Naxos disease (NXD) is characterized by arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy associated with abnormalities of the skin, hair, and nails. The ectodermal features are evident from birth or early childhood, whereas the cardiac symptoms develop in young adulthood or later. Clinical variability of ectodermal features has been observed, with hair anomalies ranging from woolly hair to alopecia, and skin abnormalities ranging from mild focal palmoplantar keratoderma to generalized skin fragility or even lethal neonatal epidermolysis bullosa (Protonotarios et al., 1986; Cabral et al., 2010; Pigors et al., 2011; Erken et al., 2011; Sen-Chowdhry and McKenna, 2014). Another syndrome involving cardiomyopathy, woolly hair, and keratoderma (DCWHK; 605676) is caused by mutation in the desmoplakin gene (DSP; 125647). Also see 610476 for a similar disorder caused by homozygous mutation in the DSC2 gene (125645).

Palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) is a complex group of hereditary syndromes that have been classified into diffuse, punctate, and focal forms according to the pattern of hyperkeratosis on the palms and soles (Lucker et al., 1994). For a discussion of phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of palmoplantar keratoderma, see epidermolytic PPK (144200).

Hereditary palmoplantar keratoderma (PPK) is characterized by hyperkeratosis of the skin of palms and soles. Lind et al. (1994) described an autosomal dominant form of diffuse nonepidermolytic PPK, designated PPK type Bothnia (PPKB), which has a high prevalence of 0.3 to 0.55% in the 2 northernmost provinces of Sweden, situated to the west and the northwest of the Gulf of Bothnia. The Bothnian form is frequently complicated by fungal infections and lacks the histopathologic features distinctive of epidermolytic PPK (EPPK; 144200). For discussion of phenotypic and genetic heterogeneity of palmoplantar keratoderma, see epidermolytic PPK (144200).

Epidermolysis bullosa simplex (EBS) is characterized by fragility of the skin (and mucosal epithelia in some instances) that results in non-scarring blisters and erosions caused by minor mechanical trauma. EBS is distinguished from other types of epidermolysis bullosa (EB) or non-EB skin fragility syndromes by the location of the blistering in relation to the dermal-epidermal junction. In EBS, blistering occurs within basal keratinocytes. The severity of blistering ranges from limited to hands and feet to widespread involvement. Additional features can include hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles (keratoderma), nail dystrophy, milia, and hyper- and/or hypopigmentation. Rare EBS subtypes have been associated with additional clinical features including pyloric atresia, muscular dystrophy, cardiomyopathy, and/or nephropathy.