Hunter Syndrome

Hunter syndrome, also called mucopolysaccharidosis II or MPS II, is a rare disease that's passed on in families. It usually affects only boys. Their bodies can't break down a kind of sugar that builds bones, skin, tendons, and other tissue. Those sugars build up in their cells and damage many parts of the body, including the brain. Exactly what happens is different for every person.

Symptoms: Large, round cheeks, Broad nose, Thick lips and a large tongue, Bushy eyebrows, Large head, Slowed growth.

Treatment: Due to the nature of the illness, and absence of a really efficient treatment, it is important to emphasize the need for extensive palliative treatment against the diverse symptoms. Their objective is to reduce the effects of the deterioration of many bodily functions. In light of the diversity of symptoms, it is quite common to use a wide spectrum of palliative strategies where surgery and therapies are often pivotal.

Stats: In contrast, others with Hunter syndrome develop severe mental impairment and have life expectancies of 15 years or fewer often due to neurodegeneration or physical complications from the disease. The age at onset of symptoms and the presence/absence of behavioral disturbances are predictive factors of ultimate disease severity in very young patients. Behavioral disturbances can often mimic combinations of symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, autism, obsessive compulsive disorder, and/or sensory processing disorder, although the existence and level of symptoms may differ in each affected child. They often also include a lack of an appropriate sense of danger, and aggression. The behavioral symptoms of Hunter syndrome generally precede neurodegeneration and often increase in severity until the mental handicaps become more pronounced.