MedGen

Pendred syndrome / nonsyndromic enlarged vestibular aqueduct (PDS/NSEVA) comprises a phenotypic spectrum of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) that is usually congenital and often severe to profound (although mild-to-moderate progressive hearing impairment also occurs), vestibular dysfunction, and temporal bone abnormalities (bilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct with or without cochlear hypoplasia). PDS also includes development of euthyroid goiter in late childhood to early adulthood whereas NSEVA does not. [from GeneReviews]

Pendred syndrome / nonsyndromic enlarged vestibular aqueduct (PDS/NSEVA) comprises a phenotypic spectrum of sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL) that is usually congenital and often severe to profound (although mild-to-moderate progressive hearing impairment also occurs), vestibular dysfunction, and temporal bone abnormalities (bilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct with or without cochlear hypoplasia). PDS also includes development of euthyroid goiter in late childhood to early adulthood whereas NSEVA does not. [from GeneReviews]

Nonmedullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) comprises thyroid cancers of follicular cell origin and accounts for more than 95% of all thyroid cancer cases. The remaining cancers originate from parafollicular cells (medullary thyroid cancer, MTC; 155240). NMTC is classified into 4 groups: papillary, follicular (188470), Hurthle cell (607464), and anaplastic. Approximately 5% of NMTC is hereditary, occurring as a component of a familial cancer syndrome (e.g., familial adenomatous polyposis, 175100; Carney complex, 160980) or as a primary feature (familial NMTC or FNMTC). Papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) is the most common histologic subtype of FNMTC, accounting for approximately 85% of cases (summary by Vriens et al., 2009). PTC is characterized by distinctive nuclear alterations including pseudoinclusions, grooves, and chromatin clearing. PTCs smaller than 1 cm are referred to as papillary microcarcinomas. These tumors have been identified in up to 35% of individuals at autopsy, suggesting that they may be extremely common although rarely clinically relevant. PTC can also be multifocal but is typically slow-growing with a tendency to spread to lymph nodes and usually has an excellent prognosis (summary by Bonora et al., 2010). Genetic Heterogeneity of Susceptibility to Nonmedullary Thyroid Cancer Other susceptibilities to nonmedullary thyroid cancer include NMTC2 (188470), caused by mutation in the SRGAP1 gene (606523); NMTC3 (606240), mapped to chromosome 2q21; NMTC4 (616534), caused by mutation in the FOXE1 gene (602617); and NMTC5 (616535), caused by mutation in the HABP2 gene (603924). A susceptibility locus for familial nonmedullary thyroid carcinoma with or without cell oxyphilia (TCO; 603386) has been mapped to chromosome 19p. [from OMIM]

Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is a sporadic muscle disorder characterized by episodic attacks of weakness associated with hypokalemia in individuals with hyperthyroidism. The paralysis resolves upon treatment of hyperthyroidism. The disorder is most common among males of Asian descent, including Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese, Filipino, and Koreans, although it occurs less commonly in individuals of Caucasian background. Thyrotoxic periodic paralysis is clinically similar to hereditary hypokalemic periodic paralysis (HOKPP; 170400), but the paralysis in TTPP occurs only in the presence of hyperthyroidism. TTPP can also be precipitated by factors that result in hypokalemia, such as carbohydrate ingestion and rest after exercise (review by Kung, 2006). Genetic Heterogeneity of Thyrotoxic Periodic Paralysis See also TTPP2 (613239), conferred by variation in the KCNJ18 gene (613236) on chromosome 17p11, and TTPP3 (614834), mapped to chromosome 17q24. [from OMIM]

Congenital hypothyroidism can also occur as part of syndromes that affect other organs and tissues in the body. These forms of the condition are described as syndromic. Some common forms of syndromic hypothyroidism include Pendred syndrome, Bamforth-Lazarus syndrome, and brain-lung-thyroid syndrome.

