Polyneuropathy in Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis: Diagnostic Challenges and Potential for Therapeutic Intervention.

Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis (CTX) is a rare metabolic disorder caused by mutations in the gene, leading to cholestanol accumulation in various tissues, including peripheral nerves. Polyneuropathy is an underrecognized feature with considerable variability in clinical presentation and neurophysiological findings in CTX. This review assesses the prevalence, clinical manifestations, and diagnostic methodologies of polyneuropathy in CTX, exploring its underlying mechanisms and potential treatment outcomes.

Newborns with microcephaly in Brazil and potential vertical transmission of Oropouche virus: a case series.

Background: Oropouche fever, an orthobunyavirus disease endemic in Brazilian Amazon, has caused many febrile epidemics. In 2024, an epidemic of Oropouche fever spread in Brazil, with more than 7930 cases reported between Jan 1 and Aug 31. Infections in pregnant people have suggested the possibility of negative fetal consequences, therefore we tested newborns with microcephaly for known congenital pathogens and Oropouche virus (OROV).

Maple syrup urine disease diagnosis in Brazilian patients by massive parallel sequencing.

Biallelic pathogenic variants cause maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) in one of the branched-chain α-keto acid dehydrogenase (BCKDH) complex genes (BCKDHA, BCKDHB, DBT, DLD, and PPM1K) leading to the accumulation of leucine, isoleucine, and valine. This study aimed to perform a molecular diagnosis of Brazilian patients with MSUD using gene panels and massive parallel sequencing. Eighteen Brazilian patients with a biochemical diagnosis of MSUD were analyzed by massive parallel sequencing in the Ion PGM Torrent Server using a gene panel with the BCKDHA, BCKDHB, and DBT genes.

Higher Prevalence of Nonsense Pathogenic Variants in a Single-Center Cohort from Brazil: A Genetic Profile Study That May Guide the Choice of Disease-Modifying Treatments.

Dystrophinopathies are muscle diseases caused by pathogenic variants in the largest gene described in humans, representing a spectrum of diseases ranging from asymptomatic creatine phosphokinase elevation to severe Duchenne muscular dystrophy (). Several therapeutic strategies are currently in use or under development, each targeting different pathogenic variants. However, little is known about the genetic profiles of northeast Brazilian patients with dystrophinopathies.

Bailey-Bloch Congenital Myopathy in Brazilian Patients: A Very Rare Myopathy with Malignant Hyperthermia Susceptibility.

Background: Congenital myopathy-13 (CMYP13), also known as Bailey-Bloch congenital myopathy and Native American myopathy (NAM), is a condition caused by biallelic missense pathogenic variants in , which encodes an important protein necessary for the excitation-relaxation coupling machinery in the muscle. Patients with biallelic pathogenic variants in often present with congenital weakness and arthrogryposis, cleft palate, ptosis, myopathic facies, short stature, kyphoscoliosis, and susceptibility to malignant hyperthermia provoked by anesthesia. We present two unrelated cases of Bailey-Bloch congenital myopathy descendants of non-consanguineous parents, which were investigated for delayed psychomotor development and generalized weakness.

Neuropsychological Characterization of Autosomal Recessive Intellectual Developmental Disorder 59 Associated with IMPA1 (MRT59).

Biallelic loss of function of causes autosomal recessive intellectual developmental disorder 59 (MRT59, OMIM #617323). MRT59 has been reported to present with significant intellectual disability and disruptive behavior, but little is known about the neurocognitive pattern of those patients. Thus, the aims of this study were: (1) to assess the cognitive profile of these patients, and (2) to evaluate their functional dependence levels.

Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis: A practice review of pathophysiology, diagnosis, and treatment.

Cerebrotendinous Xanthomatosis represents a rare and underdiagnosed inherited neurometabolic disorder due to homozygous or compound heterozygous variants involving the gene. This bile acid metabolism disorder represents a key potentially treatable neurogenetic condition due to the wide spectrum of neurological presentations in which it most commonly occurs. Cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, spastic paraparesis, epilepsy, parkinsonism, cognitive decline, intellectual disability, and neuropsychiatric disturbances represent some of the most common neurological signs observed in this condition.

Aseptic meningitis in Fabry disease due to a novel GLA variant: an expanded phenotype?

