Fabry's disease in a female carrier with bilateral thalamic infarcts: a case report and a family study.

An unusual case of a young woman, heterozygote for Fabry gene is reported, who presented bilateral thalamic infarcts due to occlusions of central nervous system vessels. Three other members of her family were studied. Fabry's disease (angiokeratoma corporis diffusum) is included among the rare causes of ischemic stroke in young adults.

Wilson's disease: magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with clinical correlations in 16 cases.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate MRI findings in a group of patients with Wilson's disease, trying to establish possible correlations between clinical and image data. Sixteen patients (8 males and 8 females), with ages ranging from 11 to 50 years, and duration of illness ranging from 5 months to 32 years, were submitted to MRI in a 1.5T System. Four patients were asymptomatic, 4 had mild neurological findings, 2 were moderately affected and the remaining 6 had a severe form of the disease. All patients were receiving D-penicillamine by the time of the study. The most symptomatic patients presented five or more sites of abnormalities on MRI. The putamen was affected in all symptomatic individuals and one asymptomatic and 11 of them presented dystonia on neurological examination. A striking feature was the peripheral localization of putaminal hyperintense lesions on T2 weighted images. In eight cases, striatum or "substantia nigra" lesions explained parkinsonism observed on neurological examination. MRI seems to be an efficient method to study neurological involvement of Wilson's disease allowing some interesting anatomo-clinical correlations.

[Zinc in the treatment of hepatolenticular degeneration: report of 3 cases]. / O zinco no tratamento de degeneração hepatolenticular. A propósito de três casos.

Three patients with symptoms and signs of hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) who developed serious renal side effects of D-penicillamine (DP) had their therapeutic schedule changed to zinc. Patient 1, a 55 year-old man had been well until 12 years old, when skeletal changes (osteomalacia) due to tubular renal disturbance began. His diagnosis of HLD had first been established at age of 32 when he presented with "wing-beat" tremor. He was then begun on DP and his neurological symptoms resolved within one year of initiating therapy but skeletal abnormalities remained unchanged as a sequel. During the next 22 years the patient was continued on DP therapy but with poor compliance. Then the reappearance of his neurological manifestations occurred several times. By the age of 53, after one year without therapy, his neurological status has worse. DP was reinstituted but some weeks later his renal laboratory parameters became severely affected. DP was discontinued and zinc sulfate (220 mg three times daily) was introduced. On this therapeutic regimen his renal laboratory parameters returned to previous level after one month. Within one year on this therapeutic regimen neurological manifestations were resolved. After 31 months on zinc treatment he remains neurologically asymptomatic and his renal function is satisfactory. Patient 2, a 41 year old woman had been her diagnosis of HLD at age of 20, when following the diagnosis of the disease in her old brother, she was found to have the laboratory features of HLD and bilateral Kayser-Fleischer rings. DP treatment was recommended at that time but she quit the follow-up. When she was 23, an esophageal variceal bleeding occurred.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Hepatolenticular degeneration: evaluation of neurological course in 76 treated cases]. / Degeneração hepatolenticular. Avaliação da evolução neurológica em 76 casos tratados.

A series of 76 patients with hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) followed up at the Hospital of the University of São Paulo Medical School between 1963 and 1988 have been studied focusing the evolution under treatment of neurological features. The assessment of neurological symptoms included 12 specific items, and it was made by a scoring system ranging from 0 to 3 (absent, mild, moderate and severe). Global score varied between 0 to 36. A functional disability scale (0, normal; 1, mild; 2, moderate; 3, severe) was also adopted. All patients received D-penicillamine but three of them developed serious renal toxic side-effects, and this drug was replaced by zinc (sulphate or acetate). Fifty-nine patients (77.6%) improved, 8 (10.6%) remained unchanged, and 9 (11.8%) got worse. The main features related to bad results were poor compliance, predominance of dystonic symptoms, and short time treatment (death due hepatic complications). Eight patients (10.5%) developed transient worsening of neurological symptoms during the first weeks of treatment. Three patients who have D-penicillamine replaced by zinc salts presented satisfactory evolution. From them, only one had neurological symptoms. Death due to infectious complications related to severe motor disability occurred in three patients, representing only 10.7% of fatal evolution.

