Dysplasia

Dysplasia is a broad category that has many types affecting both adults and children. Some of the most prominent types of dysplasia are; 

Hip Dysplasia 

Hip dysplasia is a congenital condition that is often reported at the time of birth. Hip dysplasia is when either the hip joint is placed in the wrong place or the hip socket is not correctly placed to support the structure and bone of the leg. 

According to AAOS (American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons), this may become evident based on; 

• Different lengths of both legs 
• Loose or less flexibility on one side 
• A different way of walking 

If the dislocation is mild, it may not be evident in the infant stage. As the child grows into the toddler stage, that is when the diagnosis will be fully made. In some cases, people who are diagnosed with hip dyslexia as adults have had the condition since childhood. 

The treatment options for hip dysplasia include the use of a harness or hip surgery. If the condition is identified at a young age, then the infant has to wear a soft harness till 3 months of age to keep the hip in place. This usually is the most common treatment that fixes the hip treatment in time. 

Body Casts are another option, that takes up to 2 years to reposition the thigh bone. Only occasionally a serious case will require surgery for the bone to be put back in the socket. 

Skeletal Dysplasia 

One of the main reasons why people have short structures is skeletal dysplasia. The main cause behind skeletal dysplasia is due to genetic mutation which usually happens before birth or in early infancy. 

Bone abnormalities and growth deficiency are other problems that arise due to skeletal dysplasia. 

 Ectodermal Dysplasia 

A person suffering from ectodermal dysplasia will affect the nail, hair, skin, and sweat glands of the person. There are more than 100 different types of ectodermal dysplasia (source: National Foundation of Ectodermal Dysplasias (NEFD)

This condition is mainly hereditary and is passed on from parents to children. 

Abnormal Growth Dysplasia 

Dysplasia refers to the abnormal growth of cells or tissues that may become a future precursor for cancer development. Dysplasia does not always translate to cancer development, however, early prevention diagnosis, and treatment should be done immediately. Some common abnormal dysplasia conditions include; 

Cervical Dysplasia 

In cervical dysplasia, abnormal cell growth occurs on the surface of the cervix. Resulting in two types of cervical dysplasia; 

• Low-grade cervical dysplasia - in this condition, the growth progresses slowly but gets better on its own 
• High-grade cervical dysplasia - the cell growth is more aggressive with a high probability of developing into cancer 

Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Myelodysplastic syndrome specifically affects abnormal bone marrow cell growth that may lead to the development of leukemia. Although abnormal cell growth can be due to mutation, it can also mean that the bone marrow has not been producing enough healthy cells, to begin with. Such a condition becomes more viable when a person is regularly put through regular screening.