Lafora's disease is a progressive myoclonus epilepsy with onset in adolescence and a gradual decline in cognitive functions and increase in seizure intractability. We present the case of a 16-year-old with precipitous dementia within 6 months of onset. Peripheral biopsies and EPM2A mutation analysis were negative. The diagnosis could be established only by brain biopsy. (J Child Neurol 2003;18:499—501).
Get full access to this article
View all access options for this article.
References
1.
Minassian BA : Lafora's disease: Towards a clinical, pathologic, and molecular synthesis. Pediatr Neurol2001 ;25:21—29.
2.
VanHeycop Ten Ham MW: Lafora disease, a form of progressive myoclonus epilepsy. HandbookClin Neurol1974; 15: 382—422.
3.
Will RG, Zeidler M., Stewart GE, et al: Diagnosis of new variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Ann Neurol2000;47:575—582.
4.
Carpenter S. , Karpati G.: Sweat gland duct cells in Lafora disease: Diagnosis by skin biopsy. Neurology1981;31:1564—1568.
5.
Busard Hlsm, Gobreels-Festen Aawm, Renih WU, et al: Axilla skin biopsy: A reliable test for the diagnosis of Lafora's disease. Ann Neurol1987;21:599—601.
6.
Minassian BA , Sainz J., Serratosa JM, et al: Genetic locus heterogeneity in Lafora's progressive myoclonus epilepsy. Ann Neurol1999;45:262—265.
7.
Minassian BA , Lee JR, Herbrick JA, et al: Mutations in a gene encoding a novel protein tyrosine phosphatase cause progressive myclonus epilepsy. Nat Genet1998;20:171—174.
8.
Minassian BA , Andrade D., Lanzano L., et al: Laforin is a cell membrane and endoplasmic reticulum associated protein tyrosine phosphatase. Ann Neurol2001;49:271—275.
9.
Minassian BA , Ianzano L., Meloche M., et al: Mutation spectrum and predicted function of Lafora's progressive myclonus epilepsy. Neurology2000;55:341—346.
Drury I., Blaivas M., Abou-Khalil B., Beydoun A.: Biopsy results in a kindred with Lafora disease. Arch Neurol1993;50:102—105.
12.
Minassian BA , Ianzano L., Delgado-EscuetaAV, Scherer SW: New deletion mutations in EPM2A and the genetic diagnosis ofLafora's disease. Neurology2000;54:488—490.
13.
Tsuda H., Katusumi Y., Nakamura M., et al: Cerebral blood flow and metabolism in Lafora disease. Clin Neurol1995;35:175—179.
14.
Kato Z., Yasuda K., Ishii K., et al: Glucose metabolism evaluated by positron emission tomography in Lafora disease. Pediatr Int1999;41:689—692.
15.
Nishmura RN , Ishak KG, Reddick R., et al: Lafora disease: Diagnosis by liver biopsy. Ann Neurol1980;8:409—415.
16.
Hsich G., Kenney K., Gibbs CJ, et al: The 14-3-3 brain protein in cerebrospinal fluid as a marker for the transmissible spongiform encephalopathies. N Engl J Med1996;335:924—930.
17.
Lemstra AW, van Meegen MT, Vreyling JP, et al: 14-3-3 testing in diagnosing Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. A prospective study in 112 patients. Neurology2000;55:514—516.
18.
Zerr I., Pocchiari M., Collins S., et al: Analysis of EEG and CSF 14-3-3 proteins as aids to the diagnosis of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Neurology2000 ;55:811—815.