Lateralized and Segmental Overgrowth in Children

Simple Summary Congenital lateralized or segmental overgrowth (LO) disorders are conditions characterized by excessive tissue growth of a body region often associated with a predisposition to cancer. LOs are caused by mosaic DNA anomalies, that is, they are present only in a part of the cells making up the body. LOs have an extremely heterogeneous clinical presentation: they widely overlap in presentation, are difficult to frame from a clinical point of view and have a diagnostic complexity representing a challenge for the clinician who approaches them. Here we review the key features of the various LOs, expose their molecular causes, and detail the implications for each of them, such as the need for specific cancer screening or the possibility of treatment. The latter represents a recent scientific achievement in medicine, allowed by the development of precision drugs finely tuning cellular pathways involved in growth and tumorigenesis deranged in LO. Congenital disorders of lateralized or segmental overgrowth (LO) are heterogeneous conditions with increased tissue growth in a body region. LO can affect every region, be localized or extensive, involve one or several embryonic tissues, showing variable severity, from mild forms with minor body asymmetry to severe ones with progressive tissue growth and related relevant complications. Recently, next-generation sequencing approaches have increased the knowledge on the molecular defects in LO, allowing classifying them based on the deranged cellular signaling pathway. LO is caused by either genetic or epigenetic somatic anomalies affecting cell proliferation. Most LOs are classifiable in the Beckwith-Wiedemann spectrum (BWSp), PI3KCA/AKT-related overgrowth spectrum (PROS/AROS), mosaic RASopathies, PTEN Hamartoma Tumor Syndrome, mosaic activating variants in angiogenesis pathways, and isolated LO (ILO). These disorders overlap over common phenotypes, making their appraisal and distinction challenging. The latter is crucial, as specific management strategies are key: some LO is associated with increased cancer risk making imperative tumor screening since childhood. Interestingly, some LO shares molecular mechanisms with cancer: recent advances in tumor biological pathway druggability and growth downregulation offer new avenues for the treatment of the most severe and complicated LO.