A comparison of the functional health of children with Costello syndrome in 1999 and in 2015

Costello Syndrome is a rare congenital condition characterized by failure-to-thrive, cardiac abnormalities, distinctive facial features, predisposition to malignant tumors, and developmental delay. In 1999, we analyzed the functional health in a cohort of 18 patients. Since then, a mutation in the HRAS gene has been found to be causative, medical management has been refined, and the level of awareness has increased. The purpose of this study is to compare the functional health outcomes from the 1999 cohort with data prospectively collected from a comparable cohort in 2015. The Pediatric Outcome Data Collection Instrument (PODCI) was administered to parents of children with Costello syndrome during the 2015 International Costello Syndrome Conference. The same instrument and setting were used in the 1999 study. We compared functional health scores from the two groups. A total of 21 participants were included in the 2015 cohort; 15 females (71%) and 6 males (29%). Average age was 5.8 years (range 2–16). When comparing functional health outcomes, we found that the 2015 cohort scored slightly higher in Upper Extremity and Physical Function (57 vs. 54) and Comfort scales (86 vs. 82). However, there was no significant difference in any of the PODCI scales between the two groups. When compared with normative scores, both groups scored significantly lower in every scale except for happiness (p = 0.2952). Despite recent advancements, functional health outcomes in 2015 were similar to those measured in a different cohort in 1999.

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