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Aplasia of the thymus

MedGen UID:
146900
Concept ID:
C0685894
Congenital Abnormality
Synonym: Thymic aplasia
SNOMED CT: Congenital absence of thymus (91918005); Aplasia of thymus (702623002); Agenesis of thymus (1003550007); Congenital thymic aplasia (91918005)
 
HPO: HP:0005359

Definition

Absence of the thymus. This feature may be appreciated by the lack of a thymic shadow upon radiographic examination. [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVAplasia of the thymus

Conditions with this feature

T-lymphocyte deficiency
MedGen UID:
101814
Concept ID:
C0152094
Disease or Syndrome
T-cell immunodeficiency with thymic aplasia (TIDTA) is an autosomal recessive disorder that is often detected at birth through newborn SCID screening with the finding of decreased T-cell receptor excision circles (TRECs). Affected individuals have selective hypo- or aplasia of the thymus, which results in T-cell immunodeficiency due to impaired T-cell development and increased susceptibility to viral infections. The phenotype is similar to T-/B+/NK+ SCID. Some patients may die in childhood; thymus transplantation may be curative (summary by Du et al., 2019).
Severe combined immunodeficiency, autosomal recessive, T cell-negative, B cell-negative, NK cell-negative, due to adenosine deaminase deficiency
MedGen UID:
354935
Concept ID:
C1863236
Disease or Syndrome
Adenosine deaminase (ADA) deficiency is a systemic purine metabolic disorder that primarily affects lymphocyte development, viability, and function. The ADA deficiency phenotypic spectrum includes typical early-onset severe combined immunodeficiency (ADA-SCID), diagnosed in infancy (about 80% of individuals), and less severe "delayed" or "late-onset" combined immunodeficiency (ADA-CID), diagnosed in older children and adults (15%-20% of individuals). Some healthy individuals who are deficient in red blood cell ADA (termed "partial ADA deficiency") have been discovered by screening populations or relatives of individuals with ADA-SCID. Newborn screening (NBS) for SCID uses extracts from Guthrie card dried blood spots to measure T-cell receptor excision circle (TREC) DNA by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Screening specific for ADA deficiency can also be performed by detection of elevated levels of adenosine (Ado) and deoxyadenosine (dAdo) by tandem mass spectrometry (TMS). Both techniques can identify ADA-SCID before affected infants become symptomatic. Untreated ADA-SCID presents as life-threatening opportunistic illnesses in the first weeks to months of life with poor linear growth and weight gain secondary to persistent diarrhea, extensive dermatitis, and recurrent pneumonia. Skeletal abnormalities affecting ribs and vertebra, pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, hemolytic anemia, neurologic abnormalities, and transaminitis may also suggest untreated ADA-SCID. Characteristic immune abnormalities are lymphocytopenia (low numbers of T, B, and NK cells) combined with the absence of both humoral and cellular immune function. If immune function is not restored with enzyme replacement therapy (ERT), gene therapy, or hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), children with ADA-SCID rarely survive beyond age one to two years. NBS for SCID does not identify individuals with the ADA-CID phenotype whose TREC numbers are above the threshold values of most screening laboratories. However, ADA-CID is identified by TMS NBS since the ADA substrates Ado and dAdo are increased. As TMS NBS for Ado/dAdo is not yet widely performed, individuals with ADA-CID are more often clinically diagnosed between ages one and ten years ("delayed" onset), or less often in the second to fourth decades ("late"/"adult" onset). Because the immunologic abnormalities are less pronounced than those of ADA-SCID, infections in ADA-CID may not be life-threatening and include recurrent otitis media, sinusitis, upper respiratory infections, and human papilloma viral infections. Untreated individuals with ADA-CID can develop over time chronic pulmonary disease, autoimmunity, atopic disease with elevated immunoglobulin E, and malignancy.
Severe combined immunodeficiency due to DCLRE1C deficiency
MedGen UID:
355454
Concept ID:
C1865370
Disease or Syndrome
Severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) due to DCLRE1C deficiency is a type of SCID (see this term) characterized by severe and recurrent infections, diarrhea, failure to thrive, and cell sensitivity to ionizing radiation.
Vertebral anomalies and variable endocrine and T-cell dysfunction
MedGen UID:
1648299
Concept ID:
C4748741
Disease or Syndrome
Vertebral anomalies and variable endocrine and T-cell dysfunction is a syndrome characterized by an overlapping spectrum of features. Skeletal malformations primarily involve the vertebrae, and endocrine abnormalities involving parathyroid hormone (PTH; 168450), growth hormone (GH1; 139250), and the thyroid gland have been reported. T-cell abnormalities have been observed, with some patients showing thymus gland aplasia or hypoplasia. Patients have mild craniofacial dysmorphism, and some show developmental delay or behavioral problems. Cardiac defects may be present (Liu et al., 2018).
Choanal atresia-athelia-hypothyroidism-delayed puberty-short stature syndrome
MedGen UID:
1830104
Concept ID:
C5680310
Disease or Syndrome
Branchial arch abnormalities, choanal atresia, athelia, hearing loss, and hypothyroidism syndrome (BCAHH) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by choanal atresia, athelia or hypoplastic nipples, branchial sinus abnormalities, neck pits, lacrimal duct anomalies, hearing loss, external ear malformations, and thyroid abnormalities. Additional features may include developmental delay, impaired intellectual development, and growth failure/retardation (summary by Cuvertino et al., 2020 and Baldridge et al., 2020).
Immunodeficiency 122
MedGen UID:
1860800
Concept ID:
C5935632
Disease or Syndrome
Immunodeficiency-122 (IMD122) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of immunity characterized by early-infantile onset of recurrent viral and bacterial infections of the respiratory tract and skin. Laboratory studies show severely decreased CD3+ T cells particularly affecting naive T cells, impaired early TCR recombination with a restricted TCR repertoire, normal or low-normal B cells, and decreased or increased NK cells. Affected individuals have poor overall growth, global developmental delay with poor motor skills, impaired intellectual development, and poor or absent speech acquisition. More variable findings may include diffuse skin rash, erythroderma, sensorineural hearing loss, lymphadenopathy, dysmorphic facial features, and tooth abnormalities. Death in early childhood may occur (Mehawej et al., 2023; Riestra et al., 2024).

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Dinges SS, Amini K, Notarangelo LD, Delmonte OM
Immunol Rev 2024 Mar;322(1):178-211. Epub 2024 Jan 16 doi: 10.1111/imr.13306. PMID: 38228406Free PMC Article
Wara DW, Ammann AJ
Transplant Proc 1978 Mar;10(1):203-9. PMID: 305674
Gatti RA, Seligmann M
Turk J Pediatr 1973 Oct;15(4):195-215. PMID: 4600502

Recent clinical studies

Diagnosis

Chen C, Zhang C, Deng Y, Du S, Wang H, Li D
Forensic Sci Int 2022 Jul;336:111323. Epub 2022 May 2 doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2022.111323. PMID: 35580511
Ji J, Shen L, Bootwalla M, Quindipan C, Tatarinova T, Maglinte DT, Buckley J, Raca G, Saitta SC, Biegel JA, Gai X
Cold Spring Harb Mol Case Stud 2019 Apr;5(2) Epub 2019 Apr 1 doi: 10.1101/mcs.a003756. PMID: 30755392Free PMC Article
Thierauf A, Dettmeyer R, Wollersen H, Musshoff F, Madea B
Forensic Sci Int 2007 Jul 4;169(2-3):228-33. Epub 2006 May 11 doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.03.024. PMID: 16690236
Frank DU, Fotheringham LK, Brewer JA, Muglia LJ, Tristani-Firouzi M, Capecchi MR, Moon AM
Development 2002 Oct;129(19):4591-603. doi: 10.1242/dev.129.19.4591. PMID: 12223415Free PMC Article
Levy-Mozziconacci A, Wernert F, Scambler P, Rouault F, Metras D, Kreitman B, Depetris D, Mattei MG, Philip N
Eur J Pediatr 1994 Nov;153(11):813-20. doi: 10.1007/BF01972889. PMID: 7843195

Therapy

Demczuk S, Aurias A
Ann Genet 1995;38(2):59-76. PMID: 7486827
Erdös Z, Romhányi J, Szemenyei C
Acta Paediatr Acad Sci Hung 1976;17(4):287-92. PMID: 1030164

Prognosis

Thierauf A, Dettmeyer R, Wollersen H, Musshoff F, Madea B
Forensic Sci Int 2007 Jul 4;169(2-3):228-33. Epub 2006 May 11 doi: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2006.03.024. PMID: 16690236
Levy-Mozziconacci A, Wernert F, Scambler P, Rouault F, Metras D, Kreitman B, Depetris D, Mattei MG, Philip N
Eur J Pediatr 1994 Nov;153(11):813-20. doi: 10.1007/BF01972889. PMID: 7843195

Clinical prediction guides

Inoue H, Takada H, Kusuda T, Goto T, Ochiai M, Kinjo T, Muneuchi J, Takahata Y, Takahashi N, Morio T, Kosaki K, Hara T
Eur J Pediatr 2010 Jul;169(7):839-44. Epub 2010 Jan 6 doi: 10.1007/s00431-009-1126-6. PMID: 20052490
Hou JW, Wang JK, Chou CC, Wang TR
J Formos Med Assoc 1995 Apr;94(4):200-2. PMID: 7606185

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