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Wolcott-Rallison syndrome: Diabetes mellitus and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia

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Abstract

In 1972, Wolcott and Rallison described three siblings with a combination of infancy-onset diabetes mellitus and multiple epiphyseal dysplasia. We have observed a brother and sister with the same disorder. The chondro-osseous lesions are those of a spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasia. The diabetes mellitus is relatively mild. Histologic and electron microscopic studies of chondro-osseous tissue show findings similar to those in other epiphyseal and spondylo-epiphyseal dysplasias. In addition, however, atypical collagen-like fibres are found inside and outside chondrocytes. Collagen production seems to be normal in cultured fibroblasts. From the available data it appears that the association of characteristic chondro-osseous and endocrine abnormalities is non-random and that the lesions are independent manifestations of a pleiotropic gene. We propose to call this disorder the Wolcott-Rallison Syndrome.

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Stöß, H., Pesch, H.J., Pontz, B. et al. Wolcott-Rallison syndrome: Diabetes mellitus and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia. Eur J Pediatr 138, 120–129 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441137

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00441137

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