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Peripheral sensory neuropathy and cisplatin chemotherapy.

Patients with advanced cancer, previously untreated, were given 60 mg/m2 cisplatin plus 60 mg/m2 adriamycin by monthly intravenous injections. Signs and symptoms of a predominantly sensory peripheral neuropathy developed in 92% of the patients. Patients complained of dysesthesias and paresthesias in hands and feet. Clinically, there was progressive decrease or loss of tendon reflexes, decreased vibratory sense, and mild decrease in light touch and pin sensation. Distal sensory latencies became prolonged or dropped out completely, but there was little change in motor nerve conduction velocities or motor unit action potentials. Sural nerve biopsies showed loss of large-diameter nerve fibers, with axonal and myelin degeneration.

Carcinoma↗

Childhood encephalomyopathy with cytochrome c oxidase deficiency, ataxia, muscle wasting, and mental impairment.

The son of third cousins was normal until age 2 when he had difficulty walking. At age 8 there was limb weakness, ataxia, loss of tendon reflexes, dislalia, and he was mildly retarded. During fasting, urinary organic acid excretion was abnormally high. Cytochrome c oxidase activity in muscle was 7% of the normal mean. The enzyme in platelets was 16% of controls with a decreased cytochrome aa3 peak. These data suggest an autosomal recessive transmission of this variant of cytochrome c oxidase deficiency.

Ataxia↗

Congenital myopathy with type II muscle fiber hypoplasia.

We examined a 14-month-old boy with severe muscular hypotonia and weakness. Loss of tendon reflexes were noted at age 2 months. Right-sided heart failure and dyspnea during sleep developed at age 4 months. Muscle biopsy revealed selective hypoplasia of type II fibers and normal type I fibers. Intercostal and diaphragmatic muscles showed similar changes at necropsy and probably accented the respiratory failure.

Humans↗

Plasticity of central motor pathways in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy.

To obtain neurophysiologic evidence for a reorganization of central motor pathways in children who had suffered a cerebral lesion at birth, we performed cross-correlation analyses of multiunit EMG recordings obtained from children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy and marked mirror movements. We found that the motoneuron pools of homologous left and right hand muscles received common synaptic input from abnormally branched presynaptic axons. The results of electromagnetic brain stimulation, cutaneomuscular, and tendon reflex testing suggested that these common inputs are provided by abnormally branched corticospinal tract fibers whose origin is the undamaged motor cortex.

Cerebral Palsy↗

Magnetic resonance imaging in hereditary and idiopathic ataxia.

We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to study brain and spinal cord morphology in hereditary and idiopathic ataxia. Our interest was in whether the classical neuropathologic categories--cerebellar cortical atrophy (CCA), olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), and spinal atrophy (SA)--could be identified in vivo and which clinical phenotype corresponded to which morphologic category. To this end, we measured the size of the cerebellar vermis, cerebellar hemispheres, fourth ventricle, middle cerebellar peduncles, basis pontis, medulla oblongata, and cervical spinal cord on T1-weighted images of 61 patients and 24 healthy controls. Five patients with Friedreich's ataxia (n = 7) and all with late-onset Friedreich's ataxia (n = 3) had SA without major involvement of the brainstem or cerebellum. Morphologic findings in patients with early-onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes (n = 11) were heterogeneous: six patients had MRI findings compatible with CCA, and two patients had a combination of SA and CCA. The three remaining patients had an atypical pattern of atrophy. Similarly, the morphologic changes in patients with autosomal-dominant cerebellar ataxia with additional noncerebellar symptoms (ADCA-I; n = 13) were nonuniform: atrophic changes typical for CCA, OPCA, or SA were each present in one case, four patients had a combination of OPCA and SA, and the remaining patients could not be assigned to one of the morphologic categories. In autosomal-dominant cerebellar ataxia with a pure cerebellar syndrome (ADCA-III; n = 6), all patients except one had CCA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗

Neuropathy associated with hyperlipidemia.

