Dyskeratosis Congenita: Relationship to Fanconi’s Anemia

Dyskeratosis congenita and Fanconi’s anemia share impressive features in common: primary refractory pancytopenia; bone marrow hyperplasia (curtailed phase) and megaloblastosis, eventuating in severe hypoplasia of the marrow; cutaneous melanotic dyschromia; lacrimal duct blockage and a host of other minor abnormalities, in addition to mental retardation and generalized impairment of growth. Evaluation of two brothers with dyskeratosis congenita, and review of previous reports, indicate the following to be more prominent in dyskeratosis congenita than in Fanconi’s anemia: cutaneous telangiectatic erythema and atrophy; exocrine, ungual, and dental dysplasias; mucosal leukoplakia, carcinomatosis, and stenosis; and esophageal diverticula. Prominent in Fanconi’s anemia but not dyskeratosis congenita are the renal and particular skeletal anomalies. Possible transition cases are discussed. The proband studied suffered from progressive refractory pancytopenia, fevers, abdominal pains, malabsorption syndrome, and finally subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cultured leukocytes had normal-appearing karyotypes. The proband’s brother had cutaneous alterations of dyskeratosis congenita, but a hemogram revealed only mild thrombocytopenia and macrocytosis. Both brothers had elevated levels of hemoglobin F, leukocyte alkaline phosphatase, serum IgG, and thyroglobulin antibody, and both had reduced levels of serum IgM and vitamin B₁₂.