RT Journal
A1 Gellis SS, Feingold M, Robertson WC, Jr, Joffe A, Packard TJ
T1 PIcture of the month
JF American Journal of Diseases of Children
JO American Journal of Diseases of Children
YR 1979
FD August 1
VO 133
IS 8
SP 853
OP 854
DO 10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130080093020
UL http://dx.doi.org/10.1001/archpedi.1979.02130080093020
AB Denouement and Discussion 
    Menkes' Syndrome 
    Manifestations 
    Menkes' kinky hair disease is a disorder of copper metabolism characterized by developmental retardation, seizures, abnormal hair, and roentgenographic abnormalities. Manifestations usually appear between 1 and 3 months of age and many of the affected children have seizures. The disorder is progressive and death usually occurs prior to age 3 years.Infants with this syndrome have a similar facial appearance consisting of pudgy cheeks, pallor, irregular eyebrows, and expressionless facies. Patients seem normal at birth but the normal primary hair is replaced by lightly pigmented, sparse, coarse hair that tends to break easily. Microscopic examination of the secondary hair shows twisting of the shaft (pili torti), variation in the diameter of the hair shaft (monolethrix), and fragmentation (trichorrhexis nodosa).Neurological findings include mental retardation, seizures, hypothermia, irritability, intracranial hemorrhage, and progressive cerebral degeneration. There is generalized arterial tortuosity and variation in size of the lumen of the arteries.Laboratory findings