Progeria

Alternative names:

Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome

Symptoms:

• growth failure during the first year of life
• narrow, wizened bird-like facies
• baldness (alopecia)
• loss of eyebrows and eyelashes
• short stature
• large head for size of face (macrocephaly)
• anterior soft spot (fontanelle) remains open
• small jaw (micrognathia)
• dry, scaly, thin skin
• limited range of motion
• teeth - delayed or absent formation

Signs and tests:

• skin changes similar to that seen in scleroderma (the connective tissue becomes tough and hardened)
• insulin resistant diabetes (diabetes mellitus that does not respond readily to insulin injections)

Tests:
There are no specific tests for this condition. The diagnosis is made based on the symptoms and signs found during a physical examination.