Chondroectodermal dysplasia

Chondroectodermal dysplasia: understanding and features

Chondroectodermal dysplasia, also known as Chondrastic type dysplasia or Hunt's dysplasia, is a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of various tissues in the body. This hereditary disease is congenital and causes abnormalities in cartilage, skin and hair tissue.

Chondroectodermal dysplasia causes unusual changes in various parts of the body, including the skeletal system, skin, hair, teeth and nails. This disorder is caused by mutations in the CHST14 gene, which encodes the enzyme N-acetylgalactosamine-4-sulfatase. This enzyme plays an important role in the formation of chondroitin 4-sulfate, the main component of cartilage tissue.

Symptoms and features of chondroectodermal dysplasia can vary from person to person, but usually include the following:

  1. Skeletal abnormalities: Children with chondroectodermal dysplasia may have a short stature, bone deformities, especially in the arms and legs, and unusual spinal shapes.

  2. Skin manifestations: Patients' skin may be rough, with thick warts or plaques, especially in the face, neck and torso. Some patients may also have problems with wound healing and early baldness.

  3. Hair abnormalities: Patients with chondroectodermal dysplasia often have thin, brittle, or irregular hair structure. Hair may be sparse and growth may be slow.

  4. Tooth and nail problems: Delayed tooth emergence, dental abnormalities (such as improperly formed enamel or tooth enamel), and nail deformities may also be associated with this dysplasia.

The diagnosis of chondroectodermal dysplasia can be made through clinical assessment of symptoms and genetic testing to detect mutations in the CHST14 gene. There is currently no specific treatment for this disorder, and the management approach is to relieve symptoms and support the patient.

Although chondroectodermal dysplasia is a rare and complex disease, research in the fields of genetics and molecular medicine continues to better understand its mechanisms and develop more effective treatments and management of this disorder.

In conclusion, Chondroectodermal dysplasia is a rare genetic disorder that affects the development of cartilage, skin and hair tissue. Its symptoms include skeletal abnormalities, skin manifestations, hair abnormalities, and problems with teeth and nails. Diagnosis and management of this disorder requires clinical evaluation and genetic testing. There is currently no specific treatment, but research is being conducted to develop more effective approaches to managing this condition.



Dysplasia of chondroid (cartilage) skin tissue is an abnormal replacement of the normal layer of skin with unformed connective tissue from fibers and cells of the intercellular substance. The first reports of this pathology belong to the group of benign epidermal tumor processes of the skin “acanthotic lymphomas”, such as Paget’s disease, adenomas of the sebaceous glands, but recently this pathology has increasingly been identified as a separate nosological form - chondro-ectoderm dysplasia, clinically manifested in the lesion different layers of the skin and often associated with vitiligo. In this context, of particular interest is the observation of a patient with a unique epidermodermatitis in the form of an ulcer, impaired sensitivity and the duplication phenomenon in the case of Jellinek-Randu-Osler disease. These symptoms do not allow us to consider the appearance of macules and plaques on the skin with thickening and impaired sensitivity in the pathology of chondromalacia as a basis for diagnosing collagen skin disease. Despite the fact that most of the true deep epidermo-dysplastic skin pathologies are well known and have fairly unambiguous diagnostic criteria, some malignant skin lesions are characterized by excessive development of connective tissue structures, incl. due to the incomplete disintegration of mature connective tissue - chondrites (“elastic emboli”), without the appearance of components of the disintegrated tissue matrix or the inclusion of immune elements, characteristic signs of malignant tumors and elements of biochemical composition. However, some studies lead to the idea that most cases of the tumor type are side effects of benign connective tissue dysplasia of human skin.