Clinical Description
IDEDNIK syndrome is characterized by enteropathy, growth deficiency, skin manifestations (ichthyosis, erythroderma, and keratoderma), sparse hair, global developmental delay, mild-to-severe intellectual disability, and deafness. Additional manifestations can include liver disease, recurrent infections, and hematologic and ocular manifestations. To date, 24 individuals have been diagnosed with IDEDNIK syndrome – ten individuals with AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome [Alsaif et al 2019, Boyden et al 2019, Ito et al 2021, Meriç et al 2021, Vornweg et al 2021, Faghihi et al 2022, Vasconcelos et al 2023] and 14 individuals with AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome [Saba et al 2005, Montpetit et al 2008, Martinelli et al 2013, Incecik et al 2018, Klee et al 2020, Lu et al 2023]. The following description of the phenotypic features associated with this condition is based on these reports.
Table 2.
IDEDNIK Syndrome: Frequency of Select Features
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Feature | Proportion of Persons w/Feature 1 |
---|
AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome (n=10) | AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome (n=14) |
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GI manifestations / poor growth
| Infantile-onset diarrhea | 3/3 | 14/14 |
Poor weight gain | 8/8 | 5/5 |
Growth deficiency | 8/8 | 7/7 |
Skin & hair manifestations
| Ichthyosis | 10/10 | 8/8 |
Erythroderma | 9/10 | 6/7 |
Hyperkeratosis | 8/10 | 6/7 |
Sparse hair | 8/10 | 1/1 |
Alopecia | 4/7 | NR |
Development / neurologic manifestations
| Global developmental delay | 10/10 | 7/7 |
Hypotonia | 2/2 | 6/6 |
Sensorineural hearing loss | 10/10 | 8/8 |
Intellectual disability | 4/9 | 8/8 |
Peripheral neuropathy | NR | 3/6 |
Seizures | 1/1 | 2/2 |
Cerebral atrophy | 2/5 | 6/6 |
Basal ganglia abnormalities | NR | 3/6 |
Thin corpus callosum | 3/5 | NR |
Liver manifestations
| Hepatopathy 2 | 3/4 | 9/9 |
Hepatomegaly | 2/3 | 1/1 |
Elevated transaminases | 4/6 | 8/8 |
Elevated total bile acid levels | 1/2 | 4/4 |
Immune system / hematologic manifestations
| Recurrent infections | 6/6 | 3/3 |
Anemia | 2/4 | 1/1 |
Thrombocytopenia | 3/6 | 1/1 |
Ocular manifestations
| Photophobia | 6/7 | NR |
Corneal scarring | 3/5 | NR |
Keratitis | 2/4 | NR |
Laboratory findings
| Reduced ceruloplasmin | 6/8 | 6/6 |
Reduced total serum copper | 6/8 | 6/6 |
- 1.
Because limited clinical details are available for some reported individuals included in this table, the denominator represents the total number of individuals in whom the corresponding finding was reported.
- 2.
Some reports describe liver disease as hepatopathy without providing additional information.
Enteropathy. Severe, persistent diarrhea typically begins in early infancy, resulting in significant nutritional deficiencies and poor weight gain. Diarrhea is often persistent. Individuals with AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome exhibit a more severe form of diarrhea that has resulted in death within the first few months of life in some infants.
Growth deficiency. Birth weight can vary from between two to three standard deviations (SD) below the mean to normal. Poor weight gain is common and weight in older children ranges from one to five SD below the mean. One infant with a birth weight of 2,660 grams had significant weight loss by age two months [Klee et al 2020]. Body mass index in some individuals is more than three SD below the mean [Alsaif et al 2019, Vasconcelos et al 2023].
Birth length can also vary from normal to three SD below the mean. Growth deficiency varies but can be progressive, with a height range of 2-3 SD below the mean to 4.7 SD below the mean (reported in 1 child, age 3 years) [Alsaif et al 2019]. In one child, growth delay was partially attributed to deficient pancreatic enzyme production, which spontaneously recovered in childhood [Boyden et al 2019]. Severe short stature with growth hormone deficiency and hypothyroidism was noted in one individual [Meriç et al 2021].
Head circumference is often normal at birth. Head circumference reported in children with IDEDNIK syndrome varies from one to two SD below the mean [Faghihi et al 2022], and progressive microcephaly (decreasing from normal to 2 SD below the mean) has been reported in one child, age seven years [Martinelli et al 2013, Alsaif et al 2019].
Skin manifestations include ichthyosis, erythroderma, and hyperkeratosis. Skin involvement becomes apparent at or shortly after birth. Ichthyosis, a defining feature of IDEDNIK syndrome, is characterized by dry, scaly skin. The severity of ichthyosis can vary widely among individuals. It can affect the entire body or be more pronounced in the extremities. Erythroderma and hyperkeratosis are present in infancy and early childhood. The severity ranges from mild, with diffuse thin, white scaling and pink erythroderma, to more severe forms, including exfoliative erythroderma that progressively worsens, often accompanied by severe pruritus. Ichthyosiform erythroderma, generalized scaling, erythematous plaques, and migrating patches have all been reported. Hyperkeratosis can also be moderate to pronounced, affecting specific areas (e.g., scalp, palmar and plantar surfaces), to nearly the entire body and sometimes accompanied by papules.
