Clinical Characteristics
The principal feature of Laron syndrome is abnormally short stature (dwarfism). Physical symptoms include: prominent forehead, depressed nasal bridge, underdevelopment of mandible, truncal obesity and a very small penis. Seizures are frequently seen secondary to hypoglycemia. Some genetic variations have an impact upon intellectual capacity.
The majority of reported cases have been of Arabic or Semitic origin, with numerous patients in Israel, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Iraq, and remote villages in Ecuador with Sephardic roots.
In 2011, it was reported that people with this syndrome in the Ecuadorian villages are resistant to cancer and diabetes and are somewhat protected against aging. This is consistent with findings in mice with a defective growth hormone receptor gene.
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