Lesch-Nyhan syndrome /lesh″ nī″han/ [Michael Lesch, American pediatrician, b. 1939; William L. Nyhan, Jr., American pediatrician, b. 1926] , a hereditary disorder of purine metabolism, characterized by cognitive impairment, self-mutilation of the fingers and lips by biting, impaired renal function, and abnormal physical development. It is transmitted as a recessive, sex-linked trait.
