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Handbook of Genetic Counseling/Waardenburg Syndrome
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Waardenburg Syndrome
Contracting
Introductions, acknowledge any prior contact
Assess main concerns of patient
Why are they visiting Genetics today?
What do they hope to gain from the session?
Assess knowledge of diagnosis -- any questions?
How has *** been since his last hospital visit?
Overview of today's session
Restate patient's concerns
Medical history, family history, physical exam, genetics, recurrence risk, testing options and limitations
Pediatric Intake
Pregnancy and Medical History
Developmental History
Family History
cousin and uncle with white forelocks?
premature greying
different colored eyes
Etiology
WT1: PAX3 gene on chromosome 2 (2q35)
codes for DNA binding transcription factors expressed in the early embryo
WS2: MITF gene mutations (3p14.1-p12.3) have been described in 10-20%
MITF gene mutations have also been identified in patients with the Tietz syndrome (deafness with uniform hypopigmentation)
WT3: caused by mutations in the PAX3 gene (2q35)
WT4: caused by mutations in the endothelin-3 gene (20q13.2-q13.3), endothelin receptor B gene (13q22), and SOX10 gene (22q13)
Incidence and Carrier Frequency
autosomal dominant inheritance
majority of probands have an affected parent, though may be undiagnosed
minority of probands do not have an affected parent and are assumed to have a de novo mutation
risk to siblings of proband = 50% if parent affected
risk to offspring of proband = 50%
Type I incidence: 1:20,000 to 1:40,000
comprises about 3% of congenitally deaf children
Type IV has autosomal recessive inheritance
Clinical Features
Feature %WT1 %WT2 sensorineural hearing loss 57-58% 77-78% heterochromia irides 15-31% 42-54% hypoplastic blue eyes 15-18% 3-23% white forelock 43-48% 16-23% early graying 23-38% 14-30% leukoderma 3-36% 5-12% high nasal root 52-100% 0-14% medial eyebrow flare 63-70% 7%
Type I
variable phenotype
sesorineural hearing loss
congenital, non-progressive, uni- or bilateral
most common type is profound bilateral
white forelock
may be present at birth or appear later
may become normally pigmented over time
eyebrows and eyelashes may also be hypopigmented
leukoderma
white skin patches, frequently on the face, trunk, or limbs
often have hyperpigmented borders
spina bifida and cleft lip and palate have been described in multiple families
Type 2
if the average W index across a family is less than 1.95, the diagnosis is WS2
sensorineural hearing loss and heterochromia iridum are the two most characteristic features of WS2
Type 3 (Klein-Waardenburg Syndrome)
individuals have a combination of typical WS1 features and hypoplasia or contractures of the limb muscles or joints, carpal bone fusion, or syndactyly
Type 4
Individuals having a rare combination of pigmentary abnormalities, hearing loss, and Hirschsprung disease
Natural History
does not affect lifespan or intelligence
Testing
Clinical Diagnosis
An individual must have two major or one major plus two minor criteria to be considered affected by WT1**
Major Criteria
Congenital sensorineural hearing loss
White forelock, hair hypopigmentation
Pigmentation abnormality of the iris
Complete heterochromia iridum (eyes of different color)
Partial/segmental heterochromia (two different colors in same iris, typically brown and blue)
Hypoplastic blue irides, or brilliant blue irides
Dystopia canthorum, W index >1.95*
Affected first-degree relative
Minor Criteria
Skin hypopigmentation (congenital leukoderma)
Synophyrys/medial eyebrow flare
Broad/high nasal root, prominent columella
Hypoplastic alae nasi
Premature gray hair (before age 30 years)
W index: The measurements necessary to calculate the W index (in mm) are as follows:
inner canthal distance (a), interpupillary distance (b), and outer canthal distance (c).
Calculate X = 2a - (0.2119c + 3.909)/c
Calculate Y = 2a - (0.2479b + 3.909)/b
Calculate W = X + Y + a/b
An abnormal W index result is >1.95.
When ICD (a) and OCD (c) are the only measurements available, IPD (b) can be calculated according to the formula: [(c - a)/2] + a. This can be used when IPD (b) is already known to compare measured and calculated values.
Molecular genetic testing
available by sequencing the PAX3 gene (chromosomal locus 2q35)
can be used to confirm the diagnosis in atypical cases
primarily used for genetic counseling of at-risk family members
detects over 90% of disease-causing mutations
most mutations are unique
available clinically
Prenatal testing
available for pregnancies at 50% risk in which a parent has been identified as having a PAX3 mutation
performed on fetal cells obtained by CVS or amniocentesis
can determine whether or not the fetus has inherited the PAX3 mutation, but it cannot determine the clinical manifestations nor their severity
not available for families who have not had molecular genetic testing of the PAX3 gene or do not have a PAX3 gene mutation
Management and Treatment
folic acid supplementation in pregnancy is recommended for women at increased risk of having a child with WS1, given the possibly increased risk of neural tube defects in association with WS1
congenital hearing loss can be identified through universal screening of newborns
management of hearing loss
as a minimum, all children with a risk for hereditary hearing loss should receive screening audiometry
the team evaluating and treating the deaf individual should consist of an otolaryngologist with expertise in the management of early childhood otologic disorders, an audiologist experienced in the assessment of hearing loss in children, a clinical geneticist, and a pediatrician
the expertise of an educator of the Deaf, a neurologist, and a pediatric ophthalmologist may also be required
sequential audiologic examinations are essential to document the stability or progression of the hearing loss and to identify and treat superimposed hearing losses, such as middle ear effusion
an important part of the evaluation is determining the appropriate habilitation option
possibilities include hearing aids, vibrotactile devices, and cochlear implantation
cochlear implantation can be considered in children over 12 months of age with severe-to-profound hearing loss
Psychosocial Issues
guilt issues with the affected parent
individual education plan
school support/signer
Support Groups and Resources
American Society for Deaf Children
PO Box 3355
Gettysburg, PA 17325
Phone: 717-334-7922 (business V/TTY); 800-942-ASDC (parent hotline)
Fax: 717-334-8808
Email: ASDC1@aol.com
www.deafchildren.org
National Association of the Deaf
814 Thayer
Silver Spring, MD 20910-4500
Phone: 301-587-1788 (voice); 301-587-1789 (TTY)
Fax: 301-587-1791
Email: NADinfo@nad.org
www.nad.org
National Vitiligo Foundation
611 S Fleishel Ave
Tyler, TX 75701
Phone: 903-531-0074
Email: vitiligo@Trimofran.org
www.vitiligofoundation.org
National Organization for Albinism and Hypopigmentation
PO Box 959
East Hempstead, NH 03826-0959
Phone: 603-887-2310; 800-473-2310
Email: noah@albinism.org
www.albinism.org
NCBI Genes and Disease Webpage
www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/disease/Waard.html
Hereditary Hearing Loss Home Page
Additional information on Waardenburg syndrome
www.uia.ac.be/dnalab/hhh
References
www.geneclinics.org
Smith's Recognizable Patterns of Human Malformation
OMIM #193500, #193510, #600193, #148820
An Atlas of Characteristic Syndromes by Wiedemann, Grosse, and Dibbern
Arias, S. and Mota, M. (1978). Apparent Non-Penetrance for Dystopia in Waardenburg Syndrome Type I, With Some Hints on the Diagnosis of Dystopia Canthorum. J. Genet Hum, Vol 26, No. 2, pp 103-131.
Notes
The information in this outline was last updated in 2002.