1/114. prenatal diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy type I (Werdnig- hoffmann) by dna deletion analysis of cultivated amniocytes. AIM: Presentation of a prenatally diagnosed case of Werdnig-Hoffmann disease, the most severe type of spinal muscular atrophy. methods: dna obtained from cultivated amniocytes was analyzed for deletions in the survival motor neuron gene and neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein gene. RESULTS: The fetus was diagnosed as an affected homozygote for deletions in exon 7 and exon 8 of the survival motor neuron gene. No deletions of exon 5 in the neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein gene were found. CONCLUSION: Direct dna deletion analysis of the survival motor neuron gene and neuronal apoptosis inhibitory protein gene in affected families represents a highly reliable and fast method for prenatal diagnosis of Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. ( info) |
2/114. The association of increased fetal nuchal translucency and spinal muscular atrophy type I. We report a fetus with spinal muscular atrophy type I, who presented with an increased nuchal translucency at 13 weeks' gestation. A review of the literature reveals additional cases of spinal muscular atrophy type I associated with increased nuchal translucency and suggests increased nuchal translucency may be an early finding in this disorder. ( info) |
3/114. Migrating atelectasis in Werdnig-Hoffmann disease: pulmonary manifestations in two cases of spinal muscular atrophy type 1. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) or Werdnig-Hoffmann disease is the second most common neuromuscular disease, with 25% of cases presenting in infancy. Deletions in the survival motor neuron gene are believed responsible for autosomal-recessive SMA. SMA affects about 1 in 10,000 births. Symptomatic newborns have severe hypotonia, may have respiratory distress, may be unable to feed, and rapidly progress to death early in infancy. This paper describes another early pulmonary manifestation of SMA, i.e., migrating or rotating atelectasis, in 2 patients with infantile SMA. Migrating or rotating atelectasis may suggest the diagnosis of SMA. ( info) |
4/114. Spinal muscular atrophy variant with congenital fractures. A single report of brothers born to first-cousin parents with a form of acute spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) and congenital fractures suggested that this combination represented a distinct form of autosomal recessive SMA. We describe a boy with hypotonia and congenital fractures whose sural nerve and muscle biopsies were consistent with a form of spinal muscular atrophy. Molecular studies identified no abnormality of the SMN(T) gene on chromosome 5. This case serves to validate the suggestion of a distinct and rare form of spinal muscular atrophy while not excluding possible X-linked inheritance. ( info) |
5/114. Clinical spectrum and diagnostic difficulties of infantile ponto-cerebellar hypoplasia type 1. We present the clinical and histopathological features and the diagnostic difficulties encountered in five children affected by a motor neuron disorder other than spinal muscular atrophy. Investigations performed suggested the diagnosis of ponto-cerebellar hypoplasia type 1 (PCH-1). Severe respiratory difficulty was present at birth in two of these children; hypotonia, arthrogryposis, microcephaly and nystagmus were present in all. Early and progressive bulbar involvement with swallowing difficulties and stridor was also a common feature in these infants. Severe cognitive delay was invariably present. brain magnetic resonance imaging showed ponto-cerebellar hypoplasia in four children while striking atrophy of the cerebellar vermis and cerebellar hemispheres were present in the fifth child. Electrophysiological and pathological investigations of proximal muscles performed at presentation in all these children were not conclusive, while the post-mortem studies, or the study of distal muscles during life, showed a clear neurogenic picture. Genetic studies excluded involvement of the SMN gene, or of other genes located on chromosome 5q, confirming that ponto-cerebellar hypoplasia type 1 is a different entity from typical proximal spinal muscular atrophy. ( info) |
6/114. New ocular movement detector system as a communication tool in ventilator-assisted Werdnig-Hoffmann disease. A non-contact communication system was developed for a ventilator-assisted patient with Werdnig-Hoffmann disease who had lost all voluntary movements except for those of the eye. The system detects the extraocular movements and converts them to either a 'yes' signal (produced by one lateral eyeball movement) or a 'no' signal (produced by two successive lateral eyeball movements) using a video camera placed outside the patient's visual field. The patient is thus able to concentrate on performing a task without any intrusion from the detection system. Once the setting conditions of the device have been selected, there is no need for any resetting, as the patient is unable to move his body. In addition to playing television games, the child can use the device to select television channels, compose music, and learn written Japanese and Chinese characters. This seems to broaden the patient's daily world and promote mental development. ( info) |
| Five patients with severe spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type I, all of whom presented with reduced fetal movements in utero, severe weakness at birth, and short survival time were assessed to attempt to determine whether their phenotype could be explained by their genotype. The diagnosis was confirmed by clinical, electrophysiological and histopathological features. polymerase chain reaction assays were used to define the molecular diagnosis. A gene-dosage assay was used to assess the quantity of centromeric survival motor neuron gene (SMNc) present. In all cases the telomeric survival motor neuron gene (SMNt) was absent. The SMNc gene was present but in reduced copy number compared with a control group of children with less severe type I SMA, so may be important in determining severity. In the differential diagnosis of reduced fetal movements, SMA should be considered. The clinical classification may in future be clarified by molecular genetic findings. ( info) |
8/114. Non-progressive juvenile spinal muscular atrophy of the distal upper limb (Hirayama's disease): a clinical variant of the benign monomelic amyotrophy. Hirayama's disease (HD) is frequently found in asia, and is rarely referred among westerners. It affects young people with higher incidence in males. It is a focal distal amyotrophy with unilateral or asymmetric bilateral involvement of C7, C8 and T1 innervated muscles. HD appears sporadically and has a benign evolution with clinical stabilization in around one year. We report four young male patients with clinical and electrophysiological alterations described in HD, which were followed-up during 5 years. Electromyographic findings were indicative of lower motor neuron involvement. We analyzed cervical MRI aiming at understanding if a questionable spinal cord compression could be implicated in the pathogenesis, but no abnormality was verified. In view of its clinical, and EMG characteristics, HD is no more than a benign monomelic amyotrophy (BMA) clinical variant, and not a specific disease. This eponym could be considered only for the distal upper limb variant (Hirayama's variant) of the BMA. ( info) |
9/114. infant neurologic assessment. infant neurologic assessment reflects the ongoing maturation of the central nervous system. Traditional approaches to assessment cannot be used. Key factors are accurate observation and flexibility in obtaining the data. A case example using a 4-month-old infant illustrates specific approaches to assessment. ( info) |
10/114. Acute onset of infantile spinal muscular atrophy. Two patients with acute generalized weakness and areflexia are presented. The electrophysiologic studies in both revealed evidence of decreased conduction velocity and mixed axonal and demyelinating neuropathy, suggestive of the diagnosis of guillain-barre syndrome. The young ages of the patients and their failure to respond to immunoglobulin therapy were the major clues to the final diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy type I. blood for dna study revealed homozygous deletion mutation in exons 7 and 8 of the survival motor neuron gene. This diagnosis should be considered in every child under 1 year of age who presents with acute weakness because guillain-barre syndrome in this age group is rare. ( info) |