Background: F abry disease (FD) is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder with accumulation of globotriosylceramide, causing neurologic involvement mainly as acroparesthesias and cerebrovascular disease. Aseptic meningitis has been reported in 11 patients with FD, but no prior study has correlated alpha-galactosidase (GLA) specific variants with meningitis. We present in this manuscript a family in which a novel GLA pathogenic variant was associated with aseptic meningitis in 2 of 5 family members.

Defining dysmorphic facial features in congenital Zika syndrome.

Congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) constitutes a recently identified malformation caused by Zika virus infection during pregnancy. Limited data is available to date on the facial dysmorphic features of these patients. This study evaluated the facial dysmorphisms of children with CZS, compared with clinically healthy children, using clinical examination and standardized photographic images.

Unmet needs in PKU and the disease impact on the day-to-day lives in Brazil: Results from a survey with 228 patients and their caregivers.

Background: Accumulation of phenylalanine (Phe) due to deficiency in the enzyme phenylalanine hydroxylase (PAH), responsible for the conversion of Phe into tyrosine leads to Phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare autosomal recessive inborn error of metabolism with a mean prevalence of approximately 1:10,000 to 1:15,000 newborns. Physical, neurocognitive and psychiatric symptoms include neurodevelopmental disorder as intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. The most common treatments such as low-Phe diet and supplements may decrease blood Phe concentrations, but neuropsychological, behavioral and social issues still occur in some patients.

A Brazilian cohort of individuals with Phelan-McDermid syndrome: genotype-phenotype correlation and identification of an atypical case.

Background: Phelan-McDermid syndrome (PMS) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by global developmental delay, intellectual disability (ID), autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and mild dysmorphisms associated with several comorbidities caused by SHANK3 loss-of-function mutations. Although SHANK3 haploinsufficiency has been associated with the major neurological symptoms of PMS, it cannot explain the clinical variability seen among individuals. Our goals were to characterize a Brazilian cohort of PMS individuals, explore the genotype-phenotype correlation underlying this syndrome, and describe an atypical individual with mild phenotype.

Hearing Screening in children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil, 2016.

Objective: to describe the results of hearing screening performed in children with Congenital Zika Virus Syndrome (CZS) in Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.

Methods: this was a descriptive cross-sectional study involving children with CZS receiving health care in Fortaleza, 2016; the hearing screening tests performed were immittance audiometry, transient otoacoustic emissions (TOAE), acoustic reflexes, and cochleopalpebral reflex (CPR).

Results: The study included 45 children with an average age of 10 months.

Abortion in Cases of Zika Virus Congenital Infection.

The emergency in international public health caused by the Zika virus gave rise to the discussion about abortion in cases of congenital Zika virus syndrome (CZS). Therefore, we propose to carry out a bibliographic review on abortion in these cases. Five databases were searched using the following terms: , , and , with the interposition of the Boolean operator "AND.

Lingual Frenulum Phenotypes in Brazilian Infants With Congenital Zika Syndrome.

Objective: The present study aimed to evaluate lingual frenulum in children affected by congenital Zika syndrome (CZS) and to analyze the association of lingual frenulum phenotypes with other variables.

Design: This present work had a cross-sectional, descriptive study design.

Setting: This study was carried out in Fortaleza (Brazil).

Homozygous missense mutation in MED25 segregates with syndromic intellectual disability in a large consanguineous family.

Background: Intellectual disability (ID) is a highly heterogeneous condition affecting 2% of the population worldwide. In a field study conducted in a highly inbred area of Northeastern Brazil, we investigated a consanguineous family in which seven adults presented syndromic ID.

Methods: Genome-Wide Human SNP Array 6.

[The causes of physical disability in municipalities of the northeast of Brazil and an estimate of costs of specialized services].

The population of the northeast of Brazil is characterized by high rates of endogamy and disabilities. An epidemiological cross-sectional study using the informant method was conducted in eight communities in the hinterlands of Paraiba to describe genetic and acquired diseases that cause disabilities and to estimate the costs of specialized services such as physiotherapy and the acquisition of technological assistential equipment. From a population of 48,499 inhabitants, 338 individuals were screened and 123 (0.