We describe six patients with painful polyneuropathy associated with hyperlipidemia. Each had mild, slowly progressive neuropathy characterized by pain in feet, without proximal extension or involvement of hands. Weakness and autonomic symptoms and signs were absent. Three patients had normal tendon reflexes; three others had decreased ankle reflexes. Serum cholesterol levels were moderately increased; serum triglyceride levels were exceedingly high. In one patient, symptoms resolved with correction of hypertriglyceridemia. No other cause of peripheral neuropathy was found. Marked increases in serum triglycerides may cause painful small-fiber neuropathy.

Adult↗

Clinical and electrophysiologic correlates of elevated anti-GM1 antibody titers.

We reviewed the clinical and electrophysiologic features of 36 patients with increased titers of IgM anti-GM1 antibodies. Mildly elevated titers of up to 3,200 were not associated with any particular clinical syndrome or disease. Clinically, 14 of 16 patients with highly elevated titers of 6,400 or higher had progressive weakness with lower motor neuron signs; six had active tendon reflexes and eight had absent reflexes, but none had definite upper motor neuron signs. Electrophysiologic studies showed spontaneous activity in all 14 patients, one or more motor conduction blocks in nine, slowed motor conductions in one, and normal conductions in four patients. None had abnormal sensory conductions. These patients presented with a syndrome that has features of, but is distinct from, both motor neuron disease and demyelinating neuropathy.

Adult↗

Broadened Friedreich's ataxia phenotype after gene cloning. Minimal GAA expansion causes late-onset spastic ataxia.

We describe three siblings from an Italian family affected by an autosomal recessive spinocerebellar degeneration. Gait ataxia, presenting between 38 and 45 years, was the first symptom in all three patients. Dysarthria, dysmetria, brisk tendon reflexes, extensor plantar response, and scoliosis were constant features. Disease progression was slow. Electrophysiologic studies demonstrated a slight reduction in sural nerve sensory action potential in only one patient. Analysis of GAA expansion within the X25 gene showed that patients were homozygous for the expansion, with the shorter expanded allele ranging from 120 to 156 triplets. The size of the GAA expansion may be smaller than we previously described. Such minimal expansions may result in atypical forms of Friedreich's ataxia.

Action Potentials↗

Linkage mapping of the gene for Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 to chromosome 1p (CMT2A) and the clinical features of CMT2A.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2 (CMT2) is characterized by a motor conduction velocity of the median nerve of > 38 m/sec and is a genetically heterogeneous disorder with at least three loci identified: CMT2A (1p35-36), CMT2B (3q13-22), CMT2C (not linked to any known loci), and CMT2D (7p14). In this study, we performed linkage analysis of two Japanese CMT2 families using markers flanking the CMT2A, CMT2B, and CMT2D loci. The highest cumulative multipoint lod score of 3.69 was obtained at D1S244. The CMT2B and CMT2D loci were excluded by the results of linkage analysis performed using markers D3S1551, D3S1290, and D7S484. The clinical features of the CMT2A affecting the two families include similar levels of muscle weakness of the posterior and anterior tibial muscles, tendon reflexes preserved in upper extremities but reduced or absent in lower extremities, no enlargement of the peripheral nerves, and mild sensory disturbance in only 20% of affected individuals.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease↗