[Association of Wilson's disease with non wilsonian extrapyramidal syndrome in the same family]. / Associação de doença de Wilson e síndrome extrapiramidal não wilsoniana na mesma família.

Movement disorders, mostly dystonia, sometimes occur in heterozygotes for Wilson's disease (WD). A patient with metabolic abnormalities suggestive of heterozygote for WD and dystonia is reported. His niece showed the typical neurological and metabolic abnormalities of WD. This rare coincidence and the etiopathogenic mechanisms involved are discussed.

[Hepatolenticular degeneration. Apropos of 102 cases]. / Degeneração hepatolenticular. A propósito de 102 casos.

The author reports the clinical and laboratory findings in 102 patients of hepatolenticular degeneration (HLD) followed up in the Department of Neurology, University of São Paulo Medical School, since 1946. The problem of the early diagnosis of the relatives is analysed, the pathology of Wilson's disease is reviewed, and the relationship of HLD with other hepatocerebral diseases is examined. Etiopathogenesis is discussed according to current researches, the role of the decreased biliary copper excretion being emphasized. The results of treatment with D-penicillamine in 84 cases are commented.

Abdominal ultrasonography in hepatolenticular degeneration. A study of 33 patients.

The ultrasonographic study of 33 patients with hepatolenticular degeneration showed the following main changes: disorders of the hepatic echotexture (29 cases), changes of the splenic dimensions (21), liver shrinkage (10), cholelithiasis (8), hepatomegaly and ascites (1). The disorders of liver echotexture exhibited different patterns, from slight to severe changes of the hepatic echogenicity, associated with anatomic distortions of the liver, such as alterations of outline and decrease of dimensions. Liver shrinkage was always accompanied by splenomegaly. The scarcity of hepatomegaly may be explained by the fact that the ultrasonography was performed after the onset of treatment with penicillamine, or by other factors still unknown, copper perhaps possessing a stronger fibrogenetic action than other hepatotoxic agents. Cholelithiasis was very frequent in females (6 of 13 patients), its incidence tending to increase with age. Regarding males there was no increase when the incidence was compared to the general population. The two sole males were young, an unusual finding in normal men.

[Neuropsychological dysfunctions in Parkinson's disease: a study of 64 cases]. / Disfunções neuropsicológicas na doença de Parkinson: estudo de 64 casos.

Sixty-four cases of idiopathic Parkinson's disease were studied focusing the neuropsychological performance. To all subjects a brief mental status questionnaire was administered (30 items). Cases with a performance below normal and meeting the dementia criteria of the Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, third edition (DSM III), were considered demented. This evaluation showed that 12 of the 64 patients had dementia, a prevalence rate of 18.7%. Patients that had neuropsychological performance below normal showed more severe bradykinesia than normals. Short term memory, abstract thinking, visual gnosia, calculations, dynamic motor function of hands, constructional ability and recent memory were the most affected psychological functions. The significance of the mentioned findings is discussed and the literature reviewed.

[Hypoattenuating lesions of the basal ganglia associated with pyramido-extrapyramidal features: report of two cases in brothers]. / Lesões hipoatenuantes dos gânglios da base associadas a quadro pirâmido-extrapiramidal: relato dos casos de dois irmãos.

Two cases (siblings) with computed tomography showing slow attenuation of basal ganglia are reported. In case 1 the abnormality is larger, bilateral and the most important neurological features are: dystonic postures mainly in lower extremities and very active patellar reflexes with sustained knee clonus on both sides. In case 2 the tomographic examination disclosed a similar, but more discrete lesion only on the left side; the neurological examination is normal despite a history of frequent falls. The authors discuss the differential diagnosis from a clinical and tomographic approach.

[Hepatolenticular degeneration: critical evaluation of the diagnostic criteria in 95 cases]. / Degeneração hepatolenticular: avaliação crítica dos critérios diagnósticos em 95 casos.

