Perinatal and infantile hypophosphatasia: clinical features and treatment

Hypophosphatasia (HPP) is a rare hereditary disease characterized by defective skeletal mineralization, and with a broad severity spectrum. The perinatal forms, lethal and non-lethal, are associated with severe neonatal respiratory distress, potential seizures, hypotrophy and marked hypotonia. The diagnosis is rapidly suggested by a combination of typical radiological signs, hypercalcemia, hyperphosphatemia and low alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity. In the infantile form, the clinical signs appear before the age of six months, but the patients usually have no or very mild signs at birth. The diagnosis should be considered in the event of early deformation of the pectus, feeding difficulties, hypotonia, frequent respiratory tract infections, hypercalcemia, and even early constitution of craniosynostosis. Radiological signs may be less obvious characterized by irregular metaphyses and generalized hypomineralization. Management is initially symptomatic, and adjusted to the symptoms. Care should be provided by a multidisciplinary team, in close collaboration with Reference Centers experts for the disease. Currently, recombinant enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is under development for the severe form of HPP. The course of the disease, depending on the degree of severity and the various types of management, requires long-term evaluation through joint prospective follow-up to assess the long-term outcomes of these patients. Multidisciplinary follow up is needed to identify the medical and socio-economic outcomes of children and adults affected by HPP.