BANGLADESH J CHILD HEALTH 2018; VOL 42 (2) : 162-165 Farber’s Disease: A Case Report SHOHELI AKHTER1, ABDULLAH AMAAN2, MUHAMMAD REZAUL KARIM3, SHAHANA A RAHMAN4

Introduction nodules over the different parts of the body since 1 Farber’s disease (FD)is an inherited autosomal ½ month of his age. Initially there was a single nodule recessive lysosomal storage disorder due to over the left great toe. Subsequently several nodules deficiency of lysosomal acid , which were developed over other areas, mostly around the causes accumulation of fatty material within (fig-1,2,3). Some of them were very painful different tissue leading to abnormalities in the joints, causing restriction of movements of the involved throat, liver, CNS and other organs1. Normally joints. “T” also developed hoarseness of voice and ceramidase is responsible for breaking down the fat. difficulty in deglutition which was gradually increasing. In Farber’s disease there is mutation of the gene There was no history of trauma, fever, skin rash, any ASAHI-1 that encodes the acid ceramidase2,3. FD bleeding manifestation, convulsion or is also known as “Fibrocystic dysmucopoly- unconsciousness. He was delivered at term and the sacharidosis”3. It is usually starts as early as two perinatal period was uneventful. He had history of week of life with painful swelling and motor developmental delay ( achieved neck control subcutaneous nodule formation. Joint deformity and at the age of 8 months, could not sit without support hoarseness of voice with breathing difficulty are other till date and could not hold object properly). His common manifestations4. In some patients it vision and hearing was apparently normal. His weight manifests with hepatosplenomagaly, moderate to falls on 25thcentile, length above 25th centile and severe CNS, heart and lung involment4.5. Clinical OFC 42 cm (Z score = -2.8). “T” had normal vital phenotype depends on amount of acid ceramidase parameters but musculoskeletal system examination defficiency, that gives rise to mild, moderate to severe showed multiple soft to hard irregular tender nodules seven subtypes of Farber’s disease6,7. An important over the different joints, including hands, feet, elbow, symptom of FD patients may exhibit is chronic shoulder and also in the scalp, pinna of ears and destructive joint inflammation, joint swelling and over the spine(fig-1,2,3,4). Restriction of movements deformity which may mimic the sign symptom of of almost all the joints were present. There was mild rheumatoid . In a typical case of FD the triad hepato-splenomegaly. CNS findings were normal as of subcutaneous nodules, joint and laryngeal far as examination could be done. “T” was diagnosed involvement, is sufficient to make the diagnosis7. The as a case of Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis and treated typical histopathological findings of the sub- with NSAIDS and other supportive treatment. But as cutaneous nodules are foam cells in the early lesions there was no improvement, he was referred to and together with foam cells in advanced BSMMU. 5,8,9 lesions We are reporting a case of Farber’s Investigations showed normal total and differtential disease who was admitted in the depertment counts. X-ray of the chest, upper limbs and lower Peadiatrics, Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical limbs were normal. Alkaline phosphatase, serum University(BSMMU) for the rarity of the problem and calcium and thyroid function tests were within normal creating awareness to the physicians, not to diagnose limit. His vitamin C level was also normal. and treat Farber’s disease as rheumatoid arthritis. Histopathology was done from a nodule on right Case report elbow which showed dense collagen fibers and “T” a 10-month old boy, only issue of his non moderate infiltration of foamy histiocytes and consanguineous parents was admitted with the lymphocyte. Ceramidase level estimation and genetic complaints of progressive development of palpable studies could not be done due to inavailability. Clinical presentation and investigations findings of “T” were 1. Associate Professor, Department of Paediatrics, BSMMU, consistent with disseminated lipogranulomatosis or Dhaka Farber’s disease. Consultation was done with 2. Resident (Neonatology), BSMMU, Dhaka Depertment of Orthopedic Surgery. With the opinion 3. Resident (Paediatrics), BSMMU, Dhaka 4. Professor, Department of Paediatrics and Pro-Vice Chancellor of orthopedic surgery his parents were counseled (Academic), BSMMU, Dhaka about the nature of the disease, its course and the Correspondence: Dr. Shoheli Akhter, Associate Professor, possible treatment options and he was discharged Department of Paediatrics, BSMMU, Dhaka with supportive treatment. Received: 19 December 2017 Accepted: 25 October 2018 Farber’s Disease: A Case Report BANGLADESH J CHILD HEALTH 2018; VOL 42 (2) : 163

Fig.-01: Interphalangeal and metacarpal joint involvement (nodules).

Fig.-02 : Involvement of interphalengeal Joint of foot. Fig.-03: showing multiple nodular swelling under surface of pinna.

Discussion Farber diease (FD) also known as “Farber granulomatosis is a rare metabolic disorder. It was first described by Farber in 19574. Sign symptoms of FD occurs due to deficiency in the enzyme ceramidase that leads to accumulation of fatty material in the tissue9,10. So far 80 cases of Farber’s disease have been reported in the literature3. FD presents by three to five month of age and survive approximately up-to two year. In mild form, there is no neurologic component & they may live up-to 5-7 year of age10,11 . There are seven sub types of FD of different phenotypes11,12. Type one is the classical form consists of joint pain and Fig.-04: A subcutaneous swelling over the spine. swelling along with development of subcutaneous BANGLADESH J CHILD HEALTH 2018; VOL 42 (2) : 164 Farber’s Disease: A Case Report