Hair manifestations. The majority of affected individuals exhibit sparse scalp hair, while four individuals presented with partial alopecia. Alopecia has been described as patchy with thick, yellow, plate-like scales on the scalp. Some affected individuals were described as having slow-growing scalp hair with normal texture, while others had wiry, woolly, or brittle hair. Some individuals had grayish hair color. One individual had trichorrhexis nodosa, confirmed with light microscopy [Martinelli et al 2013]. However, direct and polarizing light microscopy were normal in another affected individual.
Global developmental delay. Hypotonia causing motor delay is a frequently reported feature (8/8 reported individuals), and four individuals had more pronounced hypotonia in the lower limbs [Saba et al 2005]. In early childhood, affected individuals show mild-to-moderate global developmental delay, ranging from absent head control at age five months in one individual to delayed onset of sitting and walking. Most affected individuals respond well to physical therapy, and by late childhood these individuals have normal motor development.
Speech development is also frequently delayed. Of note, factors such as sensorineural hearing loss contribute to speech delay as well as specific delays in nonverbal communication [Faghihi et al 2022].
Sensorineural hearing loss. Eighteen of 18 reported individuals have sensorineural hearing loss, with variability in severity. While some affected individuals exhibit hearing impairment from infancy, others experience a gradual progression to profound hearing loss. One individual had mild unilateral hearing loss at age eight months [Lu et al 2023]. One individual was noted to have partial hearing loss as an infant and developed profound hearing loss after an episode of meningitis at age three years [Boyden et al 2019].
Intellectual disability. The severity of intellectual disability varies markedly, ranging from mild to severe. Individuals with AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome typically exhibit normal cognitive function to moderate intellectual disability. Conversely, most affected individuals with AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome tend to have severe intellectual disability.
Seizures. Three individuals were noted to exhibit seizures; one had febrile seizures with onset at age 2.5 years, controlled with an anti-seizure medication [Meriç et al 2021]. Another individual had an episode of myoclonic seizures on postnatal day eight that responded to phenobarbital [Klee et al 2020]. Phenobarbital was also effective in managing seizures in the third individual at 11 days of life [Lu et al 2023].
Peripheral neuropathy. All three reported adults (ages: 19 years, 27 years, and 28 years) with AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome presented with peripheral neuropathy; the age of onset of neuropathy was not reported. To date, no affected individuals with AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome have been reported to have peripheral neuropathy; this might be due to the young age of most reported individuals with AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome, suggesting that the development of peripheral neuropathy could be age dependent [Martinelli et al 2013, Alsaif et al 2019]. Although peripheral neuropathy has not been identified in the only known adult with AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome, last evaluated at age 33 years, nerve conduction studies have not been done [Boyden et al 2019].
Neurobehavioral/psychiatric manifestations. One individual with severe intellectual disability showed features of autism spectrum disorder at age seven years, including deficits in social interaction and communication, repetitive behaviors, and inflexible adherence to routines [Martinelli et al 2013].
Liver manifestations. Liver involvement in IDEDNIK syndrome manifests variably as hepatopathy, elevated transaminases, elevated plasma total bile acid levels, and/or hepatomegaly. Twelve individuals were reported to have hepatopathy, and elevated liver transaminases were reported in twelve individuals. Cholestasis and elevated plasma total bile acid levels were reported in five individuals, with two individuals reported to have icterus. Three individuals had hepatomegaly. Liver fibrosis was reported in three individuals, and cirrhosis in two individuals. Liver biopsy was obtained from two individuals, and only one of these showed liver copper accumulation.
Recurrent infections. Nine individuals with IDEDNIK syndrome experienced recurrent infections, typically respiratory in nature, and one individual died of septic shock [Klee et al 2020].
Hematologic manifestations. Mild-to-moderate anemia has been reported in three individuals. Low serum ferritin was also present in one individual with mild anemia [Vasconcelos et al 2023]. Anemia without acute bleeding in one individual required transfusion therapy [Klee et al 2020].
Thrombocytopenia was reported in four individuals. One individual had platelet counts with range 223-843 K/µL [Lu et al 2023]. One individual had mild episodic thrombocytopenia throughout her life; another individual with persistent moderate thrombocytopenia had dysmegakaryopoiesis identified on bone marrow biopsy [Boyden et al 2019]. There are no reports of individuals developing myelodysplastic syndrome or acute myelogenous leukemia.
Intermittent peripheral eosinophilia was reported in one individual (range 0.15-1.21 K/µL) [Lu et al 2023].
Ocular manifestations. While the ocular phenotype varies among individuals, photophobia is notably the most common feature, affecting six individuals. Additional ocular manifestations include bilateral ectropion (3 individuals), corneal scarring (3 individuals), keratitis (2 individuals), cataracts (2 individuals), high myopia (1 individual), and hyperopic astigmatism with accommodative esotropia (1 individual).
Characteristic facial features. High anterior hairline and low-set ears were described in seven individuals. Depressed nasal bridge was described in six individuals, and frontal bossing was described in two individuals.
Other
Hypoplastic scrotum with cryptorchidism (1 individual)
Testicular atrophy (1 individual)
Primary hypothyroidism and growth hormone deficiency (1 individual)
Dilated cardiomyopathy identified on echocardiogram resolved in the first year of life (1 individual)
Recurrent venous thromboses (1 individual)
Severe osteoporosis (1 individual)
Prominent abdomen (2 individuals)
Prognosis. Death in early childhood (prior to age two years) has been reported in eight individuals with AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome due to severe enteropathy or sepsis. Survival into adulthood is possible; one reported individual with AP1S1-related IDEDNIK syndrome is alive at age 28 years. Early demise in infancy is not common in those with AP1B1-related IDEDNIK syndrome.