Shaheen syndrome is an autosomal recessive form of syndromic intellectual disability. Apart from severe mental retardation, patients suffer from hypohidrosis, hyperkeratosis of the palms and soles, dental enamel hypoplasia and dental caries. Despite the hypohidrosis, patients are seen to have normal numbers of sweat glands. The condition can result in episodic hyperthermia. In some cases, mild microcephaly may develop.
The disorder has an onset at birth. So far, only 3 affected families have been identified, all originating from Saudi Arabia. Due to the limited number of reported cases, information on the condition’s prognosis or prevalence is yet to be ascertained.
The condition is diagnosed based on genetic analysis of the Component of Oligomeric Golgi Complex 6 (COG6) gene. Differential diagnosis includes Congenital Disorder of Glycosylation IIl (CDGIIl), which is also caused by COG6 mutations, and is ruled out by isoelectric focusing studies exhibiting normal transferrin isoform patterns.