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Alagille's syndrome

Alagille syndrome
Classification and external resources
Specialty medical genetics
ICD-10 Q44.7 (EUROCAT Q44.71)
ICD-9-CM 759.89
OMIM 118450
DiseasesDB 29085
eMedicine ped/60
MeSH D016738
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Alagille syndrome, Alagille-Watson syndrome or ALGS, is an autosomal dominant genetic disorder that affects the liver, heart, kidney, and other systems of the body. Problems associated with the disorder generally become evident in infancy or early childhood. The disorder is inherited in an autosomal dominant pattern, and the estimated prevalence of Alagille syndrome is 1 in every 100,000 live births.

It is named for Daniel Alagille.

The severity of the disorder can vary within the same family, with symptoms ranging from so mild as to go unnoticed to severe heart and/or liver disease requiring transplantation. It is difficult to predict a given patient's prognosis, but there are a few known indicators of earlier death.

Signs and symptoms arising from liver damage in Alagille syndrome may include a yellowish tinge in the skin and the whites of the eyes (jaundice), itching (pruritus), pale stools (acholia), an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly), an enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) and deposits of cholesterol in the skin (xanthomas). A liver biopsy may indicate too few bile ducts (bile duct paucity) or, in some cases, the complete absence of bile ducts (biliary atresia). Bile duct paucity results in the reduced absorption of fat and vitamins (A, D, E and K), which may lead to rickets or a failure to thrive in children. Around 15% of patients will experience liver cirrhosis in the course of their disease. has been reported in a number of cases.

Other signs of Alagille syndrome include congenital heart problems varying from heart murmurs (from pulmonary artery stenosis) to significant structural abnormalities, such as Tetralogy of Fallot. pulmonary stenosis is common amongst Alagille patients and other defects ; overriding aorta; ventricular septal defect; and right ventricular hypertrophy. Untreated Tetralogy of Fallot mortality rates range from 70 percent by age 10 to 95 percent by age 40. However, complete surgical repair can significantly improve both longevity and quality of life in Alagille's patients. Patients may also present with ventricular septal defects, atrial septal defects, patent ductus arteriosus and coarctation of the aorta.


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