DISEASE OF THE DAY: MCCUNE ALBRIGHT SYNDROME

Overview

The condition is made up of symptoms in three different categories: bone, skin, and endocrine tissue.

People with McCune-Albright syndrome may develop scar-like tissue in their bones. Polyostotic fibrous dysplasia is a condition when this happens. Multiple bones may be afflicted with abnormal lesions that typically develop in one side of the body. In order to avoid fractures, uneven growth, and deformity, the patient's bone has to be replaced by fibrous tissue. Developing bone lesions in the skull and jaw may result in uneven facial growth. An uneven growth of leg bones may lead to limping, which is likely to happen if there is a disparity in the length of bones. Scoliosis is a spine curve that is uncommon but may develop. Patients suffering from McCune-Albright syndrome have a very low chance of developing bone lesions.

While there are skin color changes, known as café-au-lait spots, some individuals with this disorder have more significant problems in the bones and will have this skin color as an additional sign. For McCune-Albright syndrome, one of the things people notice is that its café-au-lait areas are kind of like a map of Maine's coast, which has wavy boundaries. In contrast, café-au-lait lesions in other illnesses have the distinct traits of the California coastline. McCune-Albright syndrome manifests as café-au-lait spots and bone lesions. Both are common to the condition, and café-au-lait spots may occur on one or both sides of the body.

Girls diagnosed with McCune-Albright syndrome are at risk of starting puberty early. These girls bleed every month as toddlers. The reason of this early start of menstruation is believed to be a cyst in one of the ovaries, which has been linked to the creation of excess estrogen, a female sex hormone. In a minority of boys, McCune-Albright syndrome may lead to early puberty.