Ninety-five cases of hepatolenticular degeneration have been studied, focusing particularly the clinical and laboratory characterization of the disease. On the clinical viewpoint the variability of the starting symptoms and the frequency of the Kayser-Fleischer rings were analyzed. As regards the laboratory findings the ceruloplasmin, blood and urinary copper, and aminoaciduria levels have been evaluated, as well as the radiological and scintillographic study of joints and bones, cranial computerized tomography and liver biopsy. In 54.4% of the cases the opening clinical picture was neurological, in 31.1% hepatic, in 14.4% psychiatric, in 7.8% osteoarticular, in 2.2% ophtalmologic (Kayser-Fleischer rings), in 1.1% hematologic (hemolytic anemia), and in 1.1% cardiac. Kayser-Fleischer rings were present in 84 of the 92 cases in which they have been searched for (91.3%). Concerning the laboratory findings, hypoceruloplasminemia was found in 98.8% of the cases in which it was investigated, hyperaminoaciduria in 94.7%, hypocupremia in 87.0%, increased cupruresis in 78.2%, osteoporosis in 79.4%, scintillographic changes of the joints in 67.6%; the CT-scan, performed in 11 cases, showed low attenuation areas in the basal ganglia of 2 patients. The significance of the mentioned laboratory findings and the presence of the Kayser-Fleischer rings for the diagnosis of Wilson's disease is discussed.

[Menkes syndrome: review of the pathogenesis apropos of a clinico-pathological case]. / Síndrome de Menkes: revisão da patogenia a propósito de um caso anátomo-clínico.

The authors report a case of Menkes' syndrome, probably the first one described in Brazil. The patient, a 15-month-old boy, showed pili torti, early progressive psychomotor deterioration and seizures. Serum levels of ceruloplasmin and copper were very low. Neuroradiological and roentgenological examinations revealed diffuse cerebral atrophy, arterial changes and bone abnormalities. At the post-mortem examination the more consistent findings were cerebral atrophy, neuronal loss in the thalamus and above all cerebellar cortical lesions. The disease has a sex-linked recessive inheritance and is believed to be caused by an inborn error of copper metabolism, perhaps subordinated to changes of proteins which carry copper to different tissues. The relevant literature in relation to the pathogenesis is reviewed.

Sindrome de Menkes. Revisao da patogenia a proposito de um caso anatomoclinico. / Menkes' syndrome: review of the pathogenesis apropos of a clinico-pathological case

E relatado um caso de sindrome de Menkes, que acreditamos ser o primeiro descrito no Brasil. O paciente, menino de 15 meses, apresentava, desde o quinto mes de vida, pili torti, grave involucao do desenvolvimento neuropsicomotor e sindrome convulsiva. Os exames complementares evidenciaram ceruloplasmina e cobre sericos baixos, alteracoes arteriais e intensa atrofia cerebral difusa. O exame necroscopico confirmou este ultimo aspecto, observando-se despopulacao neuronal nas camadas mediocorticais do cerebro, no talamo e sobretudo no cerebelo, sede de lesoes intensas e particulares em nivel cortical. Acreditase que a sindrome de Menkes, de heranca recessiva ligada ao sexo, seja devida a um erro inato do metabolismo do cobre, primario ou secundario a alteracoes variaveis das proteinas que permitem o transporte de cobre aos diferentes tecidos. Os autores revisam os principais aspectos etiopatogenicos referidos na literatura

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis: clinical and laboratory study of 2 cases.

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis is an unusual disease, clinically characterized by dementia, cataracts, progressive cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal signs, and multiple xanthomas of tendons and other tissues. It was first described in 1937, and in 1968 the storage of cholesterol and cholestanol in the tissues was demonstrated. About 30 cases have been reported. The authors of the present communication report 2 cases in siblings with parental consanguinity. They showed mental impairment and cataract, and multiple xanthomas; in 1 case, pyramidal signs were detected in the 4 limbs associated with a rise of the vibration sense thresholds in the feet. The diagnosis was confirmed in both cases by greatly increased cholestanol levels in the blood serum, bile and in a tendon xanthoma. Cholesterol concentrations in the blood serum and bile were normal although increased in the xanthoma. One case had a gallstone. Computerized tomography showed hyperdense nodules in the cerebellar hemispheres of one patient, and a calcified parietal nodule in his sister. The etiopathogenesis of the disease is discussed. Treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid is in course in both patients.