Incidence of dominant spinocerebellar and Friedreich triplet repeats among 361 ataxia families.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the incidence of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) types 1, 2, 3, 6, and 7 and Friedreich's ataxia (FA) among a large panel of ataxia families. BACKGROUND: The ataxias are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases that variably affect the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinocerebellar tracts. Trinucleotide repeat expansions have been shown to be the mutational mechanism for five dominantly inherited SCAs as well as FA. METHODS: We collected DNA samples and clinical data from patients representing 361 families with adult-onset ataxia of unknown etiology. Patients with a clinical diagnosis of FA were specifically excluded from our collection. RESULTS: Among the 178 dominant kindreds, we found SCA1 expansion at a frequency of 5.6%, SCA2 expansion at a frequency of 15.2%, SCA3 expansion at a frequency of 20.8%, SCA6 expansion at a frequency of 15.2%, and SCA7 expansion at a frequency of 4.5%. FA alleles were found in 11.4% of apparently recessive and 5.2% of apparently sporadic patients. Among these patients the repeat sizes for one or both FA alleles were relatively small, with sizes for the smaller allele ranging from 90 to 600 GAA repeats. The clinical presentation for these patients is atypical for FA, with one or more of the following characteristics: adult onset of disease, retained tendon reflexes, normal plantar response, and intact or partially intact sensory perceptions. CONCLUSIONS: Pathogenic trinucleotide repeat expansions were found among 61% of the dominant kindreds. Among patients with apparently recessive or negative family histories of ataxia, 6.8% and 4.4% tested positive for a CAG expansion at one of the dominant loci, and 11.4 and 5.2% of patients with apparently recessive or sporadic forms of ataxia had FA expansions. Because of the significant implications that a dominant versus recessive inheritance pattern has for future generations, it is important to screen patients who do not have a clearly dominant inheritance pattern for expansions at both the FA and the dominant ataxia loci.

Adult↗

Benign acute childhood myositis: laboratory and clinical features.

BACKGROUND: Benign acute myositis of childhood is a disorder of midchildhood, typically affecting boys. Symptoms include calf pain and difficulty walking after a viral illness. There is an epidemiologic association with influenza. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical and laboratory features of benign acute myositis. RESULTS: Thirty-eight children (32 boys, 6 girls) were seen with 41 episodes of myositis between 1978 and 1997. Two were siblings and three had recurrent episodes. Mean age at onset of symptoms was 8.1 years. Children remained ambulant during 33 of 41 episodes. Two characteristic gaits were noted: toe-walking in 13, with a wide-based stiff-legged gait in another 7. Muscle tenderness was isolated to the gastrocnemius-soleus muscles in 82% of episodes. Recovery occurred within 1 week. Creatine kinase levels were elevated during all episodes. Viral studies were positive in 10 of 24 episodes, 5 because of influenza B. CONCLUSION: Benign acute myositis is a syndrome of midchildhood that can be differentiated from more serious causes of walking difficulty by the presence of calf tenderness, normal power, intact tendon reflexes, and elevated creatine kinase. The gait patterns noted may minimize power generation of the calf muscles by splinting the ankles. Onset in childhood may reflect an age-related response to viral infection, and occurrence primarily in boys may reflect a genetic predisposition or an as-yet unknown metabolic defect.

Acute Disease↗

Ipsilateral hemiparesis after putaminal hemorrhage due to uncrossed pyramidal tract.

OBJECTIVE: Previous case reports supported the presence of the uncrossed pyramidal tract in exceptional patients. However, most of these case reports have not fully discussed involvement of the motor cortex controlling the ipsilateral limbs. DESIGN AND METHOD: The authors investigated a 62-year-old man who developed right hemiparesis after right putaminal hemorrhage by using MRI, transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional MRI (fMRI), and sensory evoked potentials. He had moderate weakness including the face, spasticity with brisk deep tendon reflexes and Babinski sign, and impaired vibration and position sense, all on the right side. RESULT: A MRI study showed hemorrhage in the right putamen and the wedge-shaped medulla. A fMRI study during a sequential finger opposition task showed activation in the motor cortex ipsilateral to the finger movements, but not on the contralateral side. Sensory evoked potentials showed cortical response ipsilateral to the side of stimulation. CONCLUSION: The pyramidal tract and the dorsal column-medial lemniscus pathway did not cross in the medulla in this patient. In view of the presence of the abnormal shape in the medulla and congenital scoliosis, a congenital factor might be responsible for the uncrossed pyramidal tract and dorsal column-medial lemniscus in this patient.

Brain Mapping↗

Clinical and genetic study of a large Charcot-Marie-Tooth type 2A family from southern Italy.

