Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
Last updated 18 Aug 2020
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Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is one of more than 100 types of ectodermal dysplasia. Starting before birth, these disorders result in the abnormal development of ectodermal tissues, particularly the skin, hair, nails, teeth, and sweat glands.
Description
Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is one of more than 100 types of ectodermal dysplasia. Starting before birth, these disorders result in the abnormal development of ectodermal tissues, particularly the skin, hair, nails, teeth, and sweat glands.
Most people with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia have a reduced ability to sweat (hypohidrosis) because they have fewer sweat glands than normal or their sweat glands do not function properly. Sweating is a major way that the body controls its temperature; as sweat evaporates from the skin, it cools the body. Reduced sweating can lead to a dangerously high body temperature (hyperthermia), particularly in hot weather. In some cases, hyperthermia can cause life-threatening health problems.
Affected individuals tend to have sparse scalp and body hair (hypotrichosis). The hair is often light-colored, brittle, and slow-growing. Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia is also characterised by several missing teeth (hypodontia) or teeth that are malformed. The teeth that are present erupt from the gums later than usual and are frequently small and pointed.
Some people with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia have distinctive facial features, including a prominent forehead, thick lips, and a flattened bridge of the nose. Additional features of this condition can include thin, wrinkled, and dark-colored skin around the eyes; chronic skin problems such as eczema; and a bad-smelling discharge from the nostrils (ozena).
Intellectual ability and growth are typically normal in people with hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia.
Inheritance patterns
The source lists the following possible inheritance patterns: Autosomal dominant; X-linked; Autosomal recessive. More than one pattern can apply in different cases.
Related genes
Other names
Anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia
Christ-Siemens-Touraine syndrome
CST syndrome
HED
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Further reading and references
- Hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
- Bohring A, Stamm T, Spaich C, Haase C, Spree K, Hehr U, Hoffmann M, Ledig S, Sel S, Wieacker P, Ropke A. WNT10A mutations are a frequent cause of a broad spectrum of ectodermal dysplasias with sex-biased manifestation pattern in heterozygotes. Am J Hum Genet. 2009 Jul;85(1):97-105. doi: 10.1016/j.ajhg.2009.06.001. Epub 2009 Jun 25.
- Cluzeau C, Hadj-Rabia S, Jambou M, Mansour S, Guigue P, Masmoudi S, Bal E, Chassaing N, Vincent MC, Viot G, Clauss F, Maniere MC, Toupenay S, Le Merrer M, Lyonnet S, Cormier-Daire V, Amiel J, Faivre L, de Prost Y, Munnich A, Bonnefont JP, Bodemer C, Smahi A. Only four genes (EDA1, EDAR, EDARADD, and WNT10A) account for 90% of hypohidrotic/anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia cases. Hum Mutat. 2011 Jan;32(1):70-2. doi: 10.1002/humu.21384.
- Mikkola ML. Molecular aspects of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Am J Med Genet A. 2009 Sep;149A(9):2031-6. doi: 10.1002/ajmg.a.32855.
- Nguyen-Nielsen M, Skovbo S, Svaneby D, Pedersen L, Fryzek J. The prevalence of X-linked hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia (XLHED) in Denmark, 1995-2010. Eur J Med Genet. 2013 May;56(5):236-42. doi: 10.1016/j.ejmg.2013.01.012. Epub 2013 Feb 14.
- Trzeciak WH, Koczorowski R. Molecular basis of hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia: an update. J Appl Genet. 2016 Feb;57(1):51-61. doi: 10.1007/s13353-015-0307-4. Epub 2015 Aug 21.
- van der Hout AH, Oudesluijs GG, Venema A, Verheij JB, Mol BG, Rump P, Brunner HG, Vos YJ, van Essen AJ. Mutation screening of the Ectodysplasin-A receptor gene EDAR in hypohidrotic ectodermal dysplasia. Eur J Hum Genet. 2008 Jun;16(6):673-9. doi: 10.1038/sj.ejhg.5202012. Epub 2008 Jan 30.
- Wisniewski SA, Kobielak A, Trzeciak WH, Kobielak K. Recent advances in understanding of the molecular basis of anhidrotic ectodermal dysplasia: discovery of a ligand, ectodysplasin A and its two receptors. J Appl Genet. 2002;43(1):97-107.
- Wright JT, Grange DK, Fete M. Hypohidrotic Ectodermal Dysplasia. 2003 Apr 28 [updated 2025 Mar 20]. In: Adam MP, Bick S, Mirzaa GM, Wallace SE, Amemiya A, editors. GeneReviews(R) [Internet]. Seattle (WA): University of Washington, Seattle; 1993-2026. Available from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK1112/
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