Delayed diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome might be aggravated by gender bias.

EClinicalMedicine

Department of Dermatology and Allergy, University Hospital, LMU Munich, Frauenlobstraße 9-11, 80337 Munich, Germany.

Published: September 2022

AI Article Synopsis

  • Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome is a rare genetic condition that leads to various tumors, particularly affecting the kidneys and lungs, and often results in a significant delay in diagnosis, especially for females.
  • Clinical data from 158 patients revealed that females were diagnosed much less frequently in a timely manner compared to males, with a considerable wait time of nearly a decade before diagnosis.
  • Awareness and recognition of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome are crucial to improving early diagnosis and reducing the associated health risks for patients and their families.

Article Abstract

Background: Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome is a rare genetic tumor syndrome characterized by renal cell cancer, lung bullae, pneumothorax, and fibrofolliculoma. Patients with such orphan tumor disorders are at risk of not receiving a timely diagnosis. In the present, gender-sensitive study, we analyzed the delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome.

Methods: Clinical data of 158 patients from 91 unrelated families were collected. mutation testing was performed in index patients and family members.

Findings: The occurrence of the first symptom (fibrofolliculoma, pneumothorax or renal cell cancer) was rarely followed by a timely diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome and did so significantly less often in female (1.3%) compared to male (11.4%) patients (chi-square 6.83, p-value 0.009). Only 17 out of 39 renal cell cancers (7/17 female, 10/22 male patients) were promptly recognized as a symptom of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome. Patients in which renal cell cancer was initially not recognized as a symptom of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome waited 9.7 years (females SD 9.2, range 1-29) and 8.8 years (males, SD 4.1, range 2-11) for their diagnosis, respectively. Four (three female, one male) patients developed renal cell cancer twice before the genetic tumor syndrome was diagnosed. The delay between fibrofolliculoma or pneumothorax as a first symptom and diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome was considerable but not significantly different between females and males (18.1/17.19 versus 16.1/18.92 years). Furthermore, 73 patients were only diagnosed due to family history (delay 15.1 years in females and 17.4 years in males).

Interpretation: The delay between onset of symptoms and diagnosis of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome can be substantial and gender-dependent, causing considerable health risks for patients and their families. It is therefore important to create more awareness of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome and resolve gender biases in diagnostic work-up.

Funding: None declared.

Download full-text PDF

Source
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9304907PMC
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.eclinm.2022.101572DOI Listing

Publication Analysis

Top Keywords

birt-hogg-dubé syndrome
32
diagnosis birt-hogg-dubé
20
renal cell
20
cell cancer
16
syndrome
10
birt-hogg-dubé
9
patients
9
genetic tumor
8
tumor syndrome
8
timely diagnosis
8

Similar Publications

Chronic pain is a pervasive and debilitating condition with increasing implications for public health, affecting millions of individuals worldwide. Despite its high prevalence, the underlying neural mechanisms and pathophysiology remain only partly understood. Since its introduction 35 years ago, brain diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as a powerful tool to investigate changes in white matter microstructure and connectivity associated with chronic pain.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: To assess factors influencing Neonatal Respiratory Distress Syndrome (RDS) risk, incorporating maternal demographics, behaviors, medical conditions, pregnancy-related factors, and PM2.5 speciation pollutants exposures.

Methods: Using Florida de-identified birth records, logistic regression analyses were conducted to assess associations between maternal exposure to PM2.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Severe respiratory distress and acute kidney injury (AKI) are key factors leading to poor outcomes in patients with dengue shock syndrome (DSS). There is still limited data on how much resuscitated fluid and the specific ratios of intravenous fluid types contribute to the development of severe respiratory distress necessitating mechanical ventilation (MV) and AKI in children with DSS.

Methodology/principal Findings: This retrospective study was conducted at a tertiary pediatric hospital in Vietnam between 2013 and 2022.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Patients with relapsed or refractory (R/R) diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) have poor outcomes. Gemcitabine + oxaliplatin (GemOx) with rituximab, a standard salvage therapy, yields complete response (CR) rates of approximately 30% and median overall survival (OS) of 10-13 months. Patients with refractory disease fare worse, with a CR rate of 7% for subsequent therapies and median OS of 6 months.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Modern treatment, a healthy diet, and physical activity routines lower the risk factors for metabolic syndrome; however, this condition is associated with all-cause and cardiovascular mortality worldwide. This investigation involved a randomized controlled trial, double-blind, parallel study. Fifty-eight participants with risk factors of metabolic syndrome according to the inclusion criteria were randomized into two groups and given probiotics (Lacticaseibacillus paracasei MSMC39-1 and Bifidobacterium animalis TA-1) (n = 31) or a placebo (n = 27).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Want AI Summaries of new PubMed Abstracts delivered to your In-box?

Enter search terms and have AI summaries delivered each week - change queries or unsubscribe any time!