PIK3CA-Related Overgrowth Spectrum

Abstract

Postzygotic mutations of the PIK3CA gene are associated with a series of clinical phenotypes characterized by segmental overgrowth and recently grouped under the term PIK3CA-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS). This chapter provides an overview of the clinical features shared by the phenotypes in PROS, including both the conditions with isolated features and the ones with syndromal presentation. The somatic overgrowth in cases with PROS is asymmetric, progressive, and “ballooning” in appearance and tends to involve predominantly the limbs, including fingers and toes, although the trunk and face are often affected as well. The tissues affected in the overgrowth can include all or some of these types: fibrous, adipose, vascular, nervous, and skeletal. Somatic gain-of-function mutations of PIK3CA cause activation of the PI3K-AKT pathway, leading to excessive cell growth and proliferation. Timing of PIK3CA mutations, tissue specificity, and type of mutation may play a role in the phenotypic variability of PROS.