[PSEUDOMYOPATHIC SPINAL MUSCULAR ATROPHY. HEREDITARY NEUROGENIC PROXIMAL AMYOTROPHY OF KUGELBERG AND WELANDER].
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We reported a 52-year-old man and his family with bulbospinal muscle atrophy (BSMA) and gynecomastia. The propositus presented with the clinical picture of late onset progressive bulbospinal muscular atrophy including postural tremor, general hyporeflexia, mild maturity onset diabetes, gynecomastia and sexual impotence. One of his brother and his two sons had gynecomastia. His elder son had ocular movement abnormality, associated movement of facial muscle and finger tremor. One of his brothers showed tongue fasciculation without gynecomastia. None of members examined had abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene. We speculate that this family has a new clinical entity characterized by bulbospinal muscular atrophy with an autosomal dominant inheritance.
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The light-and electron-microscopic, single teased nerve and morphometric studies of a series of 17 sural nerve biopsies from patients with personeal muscular atrophy are presented. The cases are divided into the following groups according to the criteria of Davis, Bradley and Madrid (1977): Hypertrophic Neuropathy Group; Intermediate Group; Neuronal Sensorimotor Group; Neuronal Motor Group. The Hypertrophic Neuropathy Group had nerve hypertrophy and marked segmental demyelination and onion bulb formation. The Intermediate Group also had segmental demyelilination and onion bulb formation, but nerve hypertrophy was not seen, and axonal degeneration and regeneration were prominent. The Neuronal Sensorimotor Group cases were all sporadic, and showed some onion bulbs, paranodal demyelination and evidence of axonal degeneration and regeneration. The sensory nerve biopsy in the Neuronal Motor Group showed no major abnormality apart from some cluster formation indicating axonal regeneration. The data tend to support the classification of peroneal muscular atrophy proposed by Davis et al. (1977), though there was overlap between the groups in individual pathological parameters.
A 36 year old man with a history of testicular germ cell tumour presented six months after bilateral orchidectomy with progressive amnesia, irritability, vertical gaze palsy, and generalised seizures. Eight months after initial onset of symptoms, he demonstrated a head drop with muscular atrophy of the upper limbs, shoulder girdle, and posterior neck. He reported no sensory disturbances and his sensory examination was normal. The overall clinical presentation was consistent with motor neurone disease. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis revealed mild pleocytosis and increased protein concentration. Serum and cerebrospinal fluid were positive for the anti-Ma2 antibody by western blot analysis and immunostaining. Abnormal high signal in the grey matter was noted in the cervical spinal cord and brain by T2 weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The patient was treated with corticosteroids, intravenous immunoglobulin, and antiepileptic medication. The patient improved clinically and symptom progression ceased after initiation of treatment. There was complete resolution of the abnormal brain MRI lesions; however, the cervical spinal cord MRI lesion and muscular atrophy remained unchanged. It is suggested that the anti-Ma2 antibody is involved not only in encephalitis, but may also play a role in the cervical spinal cord lesions resulting in a motor neurone disease-like presentation.
We report the case of a 3-(1/2)-year-old girl with hypotonia, multiple joint contractures, hip luxation, arachnodactyly, adducted thumbs, dolichostenomelia, and abnormal external ears suggesting the diagnosis of congenital contractural arachnodactyly (CCA). The serum muscle enzymes were normal and the needle electromyography showed active and chronic denervation. The muscle biopsy demonstrated active and chronic denervation compatible with spinal muscular atrophy. Analysis of exons 7 and 8 of survival motor neuron gene through polymerase chain reaction did not show deletions. Neurogenic muscular atrophy is a new abnormality associated with CCA, suggesting that CCA is clinically heterogeneous.
We describe a family with distal spinal muscular atrophy and vocal cord paralysis, similar to the condition reported by Young and Harper in 1980. Both pedigrees are consistent with autosomal dominant inheritance.
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We report two unrelated patients with infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) types II and IIIa who developed alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) at 15 and 19 years, respectively. The tumours were located in the forearm, within severely atrophic flexor muscles. They displayed a similar histology and shared the most common translocation, t(2;13)(q35;14) in ARMS. Since cell proliferation is increased in de- and regenerating muscle and the PAX3/FKHR fusion protein activates myogenic transcription, it is tempting to speculate whether severe muscle atrophy in SMA might predispose to malignant transformation in long-standing disease.
