Disease of Ollier

The disease of Ollier (or disease poly exostosale) is a disease causing of the disorders of the osseous growth.

Short History

Discovered by the Surgeon Louis Léopold Ollier (from where its name) this disease is considered rare (less than one hundred people listed in France in 2003 as example) and of genetic cause.

Symptoms

It causes osseous or cartilagineuses outgrowths mainly localized on the level of the articulations. These outgrowths, so called exostoses, are opposed to the growth of the long bones. The people reached of this disease are often of small size because the long bones (tibia S and Fémur S) have an abnormally slowed down growth. In its serious form, the disease of Ollier can also touch the muscles and the veins, (those also presenting cartilagineuses outgrowths).

According to the site of the exostoses, the articulations are more or less touched/constrained. It is for example possible that a exostose passes completely unperceived, whereas others can present a sinostose (articulation welded by the exostose).

At various people, the gene will have a more or less important expression, going from 30% to 70%, plus gene expresses itself, and more the number of exostoses will be important.

Transmission

To transmit the disease, it is thus necessary that one of the two parents is healthy carrier or reached disease. |-----

Treatment

There does not exist to date of basic treatment against this disease. The only effective cure consists in the surgical ablation of the most awkward exostoses (orthopedic operation). It should be noted that this disease develops throughout the growth and that it does not progress once any more the finished growth.

External bonds

Essential health: article on the disease of Ollier
Museum of medicine and anatomy of Lyon: Photograph of a exostose

Random links: