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Alagille syndrome (AGS)

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

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Alagille syndrome (AGS)

  • AGS
    • autosomal dominant disorder first described in 1969 by Alagille et al
    • prevalence of 1 in 70,000 to 100,000 newborns with variable expression and no sex preference
    • AGS is characterized by intrahepatic bile duct paucity with cholestasis and is also known as paucity of interlobular ducts (PBID), intrahepatic bile atresia, intrahepatic bile hypoplasia, and arteriohepatic dysplasia
  • criteria include histologic bile duct paucity on liver biopsy in association with 3 of 5 major clinical features (1):
    • (1) chronic cholestasis
    • (2) congenital cardiac disease
    • (3) skeletal malformation
    • (4) ocular posterior embryotoxon
    • (5) characteristic facies
    • gene defect associated with AGS localized to the human Jag1 gene on the short arm of chromosome 20 (20p12) (2)
  • Clinical features
    • characteristic facies of AGS may not be evident in the first months of life
      • AGS facies - broad forehead, deep-set eyes, mild hypertelorism, straight nose, small pointed chin
      • distinctive cardiovascular anomaly is moderate ventricular hypertrophy with hypoplasia or stenosis of the pulmonary artery - tetralogy of Fallot may also occur
      • failure to thrive may occur
      • cholestasis appears typically during the first 2 years of life and may be severe enough to produce pale stools, dark urine, and malabsorption
      • posterior embryotoxon mentioned in the clinical criteria is the most common ophthalomogological finding
        • an abnormal prominence of Schwalbe's lines in the anterior chamber
      • skeletal malformation
        • classic skeletal malformation is a “butterfly wing” vertebra
          • due to failed fusion of the anterior arch
      • other possible minor clinical features of AGS include renal disease, endocrinopathies, learning diabilities, vascular anomalies, high pitched voice, and dermatologic manifestation
        • cutaneous findings can be an important aid in clinical suspicion of AGS
          • include xanthomas - most common location is on the extensor surface of fingers
            • xanthomas are associated with prolonged and severe cholestasis levels
              • appear progressively from age 4 years and decrease after age 10 years, along with decreased cholesterol levels from reduced cholestasis
            • supernumerary digital flexion creases, which can be observed in some patients
              • almost always located on the middle phalanges and can be present on single or multiple fingers
            • laryngeal xanthomas have also been reported - aetiology of these xanthomas can be presumed to be similar to the cause of cutaneous xanthomas, namely hypercholesterolemia (3)
              • may also be a genetic predisposition which determines the location of xanthomas
            • less common dermatological findings include lymphoedema of the extremities and palmar erythema
            • excoriations and lichenification can be observed that are due to intense pruritus
  • Investigations
    • suggestive of cholestasis - increased levesl of conjugated (direct) bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase, gamma-glutamyltransferase and aspartate aminotransferase levels
    • hypercholesterolaemia and hypertriglyceridemia
    • liver biopsy can be performed to confirm diagnosis
  • Management
    • depends on severity
      • may include nutritional support, low fat diet, antihistamines, ursodeoxycholic acid, cardiac surgery
      • liver transplantation may be indicatedin severe cases
      • successful treatment of AGS-associated xanthomas can occur after a few weeks of ursodeoxycholic acid
  • Prognosis
    • depends on its severity
    • a report of 92 cases with AGS, the predicted probability of attaining the age of 20 years was 75% for all patients (4)
    • without liver transplantation, there is a 50% probability of long-term survival
    • neonatal cholestastic jaundice is associated with poorer survival in patients without transplantation

Reference:

  • (1) Alagille D et al. Hepatic ductular hypoplasia associated with characteristic facies, vertebral malformations, retarded physical, mental, and sexual development, and cardiac murmur.J Pediatr 1975;86: 63–71.
  • (2) Oda T et al. Identification and cloning of the human homolog (JAG1) of the rat Jagged1 gene from the Alagille syndrome critical region at 20p12, Genomics 1997;43: 376–379.
  • (3) Tomeh C, Sulman CG. Laryngeal xanthomas in alagille syndrome: A new physical finding? International Journal of Pediatric Otorhinolaryngology Extra 2007; 2 (2): 88-91
  • (4) Hoffenberg EJ et al. Outcome of syndromic paucity of interlobular bile ducts (Alagille syndrome) with onset of cholestasis in infancy. J Pediatr 1995;27:20–224

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