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Neurological symptoms in COVID-19 patients have attracted the interest of the scientific community, yet their mechanisms remain unknown. In some circumstances, the presence of neurological manifestations may result in an incidental diagnosis after a detailed investigation. In the present letter, we discuss a case published by Demir et al., in which the diagnosis of COVID-19 enabled the diagnosis of a rare neurological disorder, characterized by bilateral brain calcifications, commonly known by the eponym Fahr's syndrome. In addition, we report a case of primary brain calcifications unveiled by a suspected coronavirus infection.

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Coats plus syndrome is an autosomal recessive multisystemic and pleiotropic disorder affecting the eyes, brain, bone, and gastrointestinal tract, usually caused by compound heterozygous variants of the conserved telomere maintenance component 1 gene (CTC1), involved in telomere homeostasis and replication. So far, most reported patients are compound heterozygous for a truncating mutation and a missense variant. The phenotype is believed to result from telomere dysfunction, with accumulation of DNA damage, cellular senescence, and stem cell depletion. Here, we report a 23-year-old female with prenatal and postnatal growth retardation, microcephaly, osteopenia, recurrent fractures, intracranial calcification, leukodystrophy, parenchymal brain cysts, bicuspid aortic valve, and primary ovarian failure. She carries a previously reported maternally inherited pathogenic variant in exon 5 (c.724_727del, p.(Lys242Leufs*41)) and a novel, paternally inherited splice site variant (c.1617+5G>T; p.(Lys480Asnfs*17)) in intron 9. CTC1 transcript analysis showed that the latter resulted in skipping of exon 9. A trace of transcripts was normally spliced resulting in the presence of a low level of wild-type CTC1 transcripts. We speculate that ovarian failure is caused by telomere shortening or chromosome cohesion failure in oocytes and granulosa cells, with early decrease in follicular reserve. This is the first patient carrying 2 truncating CTC1 variants and the first presenting primary ovarian failure.

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Introducción. El hipoparatiroidismo es una enfermedad caracterizada por la ausencia o concentraciones inadecuadamente bajas de hormona paratiroidea (PTH), que conduce a hipocalcemia, hiperfosfatemia y excreción fraccional elevada de calcio en la orina. Las calcificaciones del sistema nervioso central son un hallazgo frecuente en estos pacientes. Caso clínico. Mujer de 56 años con antecedente de hipotiroidismo, que ingresó por un cuadro de 6 días de evolución caracterizado por astenia, parestesias periorales y movimientos anormales de manos y pies. Las pruebas de laboratorio demostraron hipocalcemia, hiperfosfatemia y niveles bajos de hormona paratiroidea. Se realizó una tomografía computarizada de cráneo que mostró áreas bilaterales y simétricas de calcificaciones en hemisferios cerebelosos, ganglios basales y corona radiata. No se evidenciaron trastornos en el metabolismo del cobre y hierro. Se estableció el diagnóstico del síndrome de Fahr secundario a hipoparatiroidismo y se inició tratamiento con suplementos de calcio y vitamina D con evolución satisfactoria. Discusión. El síndrome de Fahr es un trastorno neurológico caracterizado por el depósito anormal de calcio en áreas del cerebro que controlan la actividad motora. Se asocia a varias enfermedades, especialmente, hipoparatiroidismo. La suplementación con calcio y vitamina D con el objetivo de normalizar los niveles plasmáticos de estos cationes es el tratamiento convencional. (AU)

Introduction. Hypoparathyroidism is a disease characterized by absence or inappropriately low concentrations of circulating parathyroid hormone, leading to hypocalcaemia, hyperphosphataemia and elevated fractional excretion of calcium in the urine. Central nervous system calcifications are a common finding in these patients. Case report. 56-year-old woman with a history of hypothyroidism who was admitted for a 6-day course of illness characterized by asthenia, perioral paresthesias, and abnormal movements of the hands and feet. Laboratory tests showed hypocalcemia, hyperphosphatemia, and low parathyroid hormone levels. A cranial computed tomography was performed. It showed bilateral and symmetrical areas of calcifications in the cerebellar hemispheres, basal ganglia, and radiata crown. No disorders of copper or iron metabolism were evident. The diagnosis of Fahr syndrome secondary to hypoparathyroidism was established and treatment with calcium and vitamin D supplements was started with satisfactory evolution. Discussion. Fahr's syndrome is a neurological disorder associated with abnormal calcium deposition in areas of the brain that control motor activity. It is associated with various diseases, especially hypoparathyroidism. The conventional treatment is supplementation with calcium and vitamin D, with the aim of normalizing their plasma levels. (AU)

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Neurocysticercosis (NC) is the most common parasitic infection of the central nervous system (CNS). Several studies have reported an association between NC and mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). We intended to evaluate the frequency of hippocampal atrophy (HA), clinical evolution and imaging findings in patients with calcified neurocysticercotic lesions (CNLs). Methods: One hundred and eighty-one subjects (70 cases and 111 controls) were evaluated for the presence or absence of HA. We assessed the imaging findings, and the evolution of patients with NC treated or not with anthelmintics for NC. Results: Hippocampal volumes were different between cases and controls (p < 0.001). Seventy percent of the cases presented HA. 52.2% of the patients without a history of anthelmintic treatment for NC had reports of epileptic seizures. There was an association between non-treatment and the later occurrence of epileptic seizures (p = 0.006). There was an association between perilesional edema on MRI and the presence of uncontrolled epileptic seizures (p = 0.004). Conclusions: Hippocampal atrophy is frequent in patients with NCC. There was an association between no anthelmintic treatment in the acute phase of NC, perilesional edema, more pronounced hippocampal atrophy, and the occurrence of refractory seizures.

