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Shanmugam VK, Tsagaris KC, Attinger CE. Leg ulcers associated with Klinefelter’s syndrome: a case report and
review of the literature. Int Wound J 2011; doi: 10.1111/j.1742-481X.2011.00846.x
ABSTRACT
We present the case of a young man with type II diabetes, stage III chronic kidney disease, hypertension, obstructive
sleep apnea and diabetes who presented to the Georgetown University Hospital Center for Wound Healing with
refractory lower extremity ulcers. Autoimmune work-up was negative. However, chromosome analysis showed
a genetic variant of Klinefelter’s syndrome (48 XXYY). Lower extremity ulceration is a recognised complication
of Klinefelter’s syndrome. The pathogenesis of ulcers in this endocrinopathy is unclear, but associations with
abnormalities of fibrinolysis and prothrombotic states are reported. This case emphasises the importance of
considering Klinefelter’s syndrome in the differential diagnosis of a sterile male patient with non healing lower
extremity ulcers. Key Points
Key words: Fibrinolysis • Klinefelter’s syndrome • Leg ulcer • Prothrombotic
• a 38-year-old male was eval-
uated at the Georgetown Uni-
versity Center for Wound Heal-
CASE with a diagnosis of metabolic syndrome. The ing for bilateral lower extremity
ulcers that had been present for
A 38-year-old male was evaluated at the patient attributed the wound development to
4 years
Georgetown University Center for Wound obesity, lower extremity oedema and immobil- • three years prior to presentation
Healing for bilateral lower extremity ulcers ity. At the time of presentation, he had circum- he had been diagnosed with
that had been present for 4 years. Three years ferential ulcers on both legs below the knees. type II diabetes, but his disease
prior to presentation he had been diagnosed was well controlled
He experienced constant pain from the ulcers
• the patient attributed the
with type II diabetes, but his disease was well rated at 8 out of 10, which was present both at wound development to obesity,
controlled with a haemoglobin A1c of 5·9% rest and with ambulation. He did not have a lower extremity oedema and
(normal less than 7%). He also had a history of typical history of intermittent claudication, and immobility
stage III chronic kidney disease, hypertension, he denied prior thromboembolic disease. Treat- • at the time of presentation, he
obstructive sleep apnea and obesity consistent had circumferential ulcers on
ment with local wound care, including silver both legs below the knees
sulfadiazine cream and compression therapy, • he experienced constant pain
Authors: VK Shanmugam, MBBS, MRCP, Division of had been ineffective. from the ulcers rated at 8 out of
Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, Georgetown University The patient was single, lived with his mother 10, which was present both at
Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW, Washington, DC, USA; rest and with ambulation
and had a 30-pack-year smoking history. He
KC Tsagaris, DO, MPH, Department of Medicine, Georgetown • treatment with local wound
University Hospital, Washington, DC, USA; CE Attinger, MD,
had previously worked as a cashier and at the care, including silver sulfadi-
Center for Wound Healing, Georgetown University Hospital, time of evaluation was not working because azine cream and compression
Washington, DC, USA of disability. He experienced learning difficul- therapy, had been ineffective
Address for correspondence: Dr VK Shanmugam, MBBS, • he also reported progressing
ties during childhood and young adulthood.
MRCP, Division of Rheumatology, Immunology and Allergy, through puberty without erec-
He also reported progressing through puberty tions and without increased tes-
Georgetown University Hospital, 3800 Reservoir Road, NW,
Washington, DC, USA without erections and without increased testic- ticular size
E-mail: vks4@gunet.georgetown.edu ular size. He had never fathered a child.
ulcers should be referred when they fail to autoimmune diseases including systemic lupus
Key Points
respond to local wound care therapy, are of erythematosus have been reported (6).
