TGFB1 Gene

Camurati-Engelmann disease is a skeletal condition that is characterized by abnormally thick bones (hyperostosis) in the arms, legs, and skull.

The thick limb bones can lead to bone pain and muscle weakness in the arms and legs and cause individuals with Camurati-Engelmann disease to tire quickly. Bone pain ranges from mild to severe and can increase with stress, activity, or cold weather. Leg weakness can make it difficult to stand up from a seated position and some affected individuals develop a waddling or unsteady walk. Additional limb abnormalities include joint deformities (contractures), knock knees, and flat feet (pes planus). Swelling and redness (erythema) of the limbs and an abnormal curvature of the spine can also occur.

Individuals with Camurati-Engelmann disease may have an unusually thick skull, which can lead to an abnormally large head (macrocephaly) and lower jaw (mandible), a prominent forehead (frontal bossing), and bulging eyes with shallow eye sockets (ocular proptosis). These changes to the head and face become more prominent with age and are most noticeable in affected adults. In about a quarter of individuals with Camurati-Engelmann disease, the thickened skull increases pressure on the brain or compresses the spinal cord, which can cause a variety of neurological problems, including headaches, hearing loss, vision problems, dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), and facial paralysis.

The degree of hyperostosis varies among individuals with Camurati-Engelmann disease as does the age at which they experience their first symptoms.

Other, rare features of Camurati-Engelmann disease include abnormally long limbs in proportion to height, a decrease in muscle mass and body fat, delayed teething (dentition), frequent cavities, delayed puberty, a shortage of red blood cells (anemia), an enlarged liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly), thinning of the skin, and excessively sweaty (hyperhidrotic) hands and feet.

Cystic fibrosis is an inherited disease characterized by the buildup of thick, sticky mucus that can damage many of the body's organs. The disorder's most common signs and symptoms include progressive damage to the respiratory system and chronic digestive system problems. The features of the disorder and their severity varies among affected individuals.

Mucus is a slippery substance that lubricates and protects the linings of the airways, digestive system, reproductive system, and other organs and tissues. In people with cystic fibrosis, the body produces mucus that is abnormally thick and sticky. This abnormal mucus can clog the airways, leading to severe problems with breathing and bacterial infections in the lungs. These infections cause chronic coughing, wheezing, and inflammation. Over time, mucus buildup and infections result in permanent lung damage, including the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) and cysts in the lungs.

Most people with cystic fibrosis also have digestive problems. Some affected babies have meconium ileus, a blockage of the intestine that occurs shortly after birth. Other digestive problems result from a buildup of thick, sticky mucus in the pancreas. The pancreas is an organ that produces insulin (a hormone that helps control blood sugar levels). It also makes enzymes that help digest food. In people with cystic fibrosis, mucus often damages the pancreas, impairing its ability to produce insulin and digestive enzymes. Problems with digestion can lead to diarrhea, malnutrition, poor growth, and weight loss. In adolescence or adulthood, a shortage of insulin can cause a form of diabetes known as cystic fibrosis-related diabetes mellitus (CFRDM).

Cystic fibrosis used to be considered a fatal disease of childhood. With improved treatments and better ways to manage the disease, many people with cystic fibrosis now live well into adulthood. Adults with cystic fibrosis experience health problems affecting the respiratory, digestive, and reproductive systems. Most men with cystic fibrosis have congenital bilateral absence of the vas deferens (CBAVD), a condition in which the tubes that carry sperm (the vas deferens) are blocked by mucus and do not develop properly. Men with CBAVD are unable to father children (infertile) unless they undergo fertility treatment. Women with cystic fibrosis may experience complications in pregnancy.