[Juvenile parkinsonism: considerations apropos of 10 cases]. / Parkinsonismo juvenil: consideraçoes a respeito de 10 casos.

Ten cases of juvenile parkinsonism are reported. A brief review of the literature is made and the nosologic boundaries of the disease are discussed. Comments are made on some clinical, genetic and therapeutic features of the illness in this series and according to the literature data.

Chondrodystrophic myotonia: electromyographic and cardiac features of a case.

TheSchwartz-Jampel syndrome or chondrodystrophic myotonia is a rare disease characterized by dwarfism, diffuse osteoarticular alterations, blepharospasm, perioral muscular contractions and electromyographic alterations. The authors present a case of chondrodystrophic myotonia focusing mainly on facial electromyographic and cardiac findings. The electromyography of the orbicularis oculi muscles showed abundant myotonic discharges like other facial muscles as well as muscles of the members. It was not possible to obtain true electrical silence between myotonic discharges, suggesting that the blepharospasm is a consequence of persistent muscular contraction. No conclusive evidence of myocardiopathy was given by clinical or laboratory cardiac examinations. General characteristics of the syndrome are discussed as well as the treatment with procamide and phenytoin.

[Adrenoleukodystrophy (melanodermic leukodystrophy). Report of an anatomo-clinical case]. / Adrenoleucodistrofia (leucodistrofia melanodérmica). Registro de um caso anátomo-clínico.

The case of a 14-year-old boy with "diffuse cerebral sclerosis", preceded by signs of primary adrenal cortical insufficiency for 7 years with familiar antecedents is reported. This disorder, named adrenoleukodystrophy, has a sex-lin(ed recessive inheritance. The clinical picture is characterized by mental deterioration, gait disturbances, visual impairment, associated with primary adrenal cortical insufficiency. Confirming the data from literature, in our case the pathological study showed myelin degeneration and diffuse gliosis in the cerebral white matter, with no involvement of subcortical fibers. Inflammatory cells are common, and have a perivascular distribution. In the fasciculata and reticular zones of the adrenal gland, "baloon-shaped" cells are evident, most of them presenting a vacuolized and striated cytoplasm. Similar lipidic inclusions have been found in the Schwann cells of the periheral nerves and testis. The findings are compared with twenty cases from the literature.

Heart involvement in hepatolenticular degeneration.

The case of a 10-year-old boy with a mild abdominal form of hepatolenticular degeneration, showing clinical, laboratory and histological manifestations of heart involvement is reported. The microscopical examination of myocardial fragments collected by intracavitary puncture biopsy, using hematoxylin-eosine and the histochemical method with rubeanic acid, showed a medium degree of myocardial damage and the presence of copper deposition in the tissue. Copper concentration on a myocardial biopsy fragment was almost 10 times the normal heart content. Comments are made on the relationship of the clinical, laboratory and pathological findings with the degree of copper storage on the myocardium.

Osteoarthropathy of hepatolenticular degeneration.

Ninety-six joints of 25 patients with hepatolenticular degeneration have been studied by means of scintigraphs with technetium (99mTc), a method which can disclose early synovial inflammation and postinflammatory articular degeneration. Signs of synovitis were found in 22 joints of 10 patients (40%) and degenerative changes were present in 15 joints of eight patients (32%). Eleven patients complained of joint pains; in four of them they were the presenting symptom. The radiological study showed osteoporosis in 22 patients (88%); flexion deformity was found in two cases, anomalous osteophytes in two, and signs of growth arrest, features of rheumatoid arthritis and aseptic necrosis in one case each. The pathogenesis of osteoarticular changes in Wilson's disease is discussed.

Copper and ceruloplasmin contents in the blood serum of peripheral and pre-hepatic veins.

Cooper and ceruloplasmin contents were determined in samples of peripheral and pre-hepatic venous blood of 11 patients with Manson's schistosomiasis and one patient with hepatolenticular degeneration, all of çhich submitted either to porto-caval or spleno-renal shunt. Individual difference were not significant in any of the non-Wilsonian patients. The results are discussed in regard to the current knowledge on the pathogenesis of Wilson's disease.