Skeletal disorders associated with skin pigmentation: a role of melatonin?
Although frequently encountered, no available consensus about the association between skeletal abnormalities and skin pigmentation. Several syndromes are characterized by the presence of skin pigmentation in association with skeletal disorders like neurofibroamtosis 1, McCune-Albright Syndrome, Jaffe-Campanacci Syndrome and Jaffe-Lichtenstein Syndrome. Even in the absence of these syndromes, skeletal abnormalities were detected in all radiologically examined patients having patterned skin pigmentation. Although skin pigmentation is controlled by several factors, melatonin is the most reliable factor to have relation to development of skeletal abnormalities. Recent research works support that melatonin might play a role in bone development and several hypotheses link melatonin with some bone diseases associated with skin pigmentation. It seems that melatonin deficiency is a probable operating co-factor in a lot of clinical situations characterized by skin pigmentation and skeletal disorders. This would explain some of the un-explained observations related to these syndromes and research works along these lines might lead to the development of efficient treatment for these diseases.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan. wanis307@yahoo.com
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ME
Abdel-Wanis
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Kawahara
D001847:Bone Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D008543:Melanins / Q000378:metabolism; D008550:Melatonin / Q000378:metabolism / Q000502:physiology*; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D012880:Skin Pigmentation; D013577:Syndrome
D008543:Melanins; D008550:Melatonin