hypotonia

Epileptic Encephalopathy, Early Infantile 47

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

The fundus is normal early but optic atrophy with narrowed vessels develops eventually.  Cerebral visual impairment has been described.  VEPs were normal at 4 months of age in one patient.

Systemic Features: 

Tonic seizures have their onset in the first month of life.  These become refractory as documented by the EEG which shows severe background slowing, multifocal origins, and hypsarrhythmia.  Psychomotor development is severely delayed and accompanied by profound intellectual disability.  The two reported children were unable to stand and never developed speech.  Feeding difficulties requires tube feeding.  Microcephaly eventually develops along with axial hypotonia and limb ataxia.

Brain MRI was normal at 5 months of age in one individual but at 6 years old showed cerebellar atrophy.  Her younger male sibling at 2 months of age had a normal MRI but cerebellar atrophy was present at 3 years of age.  He died at 3.5 years while his older sib died at age 7 years.

Genetics

Heterozygous mutations in the FGF12 gene (3q28-q29) are responsible for this condition.  One family with 2 affected children has been reported but neither parent carried the mutation in somatic cells suggesting germline mosaicism.

For autosomal recessive forms of early onset epileptic encephalopathy in this database see Epileptic Encephalopathy, Early Infantile 28 (616211) and Epileptic Encephalopathy, Early Infantile 48 (617276).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal dominant
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment is available for the general condition.  Complete supportive care is required.  Seizures are described as 'refractory' to treatment.

References
Article Title: 

ZTTK Syndrome

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

The eyes are deep-set and the palpebral fissures slant downward.  Optic atrophy is often present.  The majority of individuals have poor visual responses which may also be attributed to central or cortical impairment.  Strabismus and nystagmus are frequently present.

Systemic Features: 

ZTTK syndrome is multisystem malformation and developmental disorder with a heterogeneous clinical presentation.  The facial features might suggest the diagnosis at birth but most of the signs are nonspecific including frontal bossing, underdevelopment of the midface, facial asymmetry, low-set ears, broad and/or depressed nasal bridge, and a short philtrum.  Poor feeding and hypotonia in the neonatal period are usually present and physical growth is subnormal resulting in short stature.

Brain imaging may show abnormal gyral patterns, ventriculomegaly, hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, cerebellar hypoplasia, arachnoid cysts, and loss of periventricular white matter.  About half of patients develop seizures and many have intellectual disabilities.  Spinal anomalies include hemivertebrae with scoliosis and/or kyphosis.  Other skeletal features include joint laxity in some patients and contractures in others.  Arachnodactyly, craniosynostosis, and rib anomalies have been reported.  There may be malformations in the GI, GU, and cardiac systems while immune and coagulation abnormalities have also been reported.

Genetics

Heterozygous mutations in the SON gene (21q22.11) have been identified in patients with this condition.  They may cause truncation of the gene product with haploinsufficiency or, in other patients, a frameshift in the reading.  The SON gene is a master RNA splicing regulator that impacts neurodevelopment.

Virtually all cases are the result of de novo mutations.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal dominant
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No effective treatment has been reported.  Physical therapy and assistive devices may be helpful.

References
Article Title: 

De Novo Truncating Variants in SON Cause Intellectual Disability, Congenital Malformations, and Failure to Thrive

Tokita MJ, Braxton AA, Shao Y, Lewis AM, Vincent M, Kury S, Besnard T, Isidor B, Latypova X, Bezieau S, Liu P, Motter CS, Melver CW, Robin NH, Infante EM, McGuire M, El-Gharbawy A, Littlejohn RO, McLean SD, Bi W, Bacino CA, Lalani SR, Scott DA, Eng CM, Yang Y, Schaaf CP, Walkiewicz MA. De Novo Truncating Variants in SON Cause Intellectual Disability, Congenital Malformations, and Failure to Thrive. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 Sep 1;99(3):720-7.

PubMed ID: 
27545676

De Novo Mutations in SON Disrupt RNA Splicing of Genes Essential for Brain Development and Metabolism, Causing an Intellectual-Disability Syndrome

