Contemporary trends in stroke complicating cardiac catheterisation.

BACKGROUND: Stroke remains an important complication of diagnostic cardiac catheterisation and percutaneous coronary intervention and is associated with high rates of in-hospital mortality. AIMS: To evaluate the incidence of stroke over a 10-year period and assess the long-term influence of stroke following cardiac catheterisation and PCI on functional outcomes, based on modified Rankin score and mortality. METHODS: The study was performed using a case-control design in a single tertiary referral centre. Patients were identified by correlating those patients undergoing cardiac catheterisation between October 2006 and December 2016 with patients who underwent neuroimaging within 7 days to identify possible cases of suspected stroke or transient ischaemic attack. RESULTS: A total of 21 510 patients underwent cardiac catheterisation during the study period. Sixty (0.28%) patients experienced stroke or transient ischaemic attack. Compared to control patients, those who did experience cerebral ischaemic events were older (70.5 vs 64 years; P < 0.001), with higher rates of atrial fibrillation, hypertension and diabetes mellitus. Stroke complicating cardiac catheterisation was associated with an increased risk of readmission, with a significantly higher hazard of readmission for stroke noted. Despite minimal functional impairment based on modified Rankin score, stroke was associated with a significant risk of early and cumulative mortality. Stroke incidence remained stable over the study period despite changes in procedural practice. CONCLUSIONS: The incidence and functional severity of stroke remains low despite evolving procedural practice with a stable incidence over time despite changes in procedural practice; however, post-procedural stroke confirms an increased mortality hazard.

Recurrent ATP2A2 p.(Pro602Leu) mutation differentiates Acrokeratosis verruciformis of Hopf from the allelic condition Darier disease.

Darier disease and Acrokeratosis Verruciformis of Hopf (AKV) are rare disorders of keratinization with autosomal dominant inheritance and very distinct clinical pictures. Both have been shown to be caused by mutations in ATP2A2 (ATPase, Ca++ transporting, cardiac muscle, slow-twitch) a gene encoding one of the SERCA (sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium ATPase2) intracellular pumps with a crucial role in cell-to-cell adhesion in both skin and heart. While hundreds of different missense and nonsense mutations cause Darier disease, only one missense mutation, p.(Pro602Leu), has been identified in families with AKV. We report a family with AKV due to the p.(Pro602Leu) mutation and discuss implications for this recurrent mutation on knowledge of ATP2A2 structure and function.

KBG syndrome: An Australian experience.

In 2011, heterozygous mutations in the ANKRD11 gene were identified in patients with KBG syndrome. Since then, 100 cases have been described with the expansion of the clinical phenotype. Here we present 18 KBG affected individuals from 13 unrelated families, 16 with pathogenic mutations in the ANKRD11 gene. Consistent features included intellectual disability, macrodontia, and the characteristic broad forehead with hypertelorism, and a prominent nasal bridge. Common features included hand anomalies, cryptorchidism, and a large number of palate abnormalities. Distinctive findings in this series included malrotation of the abdominal viscera, bilateral inguinal herniae in two patients, basal ganglia calcification and the finding of osteopenia in three patients. Nine novel heterozygous variants were found and the genotype-phenotype correlation was explored. This report highlights the need for thorough examination and investigation of the dental and skeletal systems. The results confirm the specificity of ANKRD11 mutations in KBG and further evidence for this transcription repressor in neural, cardiac, and skeletal development. The description of further cases of KBG syndrome is needed to further delineate this condition, in particular the specific neurological and behavioral phenotype.

A sibling study of isolated optic neuropathy associated with novel variants in the ACO2 gene.

Inherited optic neuropathy is a rare cause of debilitating vision loss. It may occur in constellation with other syndromic features of neurological impairment, or present as an isolated finding. We describe a sibling pair, without a family history of vision loss, who developed visual impairment in early childhood consistent with optic neuropathy. Genetic testing identified novel compound heterozygous variants in the aconitase 2 (ACO2) gene. To date, seven families hosting ACO2 variants have been described in the literature. We describe the second family with ACO2 variants to have an isolated optic neuropathy highlighting the importance of including this gene in genomic panels assessing inherited optic neuropathies.

The spectrum of infantile myofibromatosis includes both non-penetrance and adult recurrence.

Infantile myofibromatosis is characterized by benign myofibroblastic tumors within skin, muscle, bone or viscera which have a characteristic staining pattern on immunohistochemistry. The condition typically presents in infancy and the tumors often disappear by the third year of life. Mutations in the PDGFRB gene and NOTCH3 genes have been identified in familial forms of the condition. We present two families with molecularly confirmed germline mutations in the PDGFRB gene, one demonstrating a phenotype ranging from complete non-penetrance to neonatal lethality; and the other illustrating adult recurrence of the tumors.