BACKGROUND: LAMA2-related muscular dystrophy (LAMA2-RD) encompasses a group of recessive muscular dystrophies caused by mutations in the LAMA2 gene, which codes for the alpha-2 chain of laminin-211 (merosin). Diagnosis is straightforward in the classic congenital presentation with no ambulation and complete merosin deficiency in muscle biopsy, but is far more difficult in milder ambulant individuals with partial merosin deficiency. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the diagnostic utility of muscle imaging in LAMA2-RD using whole-body magnetic resonance imaging (WBMRI). RESULTS: 27 patients (2-62 years, 21-80% with acquisition of walking ability and 6 never ambulant) were included in an international collaborative study. All carried two pathogenic mutations, mostly private missense changes. An intronic variant (c.909 + 7A > G) was identified in all the Chilean cases. Three patients (two ambulant) showed intellectual disability, epilepsy, and brain structural abnormalities. WBMRI T1w sequences or T2 fat-saturated images (Dixon) revealed abnormal muscle fat replacement predominantly in subscapularis, lumbar paraspinals, gluteus minimus and medius, posterior thigh (adductor magnus, biceps femoris, hamstrings) and soleus. This involvement pattern was consistent for both ambulant and non-ambulant patients. The degree of replacement was predominantly correlated to the disease duration, rather than to the onset or the clinical severity. A "COL6-like sandwich sign" was observed in several muscles in ambulant adults, but different involvement of subscapularis, gluteus minimus, and medius changes allowed distinguishing LAMA2-RD from collagenopathies. The thigh muscles seem to be the best ones to assess disease progression. CONCLUSION: WBMRI in LAMA2-RD shows a homogeneous pattern of brain and muscle imaging, representing a supportive diagnostic tool.
- MeSH
- celotělové zobrazování MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- kosterní svaly diagnostické zobrazování patologie MeSH
- laminin genetika MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- magnetická rezonanční tomografie * metody MeSH
- svalové dystrofie * vrozené diagnostické zobrazování genetika MeSH
- Check Tag
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND: Microdeletions of 14q22q23 have been associated with eye abnormalities and pituitary defects. Other phenotypic features in deletion carriers including hearing loss and response to growth hormone therapy are less well recognized. We studied genotype and phenotype of three newly identified children with 14q22q23 deletions, two girls and one boy with bilateral anophthalmia, and compared them with previously published deletion patients and individuals with intragenic defects in genes residing in the region. RESULTS: The three deletions were de novo and ranged in size between 5.8 and 8.9 Mb. All three children lacked one copy of the OTX2 gene and in one of them the deletion involved also the BMP4 gene. All three patients presented partial conductive hearing loss which tended to improve with age. Analysis of endocrine and growth phenotypes showed undetectable anterior pituitary, growth hormone deficiency and progressive growth retardation in all three patients. Growth hormone therapy led to partial catch-up growth in two of the three patients but just prevented further height loss in the third. CONCLUSIONS: The pituitary hypoplasia, growth hormone deficiency and growth retardation associated with 14q22q23 microdeletions are very remarkable, and the latter appears to have an atypical response to growth hormone therapy in some of the cases.
- MeSH
- anoftalmie * MeSH
- chromozomální delece * MeSH
- hypofýza * abnormality MeSH
- kojenec MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- lidské chromozomy, pár 14 * MeSH
- mnohočetné abnormality * MeSH
- novorozenec MeSH
- růstový hormon * terapeutické užití MeSH
- transkripční faktory Otx MeSH
- ucho * abnormality MeSH
- Check Tag
- kojenec MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- novorozenec MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- kazuistiky MeSH