Kim JH, Shinde DN, Reijnders MR, Hauser NS, Belmonte RL, Wilson GR, Bosch DG, Bubulya PA, Shashi V, Petrovski S, Stone JK, Park EY, Veltman JA, Sinnema M, Stumpel CT, Draaisma JM, Nicolai J; University of Washington Center for Mendelian Genomics, Yntema HG, Lindstrom K, de Vries BB, Jewett T, Santoro SL, Vogt J; Deciphering Developmental Disorders Study, Bachman KK, Seeley AH, Krokosky A, Turner C, Rohena L, Hempel M, Kortum F, Lessel D, Neu A, Strom TM, Wieczorek D, Bramswig N, Laccone FA, Behunova J, Rehder H, Gordon CT, Rio M, Romana S, Tang S, El-Khechen D, Cho MT, McWalter K, Douglas G, Baskin B, Begtrup A, Funari T, Schoch K, Stegmann AP, Stevens SJ, Zhang DE, Traver D, Yao X, MacArthur DG, Brunner HG, Mancini GM, Myers RM, Owen LB, Lim ST, Stachura DL, Vissers LE, Ahn EY. De Novo Mutations in SON Disrupt RNA Splicing of Genes Essential for Brain Development and Metabolism, Causing an Intellectual-Disability Syndrome. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 Sep 1;99(3):711-9.

PubMed ID: 
27545680

Encephalopathy Due To Defective Mitochondrial And Peroxisomal Fission 2

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Visual impairment and optic atrophy are usually present.  Visual-evoked potentials may be negative or slowed severely.  Some degree of ophthalmoparesis is often present while frank external ophthalmoplegia can develop in the second year of life.  In one patient aged 7 years, MRI showed increased T2 signals in the optic radiation.

Systemic Features: 

Microcephaly becomes evident in the first year of life and seizures can appear in this period as well.  General developmental delays are present.  There may be evidence of Leigh-like basal ganglia disease.  Dysphagia may require the placement of a gastroscopy tube.  Truncal hypotonia can be so severe that sitting and head control are not possible.  However, there is often spasticity and hyperreflexia in the limbs.  EEG recordings show hypsarrhythmia.

Brain MRI may show increased T2 signaling in the global pallidus, thalamus, and the subthalamic nucleus.

Patients may never be able to sit or walk and usually do not develop speech.  

Genetics

Homozygous or compound heterozygous truncating mutations in the MFF gene (mitochondrial fission factor) (2q36.3) is responsible for this condition.  Patients with EMPF2 may have abnormally elongated and tubular mitochondria and peroxisomes in fibroblasts.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment is available for the general disorder.  Gastrostomy tubes may be required to maintain adequate nutrition.  Airway hygiene is important.  Respiratory complications can be a factor in the early demise of children.

References
Article Title: 

Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome 3

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Nystagmus, disconjugate eye movements, and "optic dysplasia" have been noted.

Systemic Features: 

Infants feed poorly which is frequently associated with vomiting, failure to thrive, and growth delay.  They are hypothermic, hypoglycemic, and often jaundiced with signs of liver failure noted between birth and 6 months of age and death by approximately 1 year of age.  Hepatosplenomegaly is present early with abnormal liver enzymes, cholestasis, steatosis, and hepatocellular loss followed by cirrhosis with portal hypertension.  Metabolic acidosis, hyperbilirubinemia, hypoalbuminemia, and hypoglycemia are often present.  Mitochondrial DNA depletion in the liver approaches 84-90%.

All patients have encephalopathic signs with evidence of cerebral atrophy, microcephaly, hypotonia.  Hyperreflexia may be present and some infants have seizures.  Muscle tissue, however, has normal histology and respiratory chain activity.

Genetics

This disorder results from homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the DGUOK gene (2p13).

The same gene is mutated in PEOB4 (617070).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

There is no effective treatment.  Liver transplantation in one infant was unsuccessful.  

References
Article Title: 

Leukodystrophy, Hypomyelinating, 13

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Several individuals in one family have been observed with optic atrophy, nystagmus and visual impairment.

Systemic Features: 

Head circumference is normal at birth but later in childhood falls behind in growth.  Neurodevelopment seems to plateau without regression.  Feeding difficulties may be present from birth and may require gastroscopy tube placement.  Motor skills are delayed and expressive language may never develop.  General irritability and increased muscle tone with hyperreflexia are usually present eventually resulting in joint contractures. 

EEGs , electromyography, and nerve conduction studies have been normal in 3 patients.  A brain MRI in one patient showed a leukodystrophic pattern in periventricular areas.  Variable cardiac malfunctions such as heart failure, LVH, and pericarditis were observed in several patients.

Sudden death following a short febrile illness has been reported to occur in three of the six affected children before the age of 15 years. 

Genetics

Homozygous mutations in the C11ORF73 gene (11q14.2) are responsible for this disorder.  Three unrelated families of Ashkenazi Jewish descent have been reported.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No effective treatment has been reported.

References
Article Title: 

Hypotonia, Infantile, with Psychomotor Retardation And Characteristic Facies 1

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Nystagmus, strabismus and sometimes optic atrophy have been noted.  Poor fixation may be present.   

