brain atrophy

Encephalopathy, Progressive, Early-Onset, wtih Brain Atrophy and Spasticity

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Optic atrophy or cortical visual impairment with lack of visual tracking have been described in all patients.

Systemic Features: 

Microcephaly is evident at birth with global developmental delay and hearing loss.  One patient of 3 reported in 2 unrelated families had brief flexion seizures at 5 months.  Developmental regression and stagnation may become evident within the first months of life.  The EEG showed a hypsarrhythmia pattern.  Truncal hypotonia, spasticity, dystonia and/or myoclonus, scoliosis, and dysphagia are also features.  Two of the three reported patients had seizures. 

Brain MRI showed a pattern of pontine hypoplasia, partial agenesis of the corpus callosum, modified frontal gyri and diffuse cortical atrophy with enlarged ventricles have been described.  The cerebellum seems to be spared.

Genetics

Homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the TRAPPC12 gene (2p25.3) were found in 3 children in 2 unrelated families with this disorder.

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment has been reported.

References
Article Title: 

3-methylglutaconic Aciduria with Cataracts, Neurologic Involvement and Neurtropenia

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

Descriptions of ocular findings have been limited.  Congenital nuclear cataracts have been described in one patient but lens opacities have been noted in others.

Systemic Features: 

There is considerable heterogeneity in the phenotype with some patients having minimal signs and living to adulthood whereas others succumb to their disease in the first year of life.  The onset of progressive encephalopathy usually occurs in infancy as evidenced by various movement abnormalities and psychomotor delays.  Neonatal hypotonia sometimes progresses to spasticity.  However, other infants are neurologically normal.  Delayed psychomotor development, ataxia, seizures, and dystonia may be seen.  Brain imaging may reveal cerebellar and cerebral atrophy along with brain stem abnormalities.  Neuronal loss, diffuse gliosis, and microvacuolization have been seen on neuropathologic examination.  Dysphagia is common.  Severe neutropenia and recurrent infections may begin in infancy as well.

Increased amounts of 3-methylglutaconic acid are found in the urine while the bone marrow may contain evidence of arrested granulopoiesis. 

Genetics

This autosomal recessive disorder results from homozygous or compound heterozygous mutations in the CLPB gene (11q13.4).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No effective treatment has been reported for this condition.

References
Article Title: 

CLPB mutations cause 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, progressive brain atrophy, intellectual disability, congenital neutropenia, cataracts, movement disorder

Wortmann SB, Zietkiewicz S, Kousi M, Szklarczyk R, Haack TB, Gersting SW, Muntau AC, Rakovic A, Renkema GH, Rodenburg RJ, Strom TM, Meitinger T, Rubio-Gozalbo ME, Chrusciel E, Distelmaier F, Golzio C, Jansen JH, van Karnebeek C, Lillquist Y, Lucke T, Ounap K, Zordania R, Yaplito-Lee J, van Bokhoven H, Spelbrink JN, Vaz FM, Pras-Raves M, Ploski R, Pronicka E, Klein C, Willemsen MA, de Brouwer AP, Prokisch H, Katsanis N, Wevers RA. CLPB mutations cause 3-methylglutaconic aciduria, progressive brain atrophy, intellectual disability, congenital neutropenia, cataracts, movement disorder. Am J Hum Genet. 2015 Feb 5;96(2):245-57.

PubMed ID: 
25597510

Mitochondrial Short-Chain Enoyl-CoA Hydratase 1 Deficiency

Clinical Characteristics
Ocular Features: 

The ocular phenotype has not been thoroughly studied.  Nystagmus has been reported in several infants.

Systemic Features: 

Evidence of severe psychomotor retardation is evident at birth or shortly thereafter.  Neonatal hypotonia with a poor suck reflex and episodic apnea is evident.  Spasticity may become evident later.  Brain imaging shows T-weighted hyperintensity areas in the basal ganglia resembling Leigh syndrome lesions.  The corpus callosum appears thin.  Serum and CSF lactate is elevated and decreased activity of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex is present.

Infants do not achieve normal developmental milestones such as speech or sitting unsupported and several have died early in childhood from cardiorespiratory failure, possibly related to a combined mitochondrial respiratory chain dysfunction.

Genetics

The transmission pattern in several families is consistent with autosomal recessive inheritance.  Compound heterozygous mutations have been found in the ECHS1 gene (10q26.3).

Pedigree: 
Autosomal recessive
Treatment
Treatment Options: 

No treatment has been reported.

References
Article Title: 
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