Clinical characteristics of megaconial congenital muscular dystrophy due to choline kinase beta gene defects in a series of 15 patients.

A new form of congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) with multisystem involvement and characteristic mitochondrial structural changes, due to choline kinase beta (CHKB) gene defects has been characterized by intellectual disability, autistic features, ichthyosis-like skin changes, and dilated cardiomyopathy. We define the clinical characteristics in 15 patients, from 14 unrelated families with so-called 'megaconial CMD', all having mutations in CHKB. Core clinical phenotype included global developmental delay prominent in gross-motor and language domains, severe intellectual disability (ID), and/or muscle weakness in all cases. Muscle biopsies were equivocally 'megaconial' in all. Other peculiarities were: ichthyosis-like skin changes (n = 11), increased serum CK levels (n = 12), microcephaly (n = 6), dysmorphic facial features (n = 7), neonatal hypotonia (n = 3), seizures (n = 3), epileptiform activity without clinically overt seizures (n = 2), dilated cardiomyopathy (n = 2), decreased left ventricular systolic function (n = 2), congenital heart defects (n = 3), sensorineural (n = 1), and conductive hearing loss (n = 1). Ten patients had cranial neuroimaging (MRI-MRS) study, which was notably normal in all, other than one patient having a decreased choline: creatine peak. Intra-familial variability in clinical expression of the disease is noted in four families. Two siblings from the same family, one presenting with global developmental delay and dilated cardiomyopathy, and the other with ichthyosis, ID and proximal weakness without cardiomyopathy died at the ages of 2 years 1 month, and 7 years 4 months respectively. Evolution was progressive (n = 13) and static (n = 2).

Neurological manifestations of atypical celiac disease in childhood.

Various typical and atypical neurological manifestations can be seen as the initial symptoms of celiac disease (CD). We suggest that gluten toxicity is the most suspicious triggering risk factor for probable pathophysiological pathways of neurological involvement in atypical CD. The medical charts of 117 patients diagnosed with atypical CD were retrieved from a tertiary center in Ankara, Turkey. Eight patients reported as having neurologic manifestations as initiating symptoms were evaluated in detail. The initial neurological manifestations of CD in our study included atypical absence, which was reported first in this study, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, complex partial seizures, severe axial hypotonia and down phenotype, multifocal leukoencephalopathy, mild optic neuritis, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and short duration headaches. Seizures mostly emphasizing atypical absence could be the initial presentation manifestation of CD, first described in this literature. Gluten toxicity could be one of the most powerful triggering factors for developing epilepsy in CD. Learning disorders such as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, short duration headaches, mild optic neuritis, encephalopathy, and DS could also be the initial neurological manifestations of atypical CD. A gluten-restricted diet may improve neurological complaints, epileptic discharges, and neuropsychiatric symptoms. All we found may be a small part of the full range of neurological disorders of unknown origin related to CD. Clinical suspicion should be the rule for accurate diagnosis of the disease.