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What Are the Causes of Tubular Sclerosis?

Tubular sclerosis, also called tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC), is a disease that affects one out of every 6,000 people. It causes benign tumors to grow on different organs, including the brain and kidneys.

  1. Cause

    • TSC is caused by a mutation in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. These genes control the rate that cells grow. A mutation in either of these genes means cells may divide too rapidly.

    Inherited or New

    • The mutation can be inherited from a parent who has the disease or it can be a new mutation of the TSC1 or TSC2 gene.

    Statistics

    • Two thirds of people with TSC develop it as a new mutation in the gene while only one third inherit the disease, according to the Mayo Clinic.

    Probability

    • A parent who has TSC has a fifty percent chance of passing on the mutated gene. The severity of the disease in the child does not depend on the severity of the disease in the parent.

    Consideration

    • TSC can develop through a process called gonadal mosaicism in which a mutation occurs because either the sperm or the egg carries the mutated gene even though the parent doesn't have TSC, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.

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