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The Zellweger spectrum disorders (ZSDs) are known to be severe disorders with onset in the newborn period or later in childhood, frequently resulting in death during childhood or adolescence. Here, we report a case of ZSD due to mutations in the PEX2 gene, with very mild phenotype. A 51-year-old Italian man was referred to us because of a clinical picture characterized by ataxia, areflexia, nystagmus, and strabismus, with childhood onset and slowly progressive course. The patient showed no cognitive impairment. Neurological examination revealed gait ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, areflexia, and bilateral pes cavus. Nerve conduction studies indicated a severe axonal sensorimotor polyneuropathy. Brain MRI showed marked cerebellar atrophy and absence of white matter involvement. MR spectroscopy uncovered a decreased N-acetyl aspartate peak. Biochemical analyses suggested a mild peroxisomal defect. Sequence analysis of the PEX2 gene identified two heterozygous mutations. The clinical phenotype of our patient differs from previously reported ZSD patients with PEX2 gene mutations and suggests that genetic screening of PEX2 is warranted in children and adults with otherwise unexplained autosomal recessive ataxia. MRI findings diverged from the "classic" spectrum observed in ZSDs. The moderate impairment in peroxisome biogenesis seems to affect predominantly neuronal cells in cerebellum, leading to cerebellar atrophy.

Background: Source-based morphometry (SBM) was recently used for non-random “patterns” of gray matter (GM) atrophy or white matter (WM) microstructural damage. Objective: To assess whether and to what extent such patterns may be inter-related in MS. Methods: SBM was applied to images of GM concentration and fractional anisotropy (FA) in MS patients ( n = 41, median EDSS = 1) and normal controls (NC, n = 28). The same procedure was repeated on an independent and similar data set (39 MS patients and 13 NC). Results: We found in MS patterns of GM atrophy and reduced FA ( p < 0.05, corrected). Deep GM atrophy was mostly (70%) explained by lesion load in projection tracts and lower FA in posterior corona radiata and thalamic radiation. By contrast, sensorimotor and posterior cortex atrophy was less (50%) dependent from WM damage. All patterns correlated with EDSS ( r from −0.33 to −0.56, p < 0.03) while the only cognition-related correlation was between posterior GM atrophy pattern and processing speed ( r = 0.45, p = 0.014). Reliability analysis showed similar results. Conclusion: In relatively early MS, we found a close link between deep GM atrophy pattern and WM damage while sensorimotor and posterior cortex patterns were partially independent from WM damage and perhaps related to primary mechanisms. Patterns were clinically relevant.

Radiosurgery (SRS) is widely used in the treatment of brain oligo-metastases from NSCLC. The aim of present study is to evaluate the extent of perilesional edema in brain metastases as predictive factor of treatment response. This single center retrospective study included 42 consecutive patients (January 2011-December 2014) with 1-2 brain metastasis from NSCLC treated with Radiosurgery (SRS). Extent of perilesional edema was measured as maximal extension from the edge of lesion and classified as minor (<10 mm) or major (≥10 mm). We analyzed Modality of Brain Recurrence (MBR), classified as in-field or out-of- field, and Brain Progression Free-Survival (BPFS) after treatment stratified according to extent of perilesional edema. Analyzing modality of brain recurrence and BPFS, after a median follow-up of 6 months, we found that patients with minor edema had a better radiological response to SRS with none in-field recurrences and a lower risk of the onset of new brain lesions (out-of-field recurrence). Instead, patients group with major edema had a worse response rate of lesions treated, further, a higher risk of out-of-field brain relapse. Extent of perilesional edema in brain metastasis from NSCLC could be a predictive factor of response and brain progression after SRS treatment alone.