skin nodules, usually in the vicinity of or on the joints Most of FD cases are still misdiagnosed. Very early and over the points of mechanical pressures leading onset of disease, extensive nodule formation around to joint stiffness. There is also hoarseness of voice joints, nodular deposits of lipo- in other and occasional organomegaly. Type two is the sites like conjunctiva, and hoarseness of voice due intermediate and type three is the mild form of to laryngeal granuloma help to differentiate Farber’s disease with little neurological involvement. Type four Disease from Juvenile Idiopathic Arthritis. is known as: “neonatal visceral form” of the disease References and they present with hydrops fetalis and die at or 1. Bernardo K, Hurwitz R, Zenk T, Desnick RJ, before birth. Sub type five is referred to as “neurologic Ferlinz K, Schuchman EH, et al. Purification, progressive” FD. Subtype six is associated with other characterization, and biosynthesis of human syndrome and seven is another grave one 12,13. Our acid ceramidase. J.Biol Chem.1995; 270: patient “T” presented at 1.5month and had all the 11098–102. three cardinal features including joint pain and swelling, subcutaneous nodules and hoarseness of 2. Levade T, Moser HW, Fensom AH, Harzer K, voice and hepato-splenomagaly. Hepatomegaly or Moser AB, Salvayre R. Neurodegenerative hepato-splenomegaly occurs in 25% of patients. course in ceramidase deficiency (Farber disease) correlates with the residual lysosomal Hoarseness of voice occurs due to laryngeal ceramide turnover in cultured living patient cells. involvement11. Beside the major manifestations other J Neuro Sci 1995; 134:108 -14. organs like lungs, liver, lymph nodes, heart and nervous system may also be involved12,13. A typical 3. Alves M.Q, Le Trionnaire E, Ribeiro I, Carpentier case of FD presents with triad consisting of joints S, Harzer K, Levade T, Ribeiro M. G. Molecular involvement, subcutaneous nodule near the joints, Basis of Acid CeramidaseDeficiency in a and laryngeal involvement3,13. However, in an atypical Neonatal form of Farber Disease: Identification case diagnosis can be confirmed by measuring the of the First Large Deletion in ASAH1 Gene. acid ceramidase level, also mass spectrometry and Molec. Genet Metab 2013; 109: 276-81. chromatography to measure ceramidase levels can 4. Erfan M, HaqueU L A, Ahmed A S. Farber’s be used for diagnosis3-5. But unfortunately, methods Disease: A Case Report. Int.J Pathol 2015; of measuring ceramidase level is not available in our 13(3): 115- 119. country. Another approach is to look for the classical 5. Moser HW, Linke T, Fensom AH, Levade histopathological findings on biopsy from skin T,Sandhoff K. Acid ceramidase deficiency: nodules. These findings include presence of Farber lipogranulomatosis. In: Scriver CR, granulomatous inflammation along with foam cells editor.The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of 6,13,14 and a fibrovascularstroma . Inherited Disease, 8th edition. New York: Our patient “T” represented as the classical form of McGrow-Hill Company;2001: 3573-85. FD without CNS involvement. The histopathology 6. Magaret M, Mc Govern and Robert J, Desnick. report of our case had foams cells along with fibro- Lipodosis. In: Kieigchor NF, St. Geme JW, vascular stroma. Absence of granuloma in our case Behrman RE, editors. Nelson Text Book of could be due to the early stage of the disease. Pediatrics, 20th ed. Philadelphia: W.B Saunders Due to its rare occurrence and lack of awareness, company; 2016; 708-716. many patients are misdiagnosed as juvenile idiopathic 7. Ehlert K, Frosch M, Fehse N, ZanderA, Roth J, arthritis. “T” was also diagnosed as a case of JIA Vormoor J. Farber disease: Clinical and received treatment accordingly. Hematopoietic presentation, pathogenesis and a new approach stem cell transplantation is the probable treatment to treatment. Pediatr.Rheumatol 2007; 5:15. 13,14 of Farber’s disease without CNS involvement . 8. Hoang TR, Hammermuller A, MixE, Kreutzer This was also the preferred treatment in our case. HJ, Goerlich R, KohlerH, et al. A Pro Further work is still going on to come up with a inflammatory Role for Fas in Joints of Mice with definitive treatment of this rare entity, especially in Collagen Induced Arthritis. Arthritis 14 those patients who have CNS involvement . Res.Ther.2004; 6(5): 404-14. Farber’s Disease: A Case Report BANGLADESH J CHILD HEALTH 2018; VOL 42 (2) : 165

9. MaLevade T, Moser HW, Fensom AH, Harzer Expanding the Spectrum. Egypt J Med Genet. K, Moser AB, Salvayre R. Neurodegenerative 2009; 10(1): 97-102 Course in CeramidaseDeficiency (Farber 12. GeneticResoures, Update7/1/2017. Provided by Disease) Correlates with the Residual American College of Medical Genetic and Lysosomal CeramideTurnover in Cultured Living National Society of Genetic Counselor. Available Patient cells. J Neuro Sci 1995; 134:108–14. in Tangle(301) 496-514 [email protected] 10. Farber S, Cohen J, Uzman LL, Lipogranulo- 13. Chandwani R, Kuwar AS. Farber Disease. matosis. A new lipoglycoprotein “storage” Indian Pediatr 2002;39:502. disease. J. Mt. Snai Hosp. 1957; 24: 816- 37 14. Malatack JJ, Consolini DM, Bayever E. The 11. Ghanda Y, EL-Kamah, Mohamad A, EL- darouti, status of hematopoitic stem cell transplantation Ahmed IS,Kotoury et al. Farber Disease in lysosomal storage disease. Peadiatric Neuro Overlapping with Stiff Skin Syndrome: 2003, 29(5): 391-403