non venous origin, show rapid deterioration, Leg ulceration is a recognized complication • metabolic syndrome, which was
involve an ischemic foot or have an atypical of Klinefelter’s syndrome (7). In a series of present in the reported case, is a
distribution (2). Klinefelter’s patients observed for up to a known complication of Klinefel-
ter’s syndrome, occurring in up
This patient was young and had failed to 20-year period, the prevalence of leg ulcers was
to 40% of Klinefelter patients
respond to conventional treatment. He had 6–13% (8). Furthermore, the genotypic variant • the aetiology of lower extremity
no varicose veins and arterial supply was seen in our patient, 48 XXYY, has been found ulcers in Klinefelter’s patients
intact based on normal capillary refill and in several studies to have an even stronger is believed to be multifacto-
palpable arterial pulses. The appearance of association with cutaneous changes (9). Some rial with chronic venous insuf-
ficiency, obesity, arterial dys-
his lower extremities was consistent with authors have suggested that because of these
plasia in legs and decrease in
chronic obesity lymphedematous mucinosis, findings and the increased risk of cognitive fibrinolysis because of elevated
which is often seen in the metabolic syndrome. abnormalities associated with the 48XXYY levels of PAI-1 all reported
However, while this patient suffered from karyotype, this particular karyotype should be • it has been hypothesised that
diabetes, his disease was well controlled with identified as a separate entity (10–12). the increase in PAI-1 can
lead to impairment of fibri-
oral hypoglycaemic medications and he had The aetiology of lower extremity ulcers in
nolysis causing development of
a normal serum glucose and haemoglobin Klinefelter’s patients is believed to be mul- microthrombi that contribute to
A1c. We postulate that his endocrinopathy tifactorial with chronic venous insufficiency, skin ulceration
could have predisposed him to these changes. obesity, arterial dysplasia in legs and decrease
Autoimmune work-up including evaluation by in fibrinolysis because of elevated levels of
a rheumatologist and autoimmune laboratory PAI-1 all reported (13). The role PAI-1 plays in
evaluation was negative. Prothrombotic work- Klinefelter’s syndrome, and its contribution to
up was remarkable only for the PAI-1 mutation. leg ulceration in this case, is unclear. PAI-1 is
Klinefelter’s syndrome, first described in produced by endothelium and adipose tissue
1942 by Harry F. Klinefelter, is the most com- and inhibits tissue plasminogen activator and
mon congenital abnormality causing primary urokinase plasminogen activator, thus inhibit-
hypogonadism, occurring in 1 in 500 to 1 in ing fibrinolysis and promoting thrombosis. The
1000 live births (3). Patients with this syndrome 4G/5G polymorphism is a common polymor-
are phenotypically male, but have at least one phism in the promoter region of the gene,
extra X chromosome, resulting from the non with the 4G variant exhibiting higher transcrip-
disjunction of the sex chromosomes of either tion and thereby increased plasma PAI-activity
parent during meiotic division. Hormonally, relative to the 5G/5G variant. Low levels of
patients have testosterone levels of approxi- testosterone are associated with elevated lev-
mately 50% of normal because of seminiferous els of PAI-1, and increased activity of PAI-1
tubule dysgenesis. Gonadal consequences of is implicated in the pathogenesis of ulcera-
the syndrome include scant facial and body tion (14). Zollner et al. (13) compared Kline-
hair, small, firm testes, reduced sperm count felter’s syndrome patients with and without
and infertility (4). lower extremity ulcers and found a higher PAI-
Metabolic syndrome, which was present in 1 activity in the group with ulcers. It has been
the reported case, is a known complication hypothesised that the increase in PAI-1 can lead
of Klinefelter’s syndrome, occurring in up to impairment of fibrinolysis causing develop-
to 40% of Klinefelter patients (5). Develop- ment of microthrombi that contribute to skin
ment of metabolic syndrome in these patients ulceration (12). There is also data to suggest
is thought to be secondary to the hypogo- that the presence of the metabolic syndrome
nadal state leading to truncal fat distribution, may contribute to elevation of PAI-1 activ-
decrease in muscle mass and inactivity, as ity, because diabetes, arterial hypertension,
was reported by our patient. Other reported hypertriglyceridaemia, smoking and reduced
extragonadal manifestations of Klinefelter’s physical activity all influence PAI-1 activity.
syndrome include long bone abnormalities Adipokines released by adipose tissue in obe-
resulting in increased length of legs and there sity increase PAI-1 activity, and interventions
are some reports of psychosocial abnormal- that treat the metabolic syndrome such as thi-
ities leading to difficult social interactions. azolidinediones, metformin, and weight loss
In addition, associations with varicose veins, and lifestyle changes can lower adipose expres-
thromboembolic disease, breast cancer and sion of PAI-1.
