Epilepsy genetics is a rapidly developing field, in which novel disease-associated genes, novel mechanisms associated with epilepsy, and precision medicine approaches are continuously being identified. In the past decade, advances in genomic knowledge and analysis platforms have begun to make clinical genetic testing accessible for, in principle, people of all ages with epilepsy. For this reason, the Genetics Commission of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) presents this update on clinical genetic testing practice, including current techniques, indications, yield of genetic testing, recommendations for pre-and post-test counseling, and follow-up after genetic testing is completed. We acknowledge that the resources vary across different settings but highlight that genetic diagnostic testing for epilepsy should be prioritized when the likelihood of an informative finding is high. Results of genetic testing, in particular the identification of causative genetic variants, are likely to improve individual care. We emphasize the importance of genetic testing for individuals with epilepsy as we enter the era of precision therapy.
Background: Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated neuropsychiatric disorders (TAND) have unique, individual patterns that pose significant challenges for diagnosis, psycho-education, and intervention planning. A recent study suggested that it may be feasible to use TAND Checklist data and data-driven methods to generate natural TAND clusters. However, the study had a small sample size and data from only two countries. Here, we investigated the replicability of identifying natural TAND clusters from a larger and more diverse sample from the TOSCA study. Methods: As part of the TOSCA international TSC registry study, this embedded research project collected TAND Checklist data from individuals with TSC. Correlation coefficients were calculated for TAND variables to generate a correlation matrix. Hierarchical cluster and factor analysis methods were used for data reduction and identification of natural TAND clusters.
The underlying risk factors, presenting features, and outcome of 22 children with sacral agenesis and associated neuropathic bladder were studied retrospectively. The age of children at presentation was bimodally distributed, with peaks below 1 year and between 4 and 5 years of age. Ten patients presented after 1 year. The oldest was diagnosed at 12 years of age. In 12 children there was maternal diabetes, orthopaedic anomalies in 14, skin defects in 11, and anorectal/tracheooesophageal anomalies in three. Most children had persistent dribbling of urine on presentation associated with frequency, urgency, recurrent urinary tract infections, failure to respond to medication, and/or constipation. Twenty‐one children had abnormal neurology in the lower limbs. Videourodynamics showed neuropathic vesicourethral dysfunction in all children and vesicoureteric reflux in 10. Nineteen had a history of urinary tract infections. Seven had renal scarring, with renal impairment in three at presentation. Clean intermittent catheterization was recommended for 20 of the children. Bladder or bowel surgery has been carried out in seven and neurosurgery performed in two. Twenty of the 22 children underwent operative procedures. Ten operations were performed before sacral agenesis was diagnosed. Over a third of the children have required psychological support. The combination of urinary symptomatology and any of the above risk factors should give rise to a high level of suspicion and low threshold to perform investigations to exclude sacral agenesis. All these children have abnormal bladder and urethral function which not only causes incontinence but puts the kidneys at risk. Early detection allows effective multidisciplinary input specifically aimed at continence, preservation of renal function, and adequate psychological support.
Over a 33-year period, 260 patients (< 17 years of age; 119 males, 141 females) from New South Wales, Australia who had peripheral neuropathies confirmed by nerve biopsy, were studied. Of these, 50 infants presented with symptoms or signs of neuropathy under 1 year of age: including 24 patients with demyelinating neuropathies and 21 axonal neuropathies; a further five patients had spinal muscular atrophy with associated secondary sensory axonopathy. Nineteen infants had hereditary motor sensory neuropathy, of whom 13 had myelin protein mutations confirmed by molecular genetic studies. Peripheral neuropathy is not an unusual diagnosis in infancy. Awareness of this association will aid early diagnosis and prognosis as well as facilitate interventional patient management.
Background Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare multisystem autosomal dominant disorder caused by pathogenic variants in either the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. Common manifestations of TSC have been grouped into major and minor clinical diagnostic criteria and assessed in clinical routine workup. However, case studies point towards the existence of rare disease manifestations and to the potential association of TSC with malignant tumors. In this study we sought to characterize rare manifestations and malignancies using a large cohort of patients. Methods TuberOus SClerosis registry to increAse disease awareness (TOSCA) is a multicenter, international disease registry collecting clinical manifestations and characteristics of patients with TSC, both retrospectively and prospectively. We report rates and characteristics of rare manifestations and malignancies in patients with TSC who had enrolled in the TOSCA registry. We also examined these manifestations by age, sex, and genotype (TSC1 or TSC2). Results Overall, 2211 patients with TSC were enrolled in the study. Rare manifestations were reported in 382 (17.3%) study participants and malignancies in 65 (2.9%). Of these rare manifestations, the most frequent were bone sclerotic foci (39.5%), scoliosis (23%), thyroid adenoma (5.5%), adrenal angiomyolipoma (4.5%), hemihypertrophy and pancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (pNET; both 3.1%). These rare manifestations were more commonly observed in adults than children (66.2% vs. 22.7%), in females versus males (58.4% vs. 41.6%; except for scoliosis: 48.9% vs. 51.1%), and in those with TSC2 versus TSC1 (67.0% vs. 21.1%; except for thyroid adenoma: 42.9% vs. 57.1%). In the 65 individuals with reported malignancies, the most common were renal cell carcinoma (47.7%), followed by breast (10.8%) and thyroid cancer (9.2%). Although malignancies were more common in adult patients, 26.1% were reported in children and 63.1% in individuals < 40 years. TSC1 mutations were over-represented in individuals with malignancies compared to the overall TOSCA cohort (32.1% vs. 18.5%). Conclusion Rare manifestations were observed in a significant proportion of individuals with TSC. We recommend further examination of rare manifestations in TSC. Collectively, malignancies were infrequent findings in our cohort. However, compared to the general population, malignant tumors occurred earlier in age and some tumor types were more common.
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