With the evidence of deletions in the region responsible for autosomal recessive spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) on chromosome 5, it is now possible to further clarify the clinical and diagnostic findings in proximal SMA. Homozygous deletions of the survival motor neuron (SMN) gene can be detected in about 95% of patients with early onset SMA. In a series of more than 200 patients, we tested 31 patients with atypical features of SMA who fulfilled at least one exclusion criterion according to the diagnostic criteria of the International SMA Consortium for the presence of SMN gene deletions. The patients were subdivided into two groups: 1. Seven index patients being not deleted for the SMN gene who belonged to a well-defined SMA plus variant that has already been shown to be unlinked with chromosome 5q markers: diaphragmatic SMA, SMA plus olivopontocerebellar hypoplasia, SMA with congenital arthrogryposis and bone fractures. 2. Twenty-four patients with clinical signs of SMA and neurogenic findings in EMG/muscle biopsy who had unusual features or other organ involvement. In order to structure this heterogeneous group, each patient was assigned to a subgroup according to the leading atypical feature. In 5 out of 8 unrelated patients with a history of preterm birth and/or perinatal asphyxia leading to a picture of severe SMA in combination with respiratory distress and/or cerebral palsy, no deletion of the SMN gene could be detected. There were five unrelated patients with extended central nervous system involvement (cerebral atrophy, EEG abnormalities, pyramidal tract signs, evidence of cerebellar involvement). Most of these patients (4/5) proved to belong to SMA 5q on the basis of SMN gene deletion findings. The same applied to a group of three patients with classical SMA in association with congenital malformations (mainly heart defect). A fourth group of three patients was characterized mainly by an unusual improvement of the condition; in these patients no SMN gene deletions were present. In three index patients a more complex syndrome of the CNS and other organs was suggested, but the detection of SMN gene deletions in two of them made a coincidence of features more likely. In addition, SMN gene deletions were found in two patients with evidence of congenital fibre type dysproportion in one and extremely raised CK activity ( > 10fold) in the other. While the confirmation of SMN gene deletions is very useful in cases with diagnostic doubts, caution is required when offering prenatal prediction with regard to SMA 5q in families with atypical features. There is strong evidence that there are clinical entities resembling SMA which most likely have another pathogenetic background.
Evidence of impaired cell-mediated immunity in children with spinal muscular atrophy was obtained using lymphocyte transformation with PHA (20 children) and skin tests with tuberculin and DNCB (35 children). Laryngological examination of 16 children demonstrated hypoplasia of lymphatic tissue in Waldeyer's ring and the cervical lymph nodes. An ectodermal defect involving both spinal cord and thymus is suggested.
Twenty-four patients from India, had juvenile muscular atrophy localized to the upper extremities. The condition characteristically affects young men and is not familial. Atrophy is limited to the hand and forearm muscles, with slow progression for two to three years after which it seems to be stationary. The condition is associated with "tremor-like" movements out of proportion to the weakness. Examination of muscle biopsy specimens shows group 2 fiber atrophy. This syndrome, for which no cause has been described, is benign and self-limiting, unlike most motor neuron diseases, and is distal in upper extremities, unlike Kugelberg-Welander disease. Asymmetrical muscle wasting and preceding febrile illness in some patients suggests an atypical poliomyelitis-like viral disease.
OBJECTIVES: To investigate androgen receptor (AR) function in spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA). METHODS: A kindred was identified with five individuals carrying the AR gene CAG repeat expansion that causes SBMA. Androgen binding was measured in cultured genital skin fibroblasts from three affected individuals. One newborn, pre-symptomatic, individual showed normal androgen binding, but two older, symptomatic individuals showed a decrease in androgen binding affinity. This difference was not related to AR CAG repeat size, as all affected individuals in this kindred had 49 repeats (normal range 6-35). Post-mortem analysis in one subject confirmed the signs of androgen insufficiency in the testis, with marked seminiferous tubule atrophy, and the absence of germinal cells. The characteristic neuronal depletion in the anterior horn gray matter was also observed. CONCLUSION: This report raises the possibility that age- or puberty-related changes in androgen binding could occur, which could potentially contribute to the progressive development of androgen resistance in affected men.
A girl of 14 year is presented with a distal spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) with autosomal recessive inheritance. The technical findings are in agreement with the diagnosis. Light microscopical examination of sural nerve biopsy, including teased fiber studies and morphometry, showed no abnormalities. Electron microscopical investigation however demonstrated axonal pathology. The question arises if distal SMA is a distal axonopathy mainly of motor nerves, but to some extent also of sensory nerves.
Repeated episodes of hypoglycaemia were observed in two girls with spinal muscular atrophy. During a 12 h fast blood glucose fell to 3.4 and 2.7 mmol/L, respectively. One girl developed hypoglycaemia and ketonuria. Reduced gluconeogenesis was probably the cause of hypoglycaemia in these patients who had a muscle mass of about 10% of bodyweight (normal 30-40%). Hypoglycaemia must be suspected and treated when patients with severe muscle wasting due to chronic neuromuscular disorders are admitted comatose. In our experience this condition is often regarded as respiratory insufficiency.
Twenty-five pregnancies at risk for spinal muscular atrophy I (SMA I) have been monitored by first-trimester prenatal diagnosis. Microsatellite markers were used in all cases to amplify polymorphic regions at the D5S125, D5S435, D5S39, D5S127, and D5S112 loci. All families, including 12 SMA I pedigrees with a decreased index child, were fully informative for DNA analysis. Three fetuses were predicted to be affected and 22 fetuses were predicted to be unaffected. Twenty-two newborns were unaffected by clinical examination at birth. These results support the accuracy of SMA I prenatal diagnosis based on linkage analysis.
Subluxation of the hip is common in patients with intermediate spinal muscular atrophy. This retrospective study aimed to investigate the influence of surgery on pain and function, as well as the natural history of subluxed hips which were treated conservatively. Thirty patients were assessed clinically and radiologically. Of the nine who underwent surgery only one reported satisfaction and four had recurrent subluxation. Of the 21 patients who had no surgery, 18 had subluxation at the latest follow-up, but only one reported pain in the hip. We conclude that surgery for subluxation of the hip in these patients is not justified.
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