- Swyer syndrome
Infobox_Disease
Name = PAGENAME
Caption =
DiseasesDB = 31464
ICD10 = ICD10|Q|56|4|q|50
ICD9 = ICD9|752.7
ICDO =
OMIM = 306100
MedlinePlus =
eMedicineSubj =
eMedicineTopic =
MeshID = D006061Swyer syndrome, or XY gonadal dysgenesis, is a type of
hypogonadism in which no functionalgonad s are present to inducepuberty in an externally female person whosekaryotype is then found to be XY. Thegonad s are found to be nonfunctional streaks.Estrogen andprogesterone therapy is usually then commenced. The gonads are normally removed surgically because they do not function and may developcancer .Swyer syndrome as a form of "pure gonadal dysgenesis"
There are several forms of
gonadal dysgenesis . The term “pure gonadal dysgenesis” (PGD) has been used to describe conditions with normal sets of sex chromosomes (e.g., 46,XX or 46,XY), as opposed to those whose gonadal dysgenesis results from missing all or part of the second sex chromosome. The latter group includes those withTurner syndrome (e.g., 45,X) and its variants, as well as those withmixed gonadal dysgenesis and a mixtures of cell lines, some containing a Y chromosome (e.g., 46,XY/45,X).Thus Swyer syndrome is referred to as PGD, 46,XY, and
XX gonadal dysgenesis as PGD, 46,XX. [ [http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/499501_5 Specific Disorders of Ambiguous Genitalia] ] Patients with PGD have a normal chromosomal constellation but may have defects of a specific gene on a chromosome.Pathogenesis
The first known step of
sexual differentiation of a normal XY fetus is the development oftestes . The early stages of testicular formation in the second month of gestation require the action of severalgene s, of which one of the earliest and most important is "SRY ", the "sex-determining region of the Y chromosome". Mutations of SRY account for many cases of Swyer syndrome.When such a gene is defective, the indifferent gonads fail to differentiate into
testes , in an XY (genetically male) fetus. Without testes, notestosterone or antimullerian hormone (AMH) are produced. Withouttestosterone the externalgenitalia fail to virilize, resulting in normal female genitalia, and thewolffian duct s fail to develop, so no internal male organs are formed. Without AMH, themullerian duct s develop into normal internal female organs (uterus ,fallopian tube s,cervix ,vagina ).A baby who is externally a girl is born and is normal in all anatomic respects except that s/he has nonfunctional
streak gonads instead of ovaries or testes. As girls' ovaries normally produce no important body changes beforepuberty , a defect of the reproductive system typically remains unsuspected in girls with Swyer syndrome until puberty fails to occur.Diagnosis
Because of the inability of the streak gonads to produce
sex hormone s (bothestrogen s andandrogen s), most of thesecondary sex characteristic s do not develop. This is especially true of estrogenic changes such as breast development, widening of the pelvis and hips, and menstrual periods. Because theadrenal gland s can make limited amounts of androgens and are not affected by this syndrome, most of these persons will develop pubic hair, though it often remains sparse.Evaluation of
delayed puberty usually reveals elevation ofgonadotropin s, indicating that the pituitary is providing the signal for puberty but the gonads are failing to respond. The next steps of the evaluation usually include checking akaryotype and imaging of the pelvis. The karyotype reveals XY chromosomes and the imaging demonstrates the presence of a uterus but no ovaries (the streak gonads are not usually seen by most imaging). Although an XY karyotype can also indicate a person with completeandrogen insensitivity syndrome , the absence of breasts, and the presence of a uterus and pubic hair exclude the possibility. At this point it is usually possible for a physician to make a diagnosis of Swyer syndrome.Treatment
The consequences of streak gonads to a person with Swyer syndrome:
# Gonads cannot make estrogen, so the breasts will not develop and the uterus will not grow and menstruate untilestrogen is administered. This is often given through the skin now.
# Gonads cannot make progesterone, so menstrual periods will not be predictable untilprogestin is administered, still usually as a pill.
# Gonads cannot produce eggs so conceiving children naturally is not possible. A woman with a uterus but no ovaries may be able to become pregnant by implantation of another woman's fertilized egg (embryo transfer ).
# Streak gonads with Y chromosome-containing cells have a high likelihood of developing cancer, especiallygonadoblastoma . Streak gonads are usually removed within a year or so of diagnosis since the cancer can begin during infancy.Gonadal dysgenesis and other similar or related conditions
Swyer syndrome represents one phenotypic result of a failure of the gonads to develop properly, and hence is part of a class of conditions termed
gonadal dysgenesis . There are many forms of gonadal dysgenesis.Swyer syndrome is an example of a condition in which an externally unambiguous female body carries dysgenetic, atypical, or abnormal gonads. Other examples include complete
androgen insensitivity syndrome , partialX chromosome deletions,lipoid congenital adrenal hyperplasia , andTurner syndrome .References
External links
* [http://www-personal.umd.umich.edu/~jcthomas/JCTHOMAS/1997%20Case%20Studies/N.Justus.html Gonadal dysgenesis]
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