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Congenital muscular dystrophy and cerebellar vermis agenesis in two brothers

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Abstract

Two brothers with motor retardation since the first months of life presented waddling ataxic-gait with lumbar lordosis, joint contractures and generalized muscle weakness. Both presented altered cerebellar tests and scanning speech. Creatine kinase, electromyography (EMG) and muscle biopsy pointed to muscular disease while CT scanning and NMR imaging showed cerebellar vermis agenesis. On this evidence we diagnosed the unusual association of vermian agenesis and congenital muscular dystrophy.

Sommario

Vengono riportati due fratelli con un ritardo motorio sin dai primi mesi di vita, andatura anserino-atassica, lordosi lombare, limitazioni articolari, debolezza muscolare diffusa, prove cerebellari alterate e parola scandita. La creatinchinasi, l'elettomiografia e la biopsia muscolare hanno evidenziato un coinvolgimento muscolare, mentre la tomografia computerizzata e la risonanza magnetica nucleare hanno mostrato una agenesia vermiana del cervelletto. Sulla base di questi dati abbiamo attribuito questa sintomatologia alla presenza simultanea di agenesia vermiana e di distrofia muscolare congenita.

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Arancio, O., Bongiovanni, L.G., Bonadonna, G. et al. Congenital muscular dystrophy and cerebellar vermis agenesis in two brothers. Ital J Neuro Sci 9, 485–489 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02337167

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