The authors report a large pedigree from southern Italy with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 2A (CMT2A). The clinical picture was uniform and characterized by distal muscular weakness and atrophy in the lower limbs, reduced or absent tendon reflexes mainly in the lower limbs, and mild sensory impairment in the feet. Significant linkage to the CMT2A locus on chromosome 1p35-p36 was detected. Based on informative recombination in affected individuals, the authors mapped the CMT2A gene between D1S160 and D1S170.

Adolescent↗

Traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation: presentation of a new posterior occipitoatlantoaxial fixation technique in an adult survivor: technical case report.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: More survivors of traumatic atlanto-occipital dislocation (AOD) in adults have recently been reported. Surgical management options are therefore of increasing interest. We present a new technique of posterior C0-C1-C2 fixation. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: A 29-year-old motorcyclist survived a traumatic vertical AOD of 15 mm. No spinal cord or medullary lesion was present. Brain contusion and diffuse axonal injuries led to a cortical biplegia, which recovered progressively over a period of 6 months. Twelve months after surgery, no neurological deficit was present except for slightly increased deep tendon reflexes. INTERVENTION: Posterior C0-C1-C2 fixation was performed with two bicortical occipital screws, one bicortical lateral mass screw in the atlas, and one monocortical pars screw in the axis on each side, connected to a plate-rod on the right and left sides. Fusion was performed with monocortical bone graft from the posterior iliac crest. CONCLUSION: The surgical technique described was thought to be safe to perform and resulted in immediate stability without external immobilization. Solid fusion was achieved 6 months after surgery.

Adult↗

Asymptomatic pyuria in diabetic women.

The aim of the present study was to determine the prevalence of and the host factors for asymptomatic pyuria (ASP) in women with type 2 diabetes. The study included 179 type 2 diabetic women and consecutive 455 non-diabetic women attending as out-patients in 1996. Patients with symptoms of a urinary tract infection were excluded. ASP was defined as the presence of more than 10 leukocytes/high-power field in a random urine sample. Diabetic women more often had ASP than non-diabetic women (27.9 vs. 15.8%, P<0.001). The prevalence of ASP was significantly increased in patients with a duration of diabetes exceeding 15 years (0 approximately 4 years; 20.3%, 5 approximately 9 years; 24.3%, 10 approximately 14 years; 23.8%, and > or =15 years; 46.3%). No differences were evident in HbA(1C) between diabetic patients without ASP and those with ASP. Diabetic women with ASP more often had diabetic retinopathy, neuropathy, nephropathy, cerebrovascular disease, ischemic heart disease, and hyperlipidemia than those without ASP. However, no statistically significant differences were evident in the prevalence of hypertension, constipation, or dementia. As the degree of neuropathy increases, it is accompanied by an increasing prevalence of ASP (none, 21.4%; blunt tendon reflexes, 24.5%; symptomatic, 50.0%; and gangrene, 66.6%). The prevalence of ASP was significantly increased in the patients with proliferative diabetic retinopathy (none, 23.2%; background, 29.4%; pre-proliferative, 18.2%; and proliferative, 50.0%). As the degree of nephropathy increases, it is accompanied by an increasing prevalence of ASP (none, 20.0%; microalbuminuria, 31.9%; macroalbuminuria, 37.0%; and renal failure, 60.0%). Thus, the prevalence of ASP is increased in women with diabetes and increased with longer duration of diabetes but was not affected by glucose control. The incidence of ASP increases significantly as diabetic microangiopathy becomes severer.

Aged↗

Peripheral nerve function in sepsis and multiple organ failure.

Forty-three patients who had sepsis and multiple organ failure (critical illness) were studied prospectively to determine the incidence and severity of peripheral nerve function and to correlate such function with a number of variables. Electrophysiologic studies indicated a primary axonal degeneration of motor and sensory fibers in 30 (70 percent). Fifteen (30 percent) had the clinical signs of difficulty in weaning from assisted ventilation, weakness of limb muscles, and reduced or absent deep tendon reflexes. Full recovery from the polyneuropathy occurred among the 23 (53 percent) who survived, except three who had a very severe polyneuropathy. A peripheral nerve function index, computed from electrophysiologic measurements, showed statistically significant (p less than 0.01) negative correlations with the time in the critical care unit, and the serum glucose value; the serum albumin level showed a positive correlation. Multiple regression analyses indicated all three factors accounted for 47 percent (r2 = 0.4678) of all potential variables. In a separate analysis, the nerve function index correlated with the amplitude of the diaphragm compound muscle action potential (p less than 0.01). The results were consistent with the polyneuropathy being due to the same mechanisms that are currently postulated to cause dysfunction in this syndrome of other organ systems (including the neuromuscular respiratory system).

