Manifestações renais na síndrome de Joubert / Renal symptoms in the Joubert syndrome

OBJETIVO:Descrever o caso clínico de paciente com Síndrome de Joubert associada a alterações renais. DESCRIÇÃO DO CASO: Paciente de dois meses de idade admitida com quadro hipotonia e hiperpneia. Ao exame físico, observaram-se, além da respiração irregular, movimentos oculares anormais e hipertensão arterial; não se evidenciaram alterações na ausculta cardíaca e pulmonar. Durante investigação clínico-laboratorial inicial, as causas cardíacas e pulmonares foram descartadas. Aventaram-se hipóteses diagnósticas de patologias neurológicas com doença renal. Os exames laboratoriais mostraram presença de alcalose respiratória, acidose metabólica e hipercalemia, com função renal normal. A ressonância magnética evidenciou alterações neurológicas compatíveis com "sinal do dente molar", quadro frequentemente associada à Sindrome de Joubert. Levando-se em consideração a associação dessa síndrome com alterações renais, a investigação nefrológica demonstrou imagens císticas em parênquima renal. COMENTÁRIOS: Patologias cardíacas e pulmonares estão frequentemente associadas a manifestações clínicas como taquipneia e distúrbios metabólicos. Entretanto, pode ser necessária uma investigação neurológica porque diversas doenças que acometem o sistema nervoso central apresentam tais alterações. A associação entre alterações renais e malformações de sistema nervoso central é frequente em diversos processos sindrômicos, justificando-se a sua investigação. A Síndrome de Joubert e as desordens a ela relacionadas caracterizam-se por aplasia do vermix cerebelar, ataxia, movimentos oculares anormais, respiração irregular e retardo do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor. As alterações renais mais comuns são os cistos renais e a nefronoftise, que pode progredir para doença renal terminal.

OBJECTIVE:To describe the case of a patient with Joubert syndrome associated with renal impairments. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 2 month-old patient was admitted with hypotonia and hyperpneia. At the physical exam, besides irregular breathing pattern, abnormal eye movements and arterial hypertension without abnormalities in cardiac or pulmonary sounds were observed. At the initial clinical and laboratorial investigations, cardiac and pulmonary causes were excluded. The diagnostic hypothesis was: neurological illness associated with renal disease. Laboratorial analysis showed respiratory alkalosis, metabolic acidosis and hyperkalemia, with normal renal function. In the magnetic resonance, images of neurological alterations were compatible with the "molar tooth sign", frequently associated with Joubert syndrome. Renal investigation was performed and cystic images in renal parenchyma were found. COMMENTS: Cardiac and pulmonary illness are frequently associated with clinical manifestations such as tachypnea and metabolic alterations. Nevertheless, neurological investigation may be necessary, since some diseases that affect the central nervous system may manifest these signs and symptoms. Association between renal alterations and central nervous system malformations are frequent in several diseases and should be investigated. Joubert syndrome and its associated disorders are characterized by aplasia of the cerebellar vermis, ataxia, abnormal eye movements and irregular breathing pattern with psychomotor and mental delay. The most frequent renal problems associated with the disease are renal cysts and nephronophtisis that can progress to end-stage renal failure.

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy presenting with stridor.

The spectrum of degenerative ataxia includes the symptomatic degenerative ataxias and the primary degenerative ataxias. The later may be sporadic and idiopathic or hereditary, being genetically determined. When an individual ataxic patient presents with an adult-onset degenerative ataxia and has a negative family history, the physician is faced with a diagnosis of pure idiopathic sporadic degenerative ataxia or one of the hereditary ataxias. The clinical spectrum of olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) usually consists of pancerebellar signs with pyramidal and abnormal eye movements. Although Stridor is more commonly found in multisystem atrophy, it is rarely seen in OPCA. We, here report a case of third decade onset of ataxia presenting with stridor.