Signs and symptoms of congenital hypothyroidism result from the shortage of thyroid hormones. Affected babies may show no features of the condition, although some babies with congenital hypothyroidism are less active and sleep more than normal. They may have difficulty feeding and experience constipation. If untreated, congenital hypothyroidism can lead to intellectual disability and slow growth. In the United States and many other countries, all hospitals test newborns for congenital hypothyroidism. If treatment begins in the first two weeks after birth, infants usually develop normally.

Congenital hypothyroidism occurs when the thyroid gland fails to develop or function properly. In 80 to 85 percent of cases, the thyroid gland is absent, severely reduced in size (hypoplastic), or abnormally located. These cases are classified as thyroid dysgenesis. In the remainder of cases, a normal-sized or enlarged thyroid gland (goiter) is present, but production of thyroid hormones is decreased or absent. Most of these cases occur when one of several steps in the hormone synthesis process is impaired; these cases are classified as thyroid dyshormonogenesis. Less commonly, reduction or absence of thyroid hormone production is caused by impaired stimulation of the production process (which is normally done by a structure at the base of the brain called the pituitary gland), even though the process itself is unimpaired. These cases are classified as central (or pituitary) hypothyroidism.

Congenital hypothyroidism is a partial or complete loss of function of the thyroid gland (hypothyroidism) that affects infants from birth (congenital). The thyroid gland is a butterfly-shaped tissue in the lower neck. It makes iodine-containing hormones that play an important role in regulating growth, brain development, and the rate of chemical reactions in the body (metabolism). People with congenital hypothyroidism have lower-than-normal levels of these important hormones. [from MedlinePlus Genetics]

Approximately 10% of patients with congenital hypothyroidism harbor inborn errors of metabolism in one of the steps for thyroid hormone synthesis in thyrocytes (Vono-Toniolo et al., 2005). The most prevalent cause of thyroid dyshormonogenesis is TPO deficiency (Park and Chatterjee, 2005). Defects in TPO cause a severe form of congenital hypothyroidism characterized by a complete and immediate release of accumulated radioiodide from the thyroid after sodium perchlorate administration (Bakker et al., 2000). This release of radioiodide represents total iodine organification defect (TIOD), a disruption of the process by which iodide present in the thyroid is oxidized by hydrogen peroxide and bound to tyrosine residues in thyroglobulin (TG; 188450) to form iodotyrosine. [from OMIM]

DICER1 tumor predisposition (DICER1) is characterized by an increased risk for pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB), pulmonary cysts, thyroid gland neoplasia (multinodular goiter, adenomas, and/or thyroid cancer), ovarian tumors (Sertoli-Leydig cell tumor, gynandroblastoma, and sarcoma), and cystic nephroma. Less commonly observed tumors include ciliary body medulloepithelioma, nasal chondromesenchymal hamartoma, embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma, pituitary blastoma, pineoblastoma, central nervous system (CNS) sarcoma, other CNS tumors, and presacral malignant teratoid tumor. The majority of tumors occur in individuals younger than age 40 years. PPB typically presents in infants and children younger than age six years. Ovarian sex cord-stromal tumors are most often diagnosed before age 40 years. Cystic nephroma generally presents in young children but has also been reported in adolescents. Additional clinical features that may be seen include macrocephaly, ocular abnormalities, structural anomalies of the kidney and collecting system, and dental anomalies (bulbous crowns). [from GeneReviews]

Any thyrotoxic periodic paralysis in which the cause of the disease is a mutation in the KCNJ18 gene. [from MONDO]

Resistance to thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH; see 188540), a hallmark of congenital nongoitrous hypothyroidism, causes increased levels of plasma TSH and low levels of thyroid hormone. Only a subset of patients develop frank hypothyroidism; the remainder are euthyroid and asymptomatic (so-called compensated hypothyroidism) and are usually detected by neonatal screening programs (Paschke and Ludgate, 1997). Genetic Heterogeneity of Congenital Nongoitrous Hypothyroidism Also see CHNG2 (218700), caused by mutation in the PAX8 gene (167415) on chromosome 2q14; CHNG3 (609893), mapped to chromosome 15q25.3; CHNG4 (275100), caused by mutation in the TSHB gene (188540) on chromosome 1p13; CHNG5 (225250), caused by mutation in the NKX2-5 gene (600584) on chromosome 5q35; CHNG6 (614450), caused by mutation in the THRA gene (190120) on chromosome 17q21; CHNG7 (618573), caused by mutation in the TRHR gene (188545) on chromosome 8q24; CHNG8 (301033), caused by mutation in the TBL1X gene (300196) on chromosome Xp22; and CHNG9 (301035), caused by mutation in the IRS4 gene (300904) on chromosome Xq22. [from OMIM]

PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS) encompasses a range of clinical findings in which the core features are congenital or early-childhood onset of segmental/focal overgrowth with or without cellular dysplasia. Prior to the identification of PIK3CA as the causative gene, PROS was separated into distinct clinical syndromes based on the tissues and/or organs involved (e.g., MCAP [megalencephaly-capillary malformation] syndrome and CLOVES [congenital lipomatous asymmetric overgrowth of the trunk, lymphatic, capillary, venous, and combined-type vascular malformations, epidermal nevi, skeletal and spinal anomalies] syndrome). The predominant areas of overgrowth include the brain, limbs (including fingers and toes), trunk (including abdomen and chest), and face, all usually in an asymmetric distribution. Generalized brain overgrowth may be accompanied by secondary overgrowth of specific brain structures resulting in ventriculomegaly, a markedly thick corpus callosum, and cerebellar tonsillar ectopia with crowding of the posterior fossa. Vascular malformations may include capillary, venous, and less frequently, arterial or mixed (capillary-lymphatic-venous or arteriovenous) malformations. Lymphatic malformations may be in various locations (internal and/or external) and can cause various clinical issues, including swelling, pain, and occasionally localized bleeding secondary to trauma. Lipomatous overgrowth may occur ipsilateral or contralateral to a vascular malformation, if present. The degree of intellectual disability appears to be mostly related to the presence and severity of seizures, cortical dysplasia (e.g., polymicrogyria), and hydrocephalus. Many children have feeding difficulties that are often multifactorial in nature. Endocrine issues affect a small number of individuals and most commonly include hypoglycemia (largely hypoinsulinemic hypoketotic hypoglycemia), hypothyroidism, and growth hormone deficiency. [from GeneReviews]

Generalized thyroid hormone resistance is characterized by elevated serum levels of free thyroid hormones with inappropriately elevated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) as well as clinical and biochemical evidence of decreased thyroid hormone action. Affected individuals also show unresponsiveness to large doses of exogenous thyroid hormones (summary by Parrilla et al., 1991). [from OMIM]

Kanou et al. (2007) reviewed characteristics of thyroid dyshormonogenesis caused by mutations in the thyroglobulin (TG) gene. This form of thyroid dyshormonogenesis has an estimated prevalence of one in 100,000 newborns. Inherited in an autosomal recessive manner, the disorder in the majority of patients causes large goiters of elastic and soft consistency. Although the degree of thyroid dysfunction varies considerably among patients with defective TG synthesis, patients usually have a relatively high serum free T3 concentration with disproportionately low free T4 level. The maintenance of relatively high FT3 levels prevents profound tissue hypothyroidism except in brain and pituitary, which are dependent on T4 supply, resulting in neurologic and intellectual defects in some cases. [from OMIM]

Presumed loss-of-function mutation(s) in the IYD gene, resulting in reduced activity of the enzyme iodotyrosine deiodinase. [from NCI]