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BACKGROUND: Zika virus (ZIKV) is a neurotropic and neurotoxic RNA Flavivirus prompt to cause severe fetal brain dysmorphisms during pregnancy, a period of rapid and critical central nervous system development. A wide range of clinico-radiological findings of congenital ZIKV infections were reported in the literature, such as microcephaly, overlapping sutures, cortical migrational and corpus callosum abnormalities, intracranial calcifications, ventriculomegaly, brain stem and cerebellar malformations, spinal cord involvement, and joint contractures. ZIKV is also related to other severe neurological manifestations in grown-up individuals such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and encephalomyelitis. PURPOSE: Our purpose is to review the radiological central nervous system abnormalities of congenital ZIKV infection syndrome on different imaging modalities.

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JUSTIFICATIVA E OBJETIVOS: As calcificações dos gânglios da base ocorrem em diversas situações clínicas e podem se apresentar de modo variado. Desde formas assintomáticas e incidentalmente encontradas em exames de imagem; até formas convulsivas graves ou manifestações clínicas de parkinsonismo.O objetivo deste estudo foi relatar um caso de hipocalcemia com repercussões neurológicas 10 anos após hipoparatireoidismo secundário devido à tireoidectomia por carcinoma folicular. RELATO DO CASO: Paciente do sexo feminino, 23 anos, submetida à tireoidectomia aos 9 anos de idade devido a carcinoma folicular, tendo posteriormente recebido dose de I131 e desde então em uso de puran T4. Após aproximadamente 10 anos da cirurgia,iniciou episódios de crises convulsivas tônico-clônicas, além de parestesias e episódios de tetania. Hipoparatireoidismo com manifestações neurológicas, diagnosticado longo tempo após a cirurgia de tireoide é considerado uma raridade. A paciente procurou atendimento médico facultativo com quadro sugestivo de crise convulsiva e tetania. Solicitado exames laboratoriais e tomografia computadorizada (TC) de crânio que demonstrou áreas de calcificações cerebrais nos núcleos caudados, lenticulares e tálamo. Tratada com cálcio e Vitamina D apresentando melhora clínica importante. CONCLUSÃO: O tratamento do hipoparatireoidismo com cálcio e vitamina D, restabelecendo a calcemia, propiciou a estabilizaçãodo quadro neurológico.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Calcifications of the basal ganglia occur in various clinical situations and can present variably. Even asymptomatic forms which are incidentally found on imaging studies until severe seizures or clinical manifestations of parkinsonism are described. To report a case of hypocalcemia with neurological repercussions ten years after secondary hypoparathyroidism due to thyroidectomy for follicular carcinoma. CASE REPORT: The diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism with neurological findings occurring years after thyroid surgery is considered to be rare. The authors describe one case of hypoparathyroidismassociated to brain calcifications diagnosed ten yearsafter thyroidectomy due to follicular thyroid carcinoma. Thepatient was admitted to Emergency Service presenting with seizures,without a previous diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism. Thediagnosis was suspected adding the biochemical analysis and thecerebral computed tomography, which showed cerebral calcificationsin basal ganglia. The patient was treated with calcium andvitamin D with improvement of clinical status. CONCLUSION: The treatment of hypoparathyroidism withcalcium and vitamin D, restoring the calcium levels, brought thestabilization of the neurological symptoms.

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Hipoparatireoidismo com manifestações neurológicas diagnosticado muitos anos após a cirurgia de tireóide é considerado uma raridade. Descrevemos neste trabalho 3 casos de hipoparatireoidismo associado a calcificações estrio-pálido-denteadas diagnosticados de 20 a mais de 40 anos após tireoidectomia parcial. Duas pacientes foram admitidas com quadros convulsivos em Serviços de Emergência, provavelmente secundário à hipocalcemia, sem diagnóstico de hipoparatireoidismo, o qual foi suspeitado a partir dos exames bioquímicos e da presença de cicatriz cirúrgica no pescoço. A tomografia computadorizada de crânio demonstrou extensas calcificações cerebrais em ambos os casos. A terceira paciente não apresentava quadro neurológico relacionado à hipocalcemia ou às calcificações de gânglios da base e cerebelo demonstradas pela tomografia. Todas foram tratadas com cálcio e vitamina D, com importante melhora clínica nos dois casos sintomáticos. Trata-se, somando-se uma publicação anterior, de 4 casos semelhantes provenientes da mesma região, que era considerada carente em iodo alimentar (Triângulo Mineiro e Goiás, Brasil), onde as tireoidectomias eram muito comuns e provavelmente sem um seguimento clínico adequado. Suspeitamos que outros casos similares, não detectados, possam existir atualmente.

The diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism with neurological findings occurring years after thyroid surgery is considered to be rare. The authors describe 3 cases of hypoparathyroidism associated to brain calcifications diagnosed many years after partial thyroidectomy. Two patients were admitted to Emergency Services presenting with seizures, without a previous diagnosis of hypoparathyroidism. The diagnosis was suspected adding the biochemical analysis to the scar on the neck. The CT, which was performed more than 20 years after surgery, showed large cerebral calcifications in both cases. The third patient did not have neurological symptoms, but presented basal and cerebelar calcifications that were demonstrated in the CT. All patients were treated with calcium and vitamin D with great improvement of clinical status. Adding to a case published previously, we count 4 cases from the same region. Thyroidectomies were very common in this region poor in dietary iodide. Since the clinical follow up was inadequate, we suspect that undetected cases similar to these may exist in the present moment.

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