1/3. Dominant form of vanishing white matter-like leukoencephalopathy.Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter syndrome (childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination/vanishing white matter disease) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by the occurrence of acute episodes of deterioration after minor head trauma or infection, and symmetrical demyelination on magnetic resonance with cavitation aspects. Mutations in each of the five subunits of eIF2B have been identified. We report in an affected man and his mother an adult-onset form of childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination/vanishing white matter disease-like disorder with no mutations in the EIF2B genes and normal guanine nucleotide exchange factor eIF2B activity, suggesting a new dominant inheritance of this syndrome that may involve other genes.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. central nervous system involvement in hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies: description of a large family with this association.OBJECTIVE: To describe a large family with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies associated with central nervous system demyelination. DESIGN: We examined the 18 members of a pedigree. Genetic analysis was performed on 15 subjects, standard nerve conduction studies on 10 subjects, and brain magnetic resonance imaging studies on 8 subjects. RESULTS: Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies was confirmed in 9 patients of the pedigree. brain magnetic resonance imaging findings showed multiple areas of demyelination in 6 of 6 affected members and were normal in 2 of 2 healthy relatives. magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were predominantly located in the subcortical frontal white matter. All patients had acute and recurrent nerve palsies, while clinical features of central nervous system involvement were not a characteristic of this pedigree. CONCLUSIONS: We demonstrate that this association, previously reported in sporadic cases, is not coincidental. Therefore, patients with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies can present central nervous system white matter lesions, and the role of the PMP22 (peripheral myelin protein 22) gene deletion in the central nervous system should be further studied.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.4495816646811keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter due to homozygous EIF2B2 gene mutation. First Polish cases.Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter (VWM), also called childhood ataxia with central nervous system hypomyelination (CACH), is an autosomal recessive disease caused by mutations in any of the five genes encoding subunits of the eukaryotic translation initiation factor eIF2B. Neuropathological findings comprise a severe, cavitating orthochromatic leukodystrophy with only small amounts of myelin breakdown products, and predominantly involving the cerebral hemispheric white matter. Within the white matter abnormal oligodendroglial cells are present with abundant "foamy" cytoplasm. In some regions oligodendroglial cells are increased in numbers. We present three sisters, 18, 11 and 8 years old, with the early to late childhood phenotype. The first signs of the disease were gait disturbances at 4, 2 and 6 years of age, respectively. Neurological examination showed mild tremor of hands and head, truncal ataxia, dysarthria, and hypotonia, after several years followed by spasticity. The course of the disease was slowly progressive. Intellectual abilities are relatively spared. The MRI showed diffusely abnormal white matter of the cerebral hemispheres. The FLAIR images revealed rarefaction of the affected white matter with some stripe-like structures, suggesting the presence of remaining tissue strands. The abnormalities were most pronounced with the middle sister, who had the earliest onset of the disease. A homozygous point mutation in the EIF2B2 gene was found, 638A>G. Both the parents were found to be carriers of this mutation. This is the first description of a Polish family with VWM.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |