Diagnostic pitfalls in sporadic transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathy (TTR-FAP). 2007

V Planté-Bordeneuve, and A Ferreira, and T Lalu, and C Zaros, and C Lacroix, and D Adams, and G Said
Centre d'Etude des Neuropathies Amyloïdes Familiales, Service de Neurologie, and Laboratoire Ranvier, Inserm U 788, Hôpital de Bicêtre Assistance Publique Hôpitaux de Paris, Université Paris-Sud, France. violaine.plante@bct.aphp.fr

Transthyretin familial amyloid polyneuropathies (TTR-FAPs) are autosomal dominant neuropathies of fatal outcome within 10 years after inaugural symptoms. Late diagnosis in patients who present as nonfamilial cases delays adequate management and genetic counseling. Clinical data of the 90 patients who presented as nonfamilial cases of the 300 patients of our cohort of patients with TTR-FAP were reviewed. They were 21 women and 69 men with a mean age at onset of 61 (extremes: 38 to 78 years) and 17 different mutations of the TTR gene including Val30Met (38 cases), Ser77Tyr (16 cases), Ile107Val (15 cases), and Ser77Phe (5 cases). Initial manifestations included mainly limb paresthesias (49 patients) or pain (17 patients). Walking difficulty and weakness (five patients) and cardiac or gastrointestinal manifestations (five patients), were less common at onset. Mean interval to diagnosis was 4 years (range 1 to 10 years); 18 cases were mistaken for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, which was the most common diagnostic error. At referral a length-dependent sensory loss affected the lower limbs in 2, all four limbs in 20, and four limbs and anterior trunk in 77 patients. All sensations were affected in 60 patients (67%), while small fiber dysfunction predominated in the others. Severe dysautonomia affected 80 patients (90%), with postural hypotension in 52, gastrointestinal dysfunction in 50, impotence in 58 of 69 men, and sphincter disturbance in 31. Twelve patients required a cardiac pacemaker. Nerve biopsy was diagnostic in 54 of 65 patients and salivary gland biopsy in 20 of 30. Decreased nerve conduction velocity, increased CSF protein, negative biopsy findings, and false immunolabeling of amyloid deposits were the main causes of diagnostic errors. We conclude that DNA testing, which is the most reliable test for TTR-FAP, should be performed in patients with a progressive length-dependent small fiber polyneuropathy of unknown origin, especially when associated with autonomic dysfunction.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008297 Male Males
D008875 Middle Aged An adult aged 45 - 64 years. Middle Age
D011228 Prealbumin A tetrameric protein, molecular weight between 50,000 and 70,000, consisting of 4 equal chains, and migrating on electrophoresis in 3 fractions more mobile than serum albumin. Its concentration ranges from 7 to 33 per cent in the serum, but levels decrease in liver disease. Proalbumin,Transthyretin
D003711 Demyelinating Diseases Diseases characterized by loss or dysfunction of myelin in the central or peripheral nervous system. Clinically Isolated CNS Demyelinating Syndrome,Clinically Isolated Syndrome, CNS Demyelinating,Demyelinating Disorders,Demyelination,Demyelinating Disease,Demyelinating Disorder,Demyelinations
D003937 Diagnosis, Differential Determination of which one of two or more diseases or conditions a patient is suffering from by systematically comparing and contrasting results of diagnostic measures. Diagnoses, Differential,Differential Diagnoses,Differential Diagnosis
D005260 Female Females
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000328 Adult A person having attained full growth or maturity. Adults are of 19 through 44 years of age. For a person between 19 and 24 years of age, YOUNG ADULT is available. Adults
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D025202 Molecular Diagnostic Techniques MOLECULAR BIOLOGY techniques used in the diagnosis of disease. Molecular Testing,Molecular Diagnostic Technics,Molecular Diagnostic Testing,Diagnostic Technic, Molecular,Diagnostic Technics, Molecular,Diagnostic Technique, Molecular,Diagnostic Techniques, Molecular,Diagnostic Testing, Molecular,Molecular Diagnostic Technic,Molecular Diagnostic Technique,Technic, Molecular Diagnostic,Technics, Molecular Diagnostic,Technique, Molecular Diagnostic,Techniques, Molecular Diagnostic,Testing, Molecular,Testing, Molecular Diagnostic

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