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Lifelong management in the new era of MPS

The new era of management for progressive, complex, genetic conditions, such as mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) disorders, hinges on the efficient coordination of each patient’s healthcare team by a coordinated, multidisciplinary care-delivery model.1

Geneticists and/or metabolic specialists are typically at the centre of the coordinated, multidisciplinary care-delivery model and an individualised management plan.2,3

Given that ENT manifestations are common in MPS – and often appear early in the disease course – the ENT specialist plays an essential role in the multidisciplinary medical team.4,5

  • Patients with MPS require regular monitoring of oxygen saturation and sleep.3
  • Surgeries to correct ENT-related symptoms are common in MPS, and are often performed earlier in patients with MPS than in the general population.4
  • Since patients with MPS are at elevated risk of surgical and anaesthetic complications, it is essential to be aware of best practices in surgical preparation and perioperative care specific to MPS.6
In patients with MPS disorders, the benefits of coordinated care may improve many aspects of a patient’s – and a family’s – outlook over the long term.3,7

Many MPS disorders have available management guidelines and specialty-specific consensus recommendations regarding lifelong management of MPS. Guidelines typically recommend the following3,7:

  • Comprehensive baseline assessments (e.g. specialty-specific evaluations, functional performance and disease burden) by appropriate specialists
  • Regular, defined monitoring intervals to assess multisystemic disease progression

Because ENT symptoms often manifest at an early age, the otolaryngologist is in a prime position to initiate diagnosis and refer for confirmation with genetic testing.5 Early and ongoing assessments from a coordinated care team can improve patient outcomes and may help prevent irreversible damage.7

The complexity of MPS disorders often requires early, aggressive intervention for ENT manifestations5

Due to glycosaminoglycan buildup in the ear, patients with MPS have an increased risk of otitis media with effusion and acute otitis media.5,8 Management considerations include the following:

  • Routine otological and audiological3,7
  • Proactive management of otitis media, which is often recurrent9
  • Hearing aids, if appropriate9
  • Ventilation tubes, if appropriate9

Upper airway obstruction results in serious complications for patients with MPS

Upper airway obstruction in patients with MPS can range from varying degrees of sleep apnoea to life-threatening airway emergencies. Management strategies for airway obstruction include the following5:

  • Positive airway pressure devices
  • Early adenotonsillectomy
  • Temporary or short-term tracheostomy
Airway obstruction in patients with MPS seriously complicates provision of care and procedural care considerations.

It is important to note that while ENT manifestations and complications are almost universal across MPS types, specific signs and symptoms can differ across and within MPS disorders.5 Individualised management plans should be tailored to specific needs, depending on presenting symptoms and MPS type.

A summary of general and ENT features of MPS syndromes can be found below.

Summary of general and ENT features of MPS syndromes10,11

MPS type
MPS I-H (Hurler)
MPS I-S (Scheie)
MPS I-H/S (Hurler Scheie)
MPS II (Hunter)
MPS IIIA (Sanfilippo, type A)
MPS IIIB (Sanfilippo, type B)
MPS IIIC (Sanfilippo, type C)
MPS IIID (Sanfilippo, type D)
MPS IVA (Morquio A)
MPS IVB (Morquio B)
MPS VI (Maroteaux-Lamy)
MPS VII (Sly)
Main clinical features
Severe Hurler phenotype, mental retardation, corneal clouding, death usually before age 14
Stiff joints, corneal clouding, aortic valve disease, normal intelligence, survival to adulthood
Intermediate phenotype
Severe course – similar to MPS I-H; mild course – milder clinical phenotype, later manifestation, and survival to adulthood with or without mental retardation
Behavioural problems, aggression
Progressive dementia, seizures, survival to second or third decade of life
Considerable interfamilial variability, mild dysmorphism
Coarse hair, clear cornea, usually normal height
Short-trunk type of dwarfism, fine corneal opacities, characteristic skeletal dysplasia and spondyloepiphyseal dysplasia, final height less than 125 cm
Same as Morquio A, but with milder impact on adult height (>120 cm)
Hurler phenotype with marked corneal clouding and normal intelligence; mild, moderate and severe expression in different families
Highly variable; dense inclusion in granulocytes
Otolaryngological manifestations
Airway problems, sleep apnoea, upper and lower respiratory tract infections, otitis media, sensorineural hearing loss
Adenotonsillar hypertrophy, airway problems, otitis media, sensorineural hearing loss
Otitis media, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, hearing loss (typically conductive in nature)
Otitis media, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, hearing loss (typically conductive in nature)
Otitis media, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, hearing loss (typically conductive in nature)
Progressive diffuse airway narrowing, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, otitis media, hearing loss (typically conductive in nature)
Otitis media, adenotonsillar hypertrophy, hearing loss (typically conductive in nature)

Adapted from Yueng, Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg, 2009.

Frequency of assessments and involvement of specific specialists vary across the different MPS types. For patients with MPS diseases associated with primary neurodegenerative and cognitive complications, such as MPS I, II and III, additional and regular neurobehavioural and psychiatric evaluations are recommended.7,12,13

In addition to specialty-specific assessments that should be done to facilitate positive long-term outcomes for patients with MPS, important steps can be taken by the coordinating doctor, typically the geneticist and/or metabolic specialist, related to general health. Their role in educating other healthcare professionals (e.g. dentists, physiotherapists, paediatricians, family doctors) and families about the disease and general management strategies is critical and should include the following1:

  • Discussing the risks and benefits of intervention and necessary precautions with treatments and evaluations3
  • Dental considerations
    • The wide range of craniofacial and dental abnormalities, which varies by MPS subtype may or may not predispose patients to an increased risk of dental disease14
    • Close monitoring of dental development (at least annually) and regular dental care to prevent caries and attrition of the teeth3
  • Overall health interventions, which may include supportive therapies such as regular influenza and pneumococcus vaccinations, bronchodilators, and aggressive and prompt treatment of upper respiratory tract3

Specialty-specific assessments, as well as regular physical examinations and overall health interventions, should follow recommended guidelines, which may vary among MPS subtypes.3

Continuity of care into adulthood optimises long-term outcomes

Improvements in the treatment of MPS disorders are contributing to long-term outcomes for patients, necessitating new approaches to lifelong management.