Approximately 10% of patients with congenital hypothyroidism harbor inborn errors of metabolism in one of the steps for thyroid hormone synthesis in thyrocytes (Vono-Toniolo et al., 2005). Dyshormonogenesis can be caused by recessive defects at any of the steps required for normal thyroid hormone synthesis. In untreated patients thyroid dyshormonogenesis is typically associated with goitrous enlargement of the thyroid secondary to long-term thyrotropin (TSH; see 188540) stimulation. Park and Chatterjee (2005) reviewed the genetics of primary congenital hypothyroidism, summarizing the different phenotypes associated with known genetic defects and proposing an algorithm for investigating the genetic basis of the disorder. Genetic Heterogeneity of Thyroid Dyshormonogenesis Other forms of thyroid hormone dysgenesis include TDH2A (274500), caused by mutation in the thyroid peroxidase gene (TPO; 606765) on 2p25; Pendred syndrome, a form of thyroid hormone dysgenesis associated with deafness (TDH2B; 274600) and caused by mutation in the SLC26A4 gene (605646) on 7q31; TDH3 (274700), caused by mutation in the thyroglobulin gene (TG; 188450) on 8q24; TDH4 (274800), caused by mutation in the iodotyrosine deiodinase gene (IYD; 612025) on 6q25; TDH5 (274900), caused by mutation in the DUOXA2 gene (612772) on 15q21; and TDH6 (607200), caused by mutation in the DUOX2 gene (606759) on 15q21. [from OMIM]

A rare, autosomal recessive inherited disorder usually caused by mutations in the THRB gene. It is characterized by a defective physiological resistance to thyroid hormones, resulting in the elevation of thyroxin and triiodothyronine in the serum. [from MONDO]

Glutaric aciduria III is characterized by an isolated accumulation of glutaric acid. It appears to be a 'non-disease' as it is found in healthy individuals and is associated with inconsistent symptoms in others (summary by Marlaire et al., 2014). [from OMIM]

A rare hyperthyroidism characterized by mild to severe hyperthyroidism, presence of goiter, absence of features of autoimmunity, frequent relapses while on treatment and a positive family history. [from ORDO]

Nonmedullary thyroid cancer (NMTC) refers to neoplasms originating from the thyroid follicular cells and represents 80 to 95% of all thyroid cancers. Approximately 5% of NMTC occurs on the background of a familial predisposition. Although papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) is usually the most frequent thyroid lesion in NMTC families, multinodular goiter (MNG) and follicular thyroid adenoma also occur (summary by Pereira et al., 2015). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of NMTC, see NMTC1 (188550). [from OMIM]

Cowden syndrome is a genetic disorder characterized by multiple noncancerous, tumor-like growths called hamartomas and an increased risk of developing certain cancers.

Almost everyone with Cowden syndrome develops hamartomas. These growths are most commonly found on the skin and mucous membranes (such as the lining of the mouth and nose), but they can also occur in the intestine and other parts of the body. The growth of hamartomas on the skin and mucous membranes typically becomes apparent by a person's late twenties.

Cowden syndrome is associated with an increased risk of developing several types of cancer, particularly cancers of the breast, a gland in the lower neck called the thyroid, and the lining of the uterus (the endometrium). Other cancers that have been identified in people with Cowden syndrome include kidney cancer, colorectal cancer, and an agressive form of skin cancer called melanoma. Compared with the general population, people with Cowden syndrome develop these cancers at younger ages, often beginning in their thirties or forties. People with Cowden syndrome are also more likely to develop more than one cancer during their lifetimes compared to the general population. Other diseases of the breast, thyroid, and endometrium are also common in Cowden syndrome. Additional signs and symptoms can include an enlarged head (macrocephaly) and a rare, noncancerous brain tumor called Lhermitte-Duclos disease. A small percentage of affected individuals have delayed development, intellectual disability, or autism spectrum disorder, which can affect communication and social interaction.

Some people do not meet the strict criteria for a clinical diagnosis of Cowden syndrome, but they have some of the characteristic features of the condition, particularly the cancers. These individuals are often described as having Cowden-like syndrome. Both Cowden syndrome and Cowden-like syndrome are caused by mutations in the same genes.

The features of Cowden syndrome overlap with those of another disorder called Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome. People with Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome also develop hamartomas and other noncancerous tumors.  Some people with Cowden syndrome have relatives diagnosed with Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, and other affected individuals have the characteristic features of both conditions. Based on these similarities, researchers have proposed that Cowden syndrome and Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome represent a spectrum of overlapping features known as PTEN hamartoma tumor syndrome (named for the genetic cause of the conditions) instead of two distinct conditions.

 [from MedlinePlus Genetics]