Rapid-onset Obesity with Hypothalamic dysfunction, Hypoventilation and Autonomic Dysregulation (ROHHAD syndrome) is a very rare disease affecting approximately 75 people worldwide. Patients with ROHHAD, as well as patients with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS) have damage to the mechanism governing proper breathing. ROHHAD syndrome is a disease that is potentially lethal and incurable. Fifteen patients with ROHHAD were evaluated by Diego Ize-Ludlow et al. work published in 2007.
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Pathogenesis
Central hypoventilation syndrome is a heterogeneous group of seemingly overlapping diseases. Paired-like homeobox 2B (PHOX2B) was confirmed in 2009 as the disease-causing gene in patients with congenital central hypoventilation syndrome (CCHS), a condition present in newborns. This genetic mutation is not present though in those with late-onset central hypoventilation syndrome and hypothalamic dysfunction.
Symptoms
The variable presentation of ROHHAD includes the following main symptoms:
Clinically overlapping cases exist because CCHS phenotype can also include autonomic nervous system dysregulation, or tumors of neural crest origin.
Prognosis and treatment
Currently there are no official tests or treatments for ROHHAD. Each child has the symptoms above at different ages, yet most symptoms are eventually present. Many children are misdiagnosed or are never diagnosed until alveolar hypoventilation occurs.