Syndrome des télomères courts chez l’adulte : une entité rare qu’il faut savoir évoquer [Short telomere syndrome in adults: a rare entity that should be evoked]

Short telomere syndrome (STS) is a group of rare, often underrecognized, diseases caused by defects in telomere-maintenance genes, leading to abnormal telomere shortening and associated with diverse multi-organ manifestations. In pediatric patients, STS typically presents with mucocutaneous or gastrointestinal lesions, bone marrow failure and neoplasia. In adulthood, aplastic bone marrow disease, liver disease and pulmonary fibrosis are classic clinical manifestations. At present, medical treatment options for STS remain limited. Danazol, a synthetic androgenic hormone, can slow down telomere shortening and thus limit the progression of the disease. Finally, hematopoietic, hepatic and pulmonary transplantation, sometimes combined, may be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting in certain situations.