The positive outcome with testosterone The metabolic syndrome is frequent in Klinefel-
Key Points ter’s syndrome and is associated with abdom-
administration in this case was consistent with
inal obesity and hypogonadism. Diabetes Care
• the positive outcome with that seen in other cases of Klinefelter’s syn-
2006;29:1591–8.
testosterone administration in drome associated leg ulcers (7). In our case, 6 Smyth CM, Bremner WJ. Klinefelter syndrome.
this case was consistent with we selected the transdermal method of admin- Arch Intern Med 1998;158:1309–14.
that seen in other cases of Kline-
felter’s syndrome associated leg
istration of testosterone because it is known 7 De Morentin H, Dodiuk-Gad R, Brenner S.
to produce normal serum testosterone con- Klinefelter’s syndrome presenting with leg
ulcers
ulcers. Skinmed 2004;3:274–8.
• in our case, we selected the centrations (15). However, both the association
8 Campbell W, Newton M, Price W. Hypostatic leg
transdermal method of adminis- of leg ulcers with Klinefelter’s syndrome and ulceration and Klinefelter’s syndrome. J Ment
tration of testosterone because the positive response to testosterone therapy Defic Res 24:115–7.
it is known to produce normal
serum testosterone concentra-
are contradictory to animal data suggesting 9 Peterson W, Gorlin R, Peagler F, Bruhl H. Cutaneous
that testosterone is detrimental to wound heal- aspects of the XXYY genotype: a variant of Kline-
tions
felter’s syndrome. Arch Dermatol 1966;94:695–8.
• however, both the association ing and that inhibiting testosterone activity
10 Parker C, Mavalwala J, Melnyk J, Fish C. The 48,
of leg ulcers with Klinefel- improves wound healing (16–18). This case XXYY syndrome. Am J Med 1970;48:777–81.
ter’s syndrome and the positive illustrates the importance of considering Kline- 11 Grammatico P, Bottoni U, De Sanctis S, Sulli N,
response to testosterone ther-
felter’s syndrome in a young infertile man Tonanzi T, Onorio AC, Del Porto G. A male
apy are contradictory to animal
presenting with lower extremity ulcers. patient with 48, XXYY syndrome: importance
data suggesting that testos-
of distinction from Klinefelter’s syndrome. Clin
terone is detrimental to wound
Genet 1990;38:74–8.
healing and that inhibiting
12 Veraart J, Hamulyak K, Neumann H. Leg ulcers
testosterone activity improves ACKNOWLEDGEMENT and Klinefelter’s syndrome. Arch Dermatol
wound healing
Dr. Shanmugam is funded by award numbers 1995;131:958–9.
• this case illustrates the impor-
KL2RR031974 and UL1RR031975 from the 13 Zollner T, Veraart J, Wolter M, Hesse S, Villemur B,
tance of considering Klinefel-
Wenke A, Werner RJ, Boehncke WH, Jost SS,
ter’s syndrome in a young infer- National Center for Research Resources. The
Scharrer I, Kaufmann R. Leg ulcers in Klinefel-
tile man presenting with lower content is solely the responsibility of the ter’s syndrome–further evidence for an involve-
extremity ulcers authors and does not represent the official ment of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1. Br
views of the National Center for Research J Dermatol 1997;136:341–4.
Resources or the National Institutes of Health. 14 Spier C, Shear NH, Lester RS. Recurrent leg ulcera-
tions as the initial clinical manifestation of Kline-
felter’s syndrome. Arch Dermatol 1995;131:230.
15 Swerdloff RS, Wang C, Cunningham G, Dobs A,
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