Progeria Essay -- Disease, Disorders

Progeria is a rare, fatal, genetic condition that comes from the Greek word progeros meaning prematurely old. In the greek language, the word ‘pro’ means before and the word ‘geras’ means old age. Another name for progeria is Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) was first described in 1886 by Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson and also in 1897 by Dr. Hastings Gilford in 1897 – both in England. Hutchinson- Gilford Progeria Syndrome is reported about 1 in 8 million newborns (Parker 16). Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome equally affects both sexes and races of children and gives them an appearance of rapid aging (Nordqvist 1). The symptoms of this disease show around eighteen to twenty-four months of age. Some of the symptoms are growth failure during the first year of birth, narrow shrunken or wrinkled face, baldness, loss of eyebrows or eyelashes, macrocephaly, open soft spot, small jaw, dry scaly skin, limited range of motion, and delayed or absent teeth (Brown). To help with the diagnoses of this disease, an overall look of the symptoms are used and radiography is also used. Radiography is used to determine bone density and body composition, such as body fat and muscle. For example, when taking x-rays of the skull, the craniofacial bones are disproportioned and when taking x-rays of the hands, the terminal phalanges are radiolucent (Sarkar,Shinton 312). Blood tests are done to analyze cardiovascular risk factors and blood counts, urine tests are done for sugar and proteins, photographs to study growth problems, EKG and heart ultrasound to study the heart and blood vessels, lung function tests to measure energy consumption and lung capacity, hearing tests, skin biopsy to examine cellular ch... ...uture looks promising for a treatment or cure to help these children live a longer life. Works Cited Brown WT. Progeria. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th Ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 90 Nordqvist,Christian. "What Is Progeria?." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 13 May. 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146746.php Parker, James N., and Philip M. Parker. Progeria: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References. San Diego, CA: ICON Health Publications, 2004. Progeria." Progeria Research Foundation. Lustig,Megan, 14 Feb. 2000. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. . Sarkar, P., and R. Shinton. "Hutchinson-Guilford Progeria Syndrome." Hutchinson-Guilford Progeria Syndrome (2001): 312-17. Progeria Essay -- Disease, Disorders Progeria is a rare, fatal, genetic condition that comes from the Greek word progeros meaning prematurely old. In the greek language, the word ‘pro’ means before and the word ‘geras’ means old age. Another name for progeria is Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome. Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome (HGPS) was first described in 1886 by Dr. Jonathan Hutchinson and also in 1897 by Dr. Hastings Gilford in 1897 – both in England. Hutchinson- Gilford Progeria Syndrome is reported about 1 in 8 million newborns (Parker 16). Hutchinson-Gilford Progeria Syndrome equally affects both sexes and races of children and gives them an appearance of rapid aging (Nordqvist 1). The symptoms of this disease show around eighteen to twenty-four months of age. Some of the symptoms are growth failure during the first year of birth, narrow shrunken or wrinkled face, baldness, loss of eyebrows or eyelashes, macrocephaly, open soft spot, small jaw, dry scaly skin, limited range of motion, and delayed or absent teeth (Brown). To help with the diagnoses of this disease, an overall look of the symptoms are used and radiography is also used. Radiography is used to determine bone density and body composition, such as body fat and muscle. For example, when taking x-rays of the skull, the craniofacial bones are disproportioned and when taking x-rays of the hands, the terminal phalanges are radiolucent (Sarkar,Shinton 312). Blood tests are done to analyze cardiovascular risk factors and blood counts, urine tests are done for sugar and proteins, photographs to study growth problems, EKG and heart ultrasound to study the heart and blood vessels, lung function tests to measure energy consumption and lung capacity, hearing tests, skin biopsy to examine cellular ch... ...uture looks promising for a treatment or cure to help these children live a longer life. Works Cited Brown WT. Progeria. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th Ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007: chap 90 Nordqvist,Christian. "What Is Progeria?." Medical News Today. MediLexicon, Intl., 13 May. 2009. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/146746.php Parker, James N., and Philip M. Parker. Progeria: A Medical Dictionary, Bibliography, and Annotated Research Guide to Internet References. San Diego, CA: ICON Health Publications, 2004. Progeria." Progeria Research Foundation. Lustig,Megan, 14 Feb. 2000. Web. 20 Feb. 2012. . Sarkar, P., and R. Shinton. "Hutchinson-Guilford Progeria Syndrome." Hutchinson-Guilford Progeria Syndrome (2001): 312-17.