Life Science Encyclopedia

Tay syndrome is a recessive hereditary disease characterised by trichothiodystrophy (sulfur-deficient brittle hair) with photosensitivity, ichthyosiform erythroderma (fish-like scales on skin), dystrophic (abnormal) finger and toe-nails, progeria-like faces (prematurely aged looking face), growth and mental retardation, infertility and variable other defects.

It is named after Dr. Tay Chong Hai, a Singaporean doctor who discovered and subsequently published a paper on it in 1971. Dr. Tay is the first doctor in South East Asia to be honoured by having a disease named after him. The Tay syndrome should not be confused with the Tay-Sachs disease.

Tay syndrome is synonymous with:

• IBIDS (ichthyosis-brittle hair-impaired intelligence-decreased fertility-short stature) syndrome
• congenital ichthyosis-trichodystrophy syndrome
• ichthyosiform erythroderma-hair abnormality-mental and growth retardation syndrome
• PIBI(D)S [photosensitivity-ichthyosis-brittle hair-impaired intelligence-(possibly decreased fertility)-short stature] syndrome
• sulfur-deficient brittle hair syndrome
• trichothiodystrophy 2 (TTD 2)
• trichothiodystrophy-congenital ichthyosis syndrome
• trichothiodystrophy-xeroderma pigmentosum syndrome

References

• Tay CH (1971). "Ichthyosiform erythroderma, hair shaft abnormalities, and mental and growth retardation. A new recessive disorder". Arch Dermatol 104 (1): 4-13. PMID 5120162.