Brain hemorrhages in Jacobsen syndrome: A retrospective review of six cases and clinical recommendations

Jacobsen syndrome is a rare chromosomal disorder caused by distal deletions in the long arm of chromosome 11. All patients with Jacobsen syndrome have Paris–Trousseau syndrome, a bleeding disorder that causes neonatal thrombocytopenia, and persistent platelet dysfunction. Despite that, to date there are no reported cases of hemorrhagic strokes occurring in patients with Jacobsen syndrome. In the last 6 years at least six cases of brain hemorrhages in patients with Jacobsen syndrome have occurred. In this report, we perform a retrospective review of these six cases. The analysis indicates that the etiology of brain hemorrhages in Jacobsen syndrome is likely multifactorial. A likely cause (or causes) was identified in three of the cases, and additional potential risk factors were identified. Based on these findings, clinical recommendations are provided that should aid in the identification of those individuals with Jacobsen syndrome that are at increased risk for brain hemorrhages, and will hopefully decrease the occurrence of this devastating complication in people with Jacobsen syndrome.© 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.