title: Dyskeratosis congenita.
abstract: Dyskeratosis congenita (DC) is an inherited bone marrow failure syndrome characterized clinically by the triad of abnormal nails, reticular skin pigmentation, and oral leukoplakia, and is associated with high risk of developing aplastic anemia, myelodysplastic syndrome, leukemia, and solid tumors. Patients have very short germline telomeres, and approximately half have mutations in one of six genes encoding proteins that maintain telomere function. Accurate diagnosis of DC is critical to ensure proper clinical management, because patients who have DC and bone marrow failure do not respond to immunosuppressive therapy and may have increased morbidity and mortality associated with hematopoietic stem cell transplantation.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Genetics Branch, Division of Cancer Epidemiology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute, National Institutes of Health, 6120 Executive Boulevard, Rockville, MD 20852, USA. savagesh@mail.nih.gov
authors.forename: Sharon A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Savage
authors.forename: Blanche P
authors.initials: BP
authors.lastname: Alter