Systemic Features: 

This progressive disorder can be evident at birth based on the facial dysmorphism.  The face is triangular, the forehead is prominent, the nose is small, the ears appear large and low-set.  The mouth appears wide with a thin upper lip.  Early development may be near normal for the first 6 months but thereafter psychomotor regression and slow physical growth are evident.  Patients have microcephaly and seldom achieve normal milestones.  Spasticity in the extremities and truncal hypotonia with distal muscle atrophy are evident.  The face appears triangular, the forehead is prominent, the nose is small, and the ears appear large and low-set.  Pectus carinatum and pes varus may be present.   Males often have cryptorchidism.

Brain imaging has revealed cerebellar atrophy and "while matter abnormalities".  Sural nerve biopsies show evidence of infantile neuroaxonal dystrophy.

Some individuals are less severely affected, retain the ability to speak, and are able to walk at least into the second decade of life.

Genetics

Based on transmission patterns this condition is inherited as an autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in in the NALCN gene (13q32.3-q33.1.

For somewhat similar disorders caused by mutations in other genes see IHPRF2 (616801) and IHPRF3 (616900).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment has been reported.

References
Article Title: 

Cerebellar Atrophy, Visual Impairment, and Psychomotor Retardation

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Patients usually have deep-set eyes.  Cortical visual impairment has been described in one patient but optic atrophy has been seen in another.  The VEP and ERG are described as 'abnormal'.  Strabismus, hyperopia, and myopia are sometimes seen.

Systemic Features: 

Progressive microcephaly is often noted.  Truncal hypotonia and scoliosis may be present while muscle tone is increased in the extremities in the presence of diminished deep tendon reflexes in other patients.  Dystonic posturing occurs in some families.  Gingival hyperplasia is a common feature and retrognathia is often present.

Brain imaging reveals progressive cerebellar atrophy and a foreshortened corpus callosum in all families.  Various degrees of cerebral atrophy have been identified while intellectual disability may be marked.  Speech delay is common.

Genetics

This is an autosomal recessive condition associated with homozygous mutations in the EMC1 gene (1p36.13).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatnent has been reported.

References
Article Title: 

Monoallelic and Biallelic Variants in EMC1 Identified in Individuals with Global Developmental Delay, Hypotonia, Scoliosis, and Cerebellar Atrophy

Harel T, Yesil G, Bayram Y, Coban-Akdemir Z, Charng WL, Karaca E, Al Asmari A, Eldomery MK, Hunter JV, Jhangiani SN, Rosenfeld JA, Pehlivan D, El-Hattab AW, Saleh MA, LeDuc CA, Muzny D, Boerwinkle E; Baylor-Hopkins Center for Mendelian Genomics, Gibbs RA, Chung WK, Yang Y, Belmont JW, Lupski JR. Monoallelic and Biallelic Variants in EMC1 Identified in Individuals with Global Developmental Delay, Hypotonia, Scoliosis, and Cerebellar Atrophy. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 Mar 3;98(3):562-70.

PubMed ID: 
26942288

Hyperphosphatasia with Mental Retardation Syndrome 6

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Congenital cataracts may be present.  The eyes appear deeply-set and strabismus has been seen in severely affected cases.   

Systemic Features: 

Two families have been reported.  The range of severity in symptoms is wide.  Birth may occur prematurely especially in the presence of polyhydramnios.  Postnatal development can be complicated by seizures, chronic lung disease, developmental regression, and renal disease.  Poor growth secondary to feeding difficulties have been reported.  Death can occur in early childhood.

Dysmorphic features include a short neck, bitemporal narrowing, depressed nasal bridge, and proximal limb shortening.  Osteopenia, flexion contractures, and hip dysplasia may be present.  Dilatation of the renal collecting system with increased echogenicity have been reported.  Creatine kinase and serum alkaline phosphatase may be increased and muscle histology shows small, atrophic fibers with increased fibrosis and considerable variations in fiber size.

Genetics

Homozygous mutations in the PIGY gene (4q22.1) resulting in deficiencies of glycosylphosphatidylinositol synthesis have been associated with this condition.  

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No effective treatment has been reported.

References
Article Title: 

Mutations in PIGY: expanding the phenotype of inherited glycosylphosphatidylinositol deficiencies

Ilkovski B, Pagnamenta AT, O'Grady GL, Kinoshita T, Howard MF, Lek M, Thomas B, Turner A, Christodoulou J, Sillence D, Knight SJ, Popitsch N, Keays DA, Anzilotti C, Goriely A, Waddell LB, Brilot F, North KN, Kanzawa N, Macarthur DG, Taylor JC, Kini U, Murakami Y, Clarke NF. Mutations in PIGY: expanding the phenotype of inherited glycosylphosphatidylinositol deficiencies. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Nov 1;24(21):6146-59.

