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Diagnosis and Management of Children With Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Celia Dewell1, Denise L Chan1,2, Vanessa Sarkozy1,2
1Tuberous Sclerosis Complex Management Clinic, Sydney Children's Hospital, Sydney, Australia.
Insights
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a genetic disorder affecting multiple organs. Early diagnosis and multidisciplinary care, including precision medicine, can significantly improve outcomes for patients with TSC.
Area of Science:
- Genetics and Medicine
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by variants in TSC1 or TSC2 genes.
- It presents with benign tumors (hamartomas) in various organs and neurological complications like epilepsy and developmental disabilities.
- TSC affects multiple systems, including the brain, kidneys, skin, and heart, with variable onset and severity.
Purpose of the Study:
- To describe a multidisciplinary model of care for Tuberous Sclerosis Complex (TSC).
- To emphasize early detection, diagnosis, and active surveillance of seizures in TSC.
- To outline lifelong management guidelines for TSC-specific manifestations.
Main Methods:
- Review of clinical presentation, diagnosis, and genetic basis of TSC.
- Discussion of genetic counseling's role in TSC management.
- Emphasis on surveillance and management strategies for TSC-related issues.
Main Results:
- TSC necessitates a multidisciplinary approach for comprehensive patient care.
- Early diagnosis and intervention, including precision medicine (mTOR inhibitors), can mitigate disease burden.
- Active surveillance and management of seizures are crucial for affected children.
Conclusions:
- A structured, multidisciplinary model of care is essential for optimizing outcomes in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex.
- Lifelong surveillance and tailored management of neurological, developmental, and organ-specific issues are critical.
- Precision medicine offers targeted therapeutic options for epilepsy and tumors in TSC.
Abstract:
Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a multi-system autosomal dominant condition associated with disease-causing variants in either of the TSC1 or TSC2 genes. It can be associated with variable benign tumours (hamartomas) in different organs, most notably the brain, kidneys, skin and heart with different ages of onset. Affected children may have early-onset epilepsy, refractory epilepsy, varying degrees of developmental disability, ranging from normal cognition and learning difficulties to moderate-severe intellectual disability, neurodevelopmental disorders and mental health disorders. Multidisciplinary TSC-specific clinical care is recommended. A precision medicine (mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors) aimed at the early treatment of epilepsy and TSC-specific therapy for tumours can reduce the burden of the disease and improve clinical outcomes. We describe a multidisciplinary model of care for TSC, with an emphasis on the early detection and diagnosis of TSC and active surveillance/management of electrical seizures and clinical seizures. This review article will cover the following: clinical presentation and diagnosis of TSC, its genetic basis, the role of genetic counselling, pre-seizure surveillance of infants and TSC-specific (neurological, neurodevelopmental, renal, dermatological and pulmonary) management guidelines throughout life.
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