Middle-aged women with hematodiaphyseal dysplasia: Ghosal syndrome: Case report

Ghosal hematodiaphyseal dysplasia (GHDD) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by increased bone density involving diaphyses of long bones and defective hematopoiesis. It is due to biallelic variants in the TBXAS1 (OMIM*274180) gene, which encodes for thromboxane synthase. We present a rare case of a middle-aged woman who presented with chronic anemia and bone pain. About 31-year-old Southeast Asian female with a history of persistent iron deficiency anemia (6.1 gm/dL) presents with bilateral knee pain for 4 years. Autoimmune panel turned out to be negative. CT scan of the lower limbs showed multilamellated endosteal thickening specifically involving diaphyses with severe narrowing of medullary canal. PET CT scan revealed tubular remodeling, intramedullary ground glass matrix, and mild cortical thickening with increased FDG uptake in diaphyseal regions of femur and tibia. Bone marrow biopsy of left tibia revealed fibrocellular marrow with dyserythropoiesis. Considering the slow progression of illness over 4 years and radiological evidence suggestive of bone remodeling with severe narrowing of medullary canal as the cause of anemia, the patient underwent molecular analysis for GHDD. Results revealed homozygous p.Arg412Gln (exon 11) in TBXAS1 gene. Considering the effect of NSAIDs on cyclooxygenase and its downstream metabolites, oral Aspirin 150 mg/day was initiated. Hemoglobin improved to 11 gm/dL at 3-month follow-up visit. The complexity of reaching a diagnosis of GHDD underscores the importance of maintaining a high clinical suspicion and thorough analysis of radiological evidence. The treatment for GHDD involves aspirin, a readily available drug.