As patients age, some may begin to manage their own healthcare, making doctor-guided transition to the adult setting critical.3 Doctors should ensure the following:

  • Early and ongoing assessments from a coordinated care team to evaluate disease progression across organ systems7
  • Maintenance and assessment of patients’ ability to perform activities of daily living7
  • Formal, site-specific transition strategies, including identification of adult specialists with long-term MPS management experience3
  • That patients are not lost to follow-up3
Encourage patients and their families to be involved in site-specific transition strategies, which can be tailored to optimise each individual’s long-term care plan.3

The transition from paediatric to adult care and long-term adult care are critical areas to address in care plans for adolescent and adult patients.3 Long-term care considerations are ideally best addressed in a centre with significant MPS experience, and they require careful coordination across specialties.3,15 Long-term issues include but are not limited to the following:

  • Best practices in adult-care transition
  • Gynaecological considerations
    • Pregnancy- and maternity-related issues
    • ERT use during pregnancy and lactation
  • Long-term port management
  • Long-term pain management

Long-term management of MPS disorders – including ongoing assessments and a site-specific transition strategy from paediatric to adult care – may lead to sustained improvement in quality of life and a better future for your patients.3,15-17

Optimise patient outcomes through coordinated management.

It's a new era in management. Stay informed.

References:  1. Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Defining the PCMH. https://pcmh.ahrq.gov/page/defining-pcmh. Accessed December 15, 2015.  2. Muenzer J. The mucopolysaccharidoses: a heterogeneous group of disorders with variable pediatric presentations. J Pediatr. 2004;144(suppl 5):S27-S34.  3. Hendriksz CJ, Berger KI, Giugliani R, et al. International guidelines for the management and treatment of Morquio A syndrome. Am J Med Genet Part A. 2014;9999A:1-15. doi:10.1002/ajmg.a.36833.  4. Mesolella M, Cimmino M, Cantone E, et al. Management of otolaryngological manifestations in mucopolysaccharidoses: our experience. Acta Otorhinolaryngol Ital. 2013;33(4):267-272.  5. Wold SM, Derkay CS, Darrow DH, Proud V. Role of the pediatric otolaryngologist in diagnosis and management of children with mucopolysaccharidoses. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2010;74(1):27-31. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2009.09.042.  6. Spinello CM, Novello LM, Pitino S, et al. Anesthetic management in mucopolysaccharidoses. ISRN Anesthesiol. 2013;2013:1-10. doi:10.1155/2013/791983.  7. Muenzer J, Wraith JE, Clarke LA, International Consensus Panel on the Management and Treatment of Mucopolysaccharidosis I. Mucopolysaccharidosis I: management and treatment guidelines. Pediatrics. 2009;123(1):19-29. doi:10.1542/peds.2008-0416.  8. Simmons MA, Bruce IA, Penney S, Wraith E, Rothera MP. Otorhinolaryngological manifestations of the mucopolysaccharidoses. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2005;69(5):589-595. doi:10.1016/j.ijporl.2005.01.017.  9. Motamed M, Thorne S, Narula A. Treatment of otitis media with effusion in children with mucopolysaccharidoses. Int J Pediatr Otorhinolaryngol. 2000;53(2):121-124.  10. Yeung AH, Cowan MJ, Horn B, Rosbe KW. Airway management in children with mucopolysaccharidoses. Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2009;135(1):73-79. doi:10.1001/archoto.2008.515.  11. Hendriksz CJ, Harmatz P, Beck M, et al. Review of clinical presentation and diagnosis of mucopolysaccharidosis IVA. Mol Genet Metab. 2013;110:54-64. doi:10.1016/j.ymgme.2013.04.002.  12. Neufeld EF, Muenzer J. The mucopolysaccharidoses. In: Scriver CR, Beaudet AL, Sly WS, Valle D, eds. The Metabolic and Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease. Vol 3. 8th ed. New York: McGraw-Hill; 2002:2465-2494.  13. Scarpa M, Almassy Z, Beck M, et al. Mucopolysaccharidosis type II: European recommendations for the diagnosis and multidisciplinary management of a rare disease. Orphanet J Rare Dis. 2011;6:72. doi:10.1186/1750-1172-6-72.  14. James A, Hendriksz CJ, Addison O. The oral health needs of children, adolescents and young adults affected by a mucopolysaccharide disorder. JIMD Rep. 2012;2:51-58. doi:10.1007/8904_2011_46.  15. Coutinho MF, Lacerda L, Alves S. Glycosaminoglycan storage disorders: a review. Biochem Res Int. 2012;2012:471325. doi:10.1155/2012/471325.  16. Kakkis ED, Neufeld EF. The mucopolysaccharidoses. In: Berg BO, ed. Principles of Child Neurology. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill; 1996:1141-1166.  17. Lehman TJA, Miller N, Norquist B, Underhill L, Keutzer J. Diagnosis of the mucopolysaccharidoses. Rheumatology. 2011;50(suppl 5):v41-v48.