1. Gaucher Disease
By: Melissa Sanders

3. What is it?
Gaucher disease is a rare genetic disorder where a person lacks an enzyme called glucocerebrosidase.
Not having this enzyme causes harmful substances to build up in the liver, spleen, bones and bone marrow.
These substances prevent the organs and cells from working properly.

4. Three subtypes of Gaucher
Type 1. Most common. Involves bone disease, anemia. Affects children and adults. Popular in Ashkenazi Jewish population.
Type 2. Begins in infancy with severe neurologic involvement. Leads to rapid, early death.
Type 3. Cause liver, spleen and brain problems. Patients live into adulthood.

5. Symptoms Bone pain and fractures Cognitive impairment Easy bruising
Enlarged spleen, liver
Fatigue
Heart valve problems
Lung disease
Seizures
Severe swelling at birth
Skin changes

7. Inheritance
Gaucher is a recessive disease. This means that the mother and father must both pass one abnormal copy of the gene to the child in order for the child to develop the disease.

9. Coping with Gaucher
Wide variety of physical, emotional and social challenges.
Managing Pain
Fighting Fatigue
Addressing Apperance

10. Treatment and Prevention
Enzyme replacement therapy available
Bone marrow transplant needed in severe cases
Genetic counseling is recommended for possible parents with a family history of Gaucher.
Testing determines if parents carry gene to pass on disease
Prenatal test can tell if fetus has Gaucher

11. Enzyme Replacement Therpy

13. Bone Marrow Transplant Needle

14. Prognosis with Gaucher
How well a person does depends on subtype.
Infantile Gaucher disease may lead to early death. Most affected children die before age 5
Adults with Type 1 can expect normal life expectancy with enzyme replacement therapy

15. Pain Management
Pain associated with type 1 Gaucher disease can go from minimal to severe. At worst, bone pain can limit normal activities, small movements are painful, sleep is difficult and may force individual to undergo hospitalization.
Lifestyle changes may be necessary to minimize pain.

17. Fighting Fatigue
Fatigue results from anemia and an enlarged liver or spleen. Severe anemic will feel tired even after full night of sleep.
Ordinary activities require more effort but most find they can engage in normal activities if they pace themselves and plan accordingly.

19. Cure No known cure for Gaucher disease.
Treatment for Type 2 and 3 Gaucher is enzyme replacement theapy or bone marrow transplant
Type 1 Gaucher disease has no known cure or treatment.

20. Addressing Appearance
Body image can be difficult for people with an enlarged spleen or liver. Being smaller in stature is also a common concern.
Children and adults may be teased or ridiculed for looking fat, pregnant or different.

22. Organizations www.gauchercare.com/patient/living.aspx

23. Stain of three patients
Patient two and three are normal individuals
Gene believed to carry Gaucher disease
Patient one has this extra band 

24. Bio
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