PubMed ID: 
26293662

Hypotonia, Infantile, with Psychomotor Retardation and Characteristic Facies 3

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Deep-set eyes with highly arched eyebrows have been described and poor fixation can be present.  Cortical visual impairment has been described.

Systemic Features: 

The neurologic abnormalities become evident soon after birth.  Hypotonia and decreased reflexes may be present early and often there is little psychomotor development subsequently.  Some patients have no or very little speech and may never sit, stand, or walk.  However, there is considerable variation in the clinical picture and other individuals are able to walk and may live into the third decade.  Brain imaging reveals a variety of abnormalities including cerebellar and cerebral hypoplasia.  Respiratory difficulties and poor feeding are often present.

The facial dysmorphism may include brachycephaly with a broad forehead and narrowing of the temporal regions.  The nose may be small and the mouth appears large in the presence of micrognathia and a thin upper lip.

Genetics

This is an autosomal recessive condition as the result of homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the TBCK gene (4q24). 

Other similar conditions include IHPRF2 (616801) (with homozygous mutations in UNC80 and IHPRF1 (615419) (with homozygous mutations in NALCN) whose ocular features may include strabismus, nystagmus, and poor visual fixation.    

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment is available.

References
Article Title: 

Mutations in TBCK, Encoding TBC1-Domain-Containing Kinase, Lead to a Recognizable Syndrome of Intellectual Disability and Hypotonia

Bhoj EJ, Li D, Harr M, Edvardson S, Elpeleg O, Chisholm E, Juusola J, Douglas G, Guillen Sacoto MJ, Siquier-Pernet K, Saadi A, Bole-Feysot C, Nitschke P, Narravula A, Walke M, Horner MB, Day-Salvatore DL, Jayakar P, Vergano SA, Tarnopolsky MA, Hegde M, Colleaux L, Crino P, Hakonarson H. Mutations in TBCK, Encoding TBC1-Domain-Containing Kinase, Lead to a Recognizable Syndrome of Intellectual Disability and Hypotonia. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 Apr 7;98(4):782-8.

PubMed ID: 
27040691

Recessive Inactivating Mutations in TBCK, Encoding a Rab GTPase-Activating Protein, Cause Severe Infantile Syndromic Encephalopathy

Chong JX, Caputo V, Phelps IG, Stella L, Worgan L, Dempsey JC, Nguyen A, Leuzzi V, Webster R, Pizzuti A, Marvin CT, Ishak GE, Ardern-Holmes S, Richmond Z; University of Washington Center for Mendelian Genomics, Bamshad MJ, Ortiz-Gonzalez XR, Tartaglia M, Chopra M, Doherty D. Recessive Inactivating Mutations in TBCK, Encoding a Rab GTPase-Activating Protein, Cause Severe Infantile Syndromic Encephalopathy. Am J Hum Genet. 2016 Apr 7;98(4):772-81.

PubMed ID: 
27040692

Hypotonia, Infantile, with Psychomotor Retardation

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Abducens nerve palsy with characteristic strabismus (esotropia) can be present.

Systemic Features: 

Mothers may note decreased fetal movements.  Severe generalized hypotonia can be evident at birth, requiring tube feeding and respiratory assistance.  Death may occur before 6 months of age but with intense supportive care children can live for several years.  Brain imaging may show enlarged lateral ventricles and thinning of the corpus callosum in some individuals but no abnormalities in others.  Muscle biopsies can show severe myopathic changes with increased fibrosis, variation in fiber size, and small atrophic fibers.  Cardiac septal defects have been reported.  Delayed psychomotor development is a common feature.

Genetics

Homozygous mutations in the CCDC174 gene (3p25.1) are responsible for this condition so far reported in only two families with 6 children affected.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment is known for this condition.

References
Article Title: 

CDC174, a novel

Volodarsky M, Lichtig H, Leibson T, Sadaka Y, Kadir R, Perez Y, Liani-Leibson
K, Gradstein L, Shaco-Levy R, Shorer Z, Frank D, Birk OS. CDC174, a novel
component of the exon junction complex whose mutation underlies a syndrome of
hypotonia and psychomotor developmental delay
. Hum Mol Genet. 2015 Nov
15;24(22):6485-91.

PubMed ID: 
26358778

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