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  • Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome
  • progeria
Related terms:
hereditary hyperbilirubinemia
peroxisomal disorder
Disease or Syndrome
progeria Audio
pro·ge·ri·a [ proh-jeer-ee-uh ]
Subclass of:
Inborn Errors of Metabolism; Laminopathies
Also called:
Hutchinson-Gilford Syndrome
Definitions related to progeria:
  • A very rare genetic disorder caused by mutations in the LMNA gene. It is characterized by premature aging. Signs and symptoms include failure to thrive, limited growth, alopecia, wrinkled skin, small face, development of atherosclerosis, and heart disease. There is no cure for this condition. Individuals do not usually survive beyond their early twenties. Death usually occurs as a result of complications from atherosclerosis.
    NCI
    U.S. National Cancer Institute, 2021
  • An abnormal congenital condition, associated with defects in the LAMIN TYPE A gene, which is characterized by premature aging in children, where all the changes of cell senescence occur. It is manifested by premature graying; hair loss; hearing loss (DEAFNESS); cataracts (CATARACT); ARTHRITIS; OSTEOPOROSIS; DIABETES MELLITUS; atrophy of subcutaneous fat; skeletal hypoplasia; elevated urinary HYALURONIC ACID; and accelerated ATHEROSCLEROSIS. Many affected individuals develop malignant tumors, especially SARCOMA.
    NLM Medical Subject Headings
    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2025
  • Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS) is characterized by clinical features that typically develop in childhood and resemble some features of accelerated aging. Children with HGPS usually appear normal at birth. Profound failure to thrive occurs during the first year. Characteristic facial features include head that is disproportionately large for the face, narrow nasal ridge, narrow nasal tip, thin vermilion of the upper and lower lips, small mouth, and retro- and micrognathia. Common features include loss of subcutaneous fat, delayed eruption and loss of primary teeth, abnormal skin with small outpouchings over the abdomen and upper thighs, alopecia, nail dystrophy, coxa valga, and progressive joint contractures. Later findings include low-frequency conductive hearing loss, dental crowding, and partial lack of secondary tooth eruption. Motor and mental development is normal. Death occurs as a result of complications of severe atherosclerosis, either cardiac disease (myocardial infarction or heart failure) or cerebrovascular disease (stroke), generally between ages six and 20 years. Average life span is approximately 14.5 years.
    GeneReviews
    University of Washington, 2021
  • Progeria is a rare syndrome of accelerated aging that manifests early in childhood and causes premature death. Progeria is caused by a sporadic mutation in the LMNA gene that codes for a protein (lamin A) that provides the molecular scaffolding of cell nuclei. The defective protein leads to nuclear instability from cell division and...
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
  • Progeria (pro-JEER-e-uh), also known as Hutchinson-Gilford syndrome, is an extremely rare, progressive genetic disorder that causes children to age rapidly, starting in their first two years of life.
    Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
  • Progeria is a rare condition characterized by dramatic, rapid aging beginning in childhood. Affected newborns usually appear normal but within a year, their growth rate slows significantly. Affected children develop a distinctive appearance characterized by baldness, aged-looking skin, a pinched nose, and a small face and jaw relative to...
    NIH Genetic and Rare Diseases
    National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences
  • Progeria, any of several rare human disorders associated with premature aging. The two major types of progeria are Hutchinson-Gilford progeria syndrome (HGPS), which has its onset in early childhood, and Werner syndrome (adult progeria), which occurs later in life. A third condition...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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