Bacterial Infections↗

Clinical and electrophysiological aspects of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a genetically heterogeneous group of disorders sharing the same clinical phenotype, characterized by distal limb muscle wasting and weakness, usually with skeletal deformities, distal sensory loss, and abnormalities of deep tendon reflexes. Mutations of genes involved in different functions eventually lead to a length-dependent axonal degeneration, which is the likely basis of the distal predominance of the CMT phenotype. Nerve conduction studies are important for classification, diagnosis, and understanding of pathophysiology. The subdivision into demyelinating CMT1 and axonal CMT2 types was a milestone and is still valid for the majority of patients. However, exceptions to this partition are increasing. Intermediate conduction velocities are often found in males with X-linked CMT (CMTX), and different intermediate CMT types have been identified. Moreover, for some genes, different mutations may result either in demyelinating CMT with slow conduction, or in axonal CMT. Nerve conduction slowing is uniform and diffuse in the most common CMT1A associated with the 17p12 duplication, whereas it is often asymmetric and nonhomogeneous in CMTX, sometimes rendering difficult the differential diagnosis with acquired inflammatory neuropathies. The demyelinating recessive forms, termed CMT4, usually have early onset and run a more severe course than the dominant types. Pure motor CMT types are now classified as distal hereditary motor neuronopathy. The diagnostic approach to the identification of the CMT subtype is complex and cannot be based on the clinical phenotype alone, as different forms are often clinically indistinguishable. However, there are features that may be of help in addressing molecular investigation in a single patient. Late onset, prominent or peculiar sensory manifestations, autonomic nervous system dysfunction, cranial nerve involvement, upper limb predominance, subclinical central nervous system abnormalities, severe scoliosis, early-onset glaucoma, neutropenia are findings helpful for diagnosis.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease↗

[Marked endocrine abnormalities in polyneuritis with skin hyperpigmentation, hypertrichosis, edema and increased lambda type immunoglobulin A: a case report].

A syndrome which is known as plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy and various endocrine manifestations or plasma cell dyscrasia with polyneuropathy, organomegaly, endocrinopathy, abnormal M protein and skin changes is very interesting because this syndrome has miscellaneous manifestations such as skin hyperpigmentation, hypertrichosis, polyneuropathy, M protein abnormality, plasma cell dyscrasia and endocrine disturbances. Miscellaneous endocrine abnormalities which have not been described so far are reported here. A 47 year old female was admitted with the chief complaints of edema and gait disturbance. Past and family histories were noncontributory. In April 1981, edema appeared in her face and legs. In June she noticed paresthesia in her legs. Edema increased gradually and she had difficulty walking. Her skin became pigmented and hairy. In October she was admitted because of polyneuropathy with increased cerebrospinal fluid protein without pleocytosis. Prednisolone was started. Walking improved slightly, but edema and paresthesia remained unchanged. Prednisolone was stopped at the end of the following March. In May 1982, she was admitted for further evaluation of edema and polyneuropathy. The patient was alert and cooperative. On standing the skin of her legs became cyanotic. There was hypertrichosis on the arms and legs. Her fingers were clubbed. A moderate swelling of the cervical lymph nodes was noted. There was mild hepatomegaly without splenomegaly. All tendon reflexes were lost. Plantar response was flexor. Muscular strength diminished mildly. She complained of paresthesia on the soles. Superficial sensation was normal. Vibratory sense decreased mildly. Cerebellar function and cranial nerves were normal. There was no sphincter disturbance. The examination of urine, stool and peripheral blood was normal.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