNA repair capacity. Arch Dermatol. 1993 Mar;129(3):332–336. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Silver H. K. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: an oculocutaneous disorder. Am J Dis Child. 1966 Feb;111(2):182–190. doi: 10.1001/archpedi.1966.02090050114009. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Smith P. J., Paterson M. C. Enhanced radiosensitivity and defective DNA repair in cultured fibroblasts derived from Rothmund Thomson syndrome patients. Mutat Res. 1982 May;94(1):213–228. doi: 10.1016/0027-5107(82)90183-x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Starr D. G., McClure J. P., Connor J. M. Non-dermatological complications and genetic aspects of the Rothmund-Thomson syndrome. Clin Genet. 1985 Jan;27(1):102–104. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-0004.1985.tb00192.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. TAYLOR W. B. Rothmund's syndrome; Thomson's syndrome; congenital poikiloderma with or without juvenile cataracts. AMA Arch Derm. 1957 Feb;75(2):236–244. doi: 10.1001/archderm.1957.01550140080013. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Vennos E. M., Collins M., James W. D. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome: review of the world literature. J Am Acad Dermatol. 1992 Nov;27(5 Pt 1):750–762. doi: 10.1016/0190-9622(92)70249-f. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Ying K. L., Oizumi J., Curry C. J. Rothmund-Thomson syndrome associated with trisomy 8 mosaicism. J Med Genet. 1990 Apr;27(4):258–260. doi: 10.1136/jmg.27.4.258. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Zampetti-Bosseler F., Scott D. Cell death, chromosome damage and mitotic delay in normal human, ataxia telangiectasia and retinoblastoma fibroblasts after x-irradiation. Int J Radiat Biol Relat Stud Phys Chem Med. 1981 May;39(5):547–558. doi: 10.1080/09553008114550651. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Medical Genetics are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES