Surveillance and management of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex.

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is an autosomal dominant disease due to the uncontrolled differentiation, proliferation, and migration of cells in several organs. Clinical expression is highly variable, from mild skin findings and asymptomatic brain lesions to seizures, mental retardation, autism, and potentially fatal kidney, cardiac, or pulmonary disease. Aim of this paper is to summarize the diagnostic criteria, surveillance and therapeutic issues of this multisystemic disorder emphasizing the most important neurological consequences. Presenting the state-of-the-art management recommendations and comparing them with the local protocols, we hope that our review might help in the proper assessment of one of the most important single gene disorder.

EFFECTS: an expanded access program of everolimus for patients with subependymal giant cell astrocytoma associated with tuberous sclerosis complex.

BACKGROUND: Everolimus, a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, has been shown to be effective and safe in the treatment of subependymal giant cell astrocytoma (SEGA) associated with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). The Everolimus For Fast Expanded aCcess in TSC SEGA (EFFECTS) study was designed to provide everolimus access to patients with SEGA associated with TSC and to mainly assess the safety and also efficacy of everolimus in a real-world setting. METHODS: EFFECTS was a phase 3b, open-label, noncomparative, multicenter, expanded access study. Eligible patients were ≥ 3 years of age, with a definite diagnosis of TSC, and with at least one SEGA lesion identified by MRI or CT scan. Patients received once daily everolimus (dose adjusted to attain a trough level of 5-15 ng/mL). Safety evaluation was the primary objective and included collection of adverse events (AEs) and serious AEs, with their severity and relationship to everolimus. Efficacy evaluation, which was the secondary objective, was based on the best overall response as per medical judgment. RESULTS: Of the 120 patients enrolled, 100 (83.3%) completed the study. Median age of patients was 11 years (range, 1-47). Median daily dose of everolimus was 5.82 mg (range, 2.0-11.8). Median duration of exposure was 56.5 weeks (range, 0.3-130). The overall incidence of AEs was 74.2%. Aphthous stomatitis (18 [15.0%]), pyrexia (18 [15.0%]), bronchitis (11 [9.2%]), and stomatitis (10 [8.3%]) were the most common AEs reported. Overall, 25 patients had grade 3 AEs; most frequent was stomatitis (4 [3.3%]). Grade 4 AEs were reported in three (2.5%) patients. A total of 62 (51.7%) patients had suspected drug-related AEs, of which 15 (12.5%) were of grade 3 or 4. In eight (6.7%) patients, AEs led to drug discontinuation. With regard to efficacy, 81 (67.5%) patients had a partial response, 35 (29.2%) had a stable disease, and one (0.8%) had progressive disease. The response was unknown in three (2.5%) patients. CONCLUSION: This study confirms the acceptable safety profile of everolimus in patients with SEGA associated with TSC in a real-world setting. The results further support the efficacy of everolimus in the treatment of SEGA associated with TSC. (EudraCT: 2010-022583-13).

Sturge-Weber syndrome: clinical and radiological correlates in 86 patients.

BACKGROUNDS AND PURPOSE: To correlate the extent of the leptomeningeal angiomatosis with clinical features in Sturge-Weber syndrome (SWS). METHODS: The study group consisted of 86 consecutive patients aged two months to 56 (mean 7.9 +/- 10.3) years with SWS and epilepsy. Clinical and MRI data were analyzed. RESULTS: Based on the extent of leptomeningeal angiomatosis, patients were divided into two subgroups: 43 patients had hemispheric angiomatosis and atrophy, whereas, another 43 had focal involvement. Nine of the 43 hemispherial patients (10%) showed bilateral involvement: all of these bilateral cases demonstrated dominance in a single side with hemispheric leptomeningeal angiomatosis and contralateral focal extension. Hemispheric and focal subgroups were clinically different. Patients with hemispheric SWS were younger at the age of epilepsy onset (p < 0.001) and age at MRI examination (p < 0.05). Neither gender, lateralization, duration of epilepsy, appearance of secondarily generalized seizures, nor seizure frequency revealed a significant difference between subgroups. CONCLUSION: Bilateral involvement is frequent and occurs in cases with a hemisperic involvement on one side. The age of epilepsy onset is related to the extent of leptomeningeal angiomatosis. Patients with hemispheric form of SWS presented with earlier age of seizure onset. Focal pial angiomatoses do not tend to progress (a longer duration is not associated with more frequent hemispheric involvement). Other variables including seizure frequency and secondary generalized tonic-clonic seizures are not associated with the extent of angiomatosis.

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome 2 with cerebellar abnormality and neural tube defect.

Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome (RSTS) is a rare dominant disorder with intellectual disability, postnatal growth deficiency, and multiple congenital anomalies. Approximately 50-70% of the patients have a mutation in the CREBBP gene (RSTS1) and 5-10% display an EP300 gene mutation (RSTS2). Craniospinal abnormalities such as microcranium, scoliosis, and lordosis are frequent findings in RSTS1, but malformations of the brain or spinal cord are seen only occasionally. Here, we report on a 3-year-old boy with facial abnormalities of RSTS, broad thumbs and halluces, developmental delay, autistic features, cerebellar underdevelopment, and a neural tube defect. Molecular diagnostic of the CREBBP and EP300 genes showed a heterozygous 17-bp deletion (c.5698_5714del AAGGCAGCAGGCCAGGT) in exon 31 of the EP300 gene. Findings underline that small (hypoplastic) cerebellum and neural tube defects belong to the phenotypic spectrum not only of RSTS1 but also of RSTS2. Based on the literature and this observation, we recommend that each individual with RSTS2 should be closely evaluated for neural axis and craniovertebral junction anomalies, and where appropriate, neuroimaging studies should be considered. Our frequency estimate of ~ 6% occult or overt neural tube defects in RSTS2 could represent an underestimate.

[Pediatric intraventricular tumors]. / Gyermekkori intraventricularis agydaganatok.

Pediatric intraventricular tumors present a well circumscribed group from surgical point of view. These tumors growing in the ventricular system cause hydrocephalus in most of the cases, the presenting symptoms are the signs of raised intracranial pressure. The mass lesion may remain silent for a long period, especially in infancy due to compensatory mechanisms, and the tumor might reach extreme size making the surgery a real challenge. This group has very specific postoperative problems resulting from the disturbance of CSF circulation. In this study we present the retrospective analysis of 55 patient operated for intraventricular tumor in the National Institute of Neurosurgery between 1991 and 2006. Data were analysed regarding histological type, presenting symptoms, type of surgical approach, radicalitiy of the resection and postoperative complications. In addition to our own results brief presentation of the specific histological groups is given based on the available literature.

Thalamic lesion and epilepsy with generalized seizures, ESES and spike-wave paroxysms--report of three cases.

We report three patients, who have thalamic lesion and secondary generalized epilepsy with generalized spike wave pattern. The first two patients have unilateral perinatal lesion, one with generalized tonic-clonic seizures on awakening the other with Landau-Kleffner-like syndrome. During the course of the disease both children developed electrical status epilepticus in slow wave sleep (ESES). The third patient has a dominantly unilateral thalamic tumor and epilepsy that mimics juvenile myoclonic epilepsy. All the patients have a lesion located in the inferior-medial-posterior part of the thalamus. The role of some thalamic and subthalamic nuclei in the generalized spike-wave electrical pattern patophysiology is discussed, with emphasis on the possible role of the inhibitory system from the zona incerta.