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Symptoms Some of the first symptoms to develop in the early ages of a child afflicted with progeria are hair loss, disappearance of cheek fat, a sharpening of the facial features, and diminished growth. Blood vessels below the skin become visible. Dental development is affected by the delay of shedding of deciduous teeth and the early loss of their permanent teeth. Impaired mobility caused by the thickening of joints and the development of painful arthrosis are among other symptoms. In the ways of physical appearance, the changes are shocking, that within a short time they develop a disproportionately large and bald head with hollow cheeks with tight skin, measly eyebrows and eyelashes, a pointed nose, receding chins, exophthalmos, and crowded or missing teeth. This appearance of the facial features can also be described as narrow, wizened, and bird-like with the appearance of alopecia. It is a growth failure that causes the disproportion of the head to the rest of the body. The development of premature atherosclerosis causes many to have their first stroke or heart attack at a very early age, most of which occur between a child’s 12th and 15th year. Other symptoms include acro-osteolysis with its components of hypo plastic facial bones and sinuses, open cranial structures and fontanelles, Wormian bones, and coxa valga. They are extremely short due to the growth failure, have acrocephaly, micrographic, dry scaly, thin skin, atrophy of muscles and a limited range of motion. |
