Abstract
Progressive myoclonus epilepsy (PME) without Lafora bodies, or Baltic myoclonus epilepsy, is characterized by stimulus-sensitive myoclonus, generalized tonic-clonic seizures, and an irregularly progressive course beginning between 6 and 15 years of age. The EEG displays spike-and-wave paroxysms with irregular dominant activity. Baltic myoclonus epilepsy is a single-gene disorder inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Early cases were reported from Estonia, and many are now found in Finland, suggesting that the gene frequency is increased in those sharing the Finno-Ugric linguistic base.
The use of phenytoin should be avoided in this disorder since its continued administration alone or with other antiepileptic drugs is associated with intellectual and motor deterioration, aggressive behavior, increasing ataxia, and even death. Treatment with valproate and the concomitant elimination of phenytoin have been associated with marked improvement in most cases. Baltic myoclonus epilepsy must be distinguished from Lafora body PME, which is relentlessly progressive and invariably fatal, but can usually be differentiated on clinical grounds.
Sommario
La mioclono epilessia progressiva (MEP) senza corpi di Lafora, detta anche mioclono epilessia baltica, è caratterizzata da un mioclono riflesso, da crisi tonico-cloniche e da una evoluzione irregolarmente progressiva che inizia dai 6 ai 15 anni.
L'EEG mostra attività parossistiche a tipo di punte onda su di un'attività di fondo irregolare. La mioclono epilessia del baltico è una forma con ereditarietà monogenica di tipo autosomico recessiva. I primi casi sono stati descritti in Estonia, ed ora anche in Finlandia, ad indicare che la frequenza genica aumenta nella popolazione di lingua Finno-Ugrica. La dintoina non deve essere utilizzata in questa affezione, in quanto, in mono o politerapia, determina un peggioramento delle funzioni motorie ed intellettive, dell'aggressività e dell'atassia ed addirittura può avere effetti letali. In molti casi la progressiva sostituzione della dintoina con il Valproato ha determinato un significativo miglioramento.
La mioclono epilessia baltica deve essere distinta — e lo si può fare anche in base ai dati clinici — dalla mioclono epilessia progressiva con corpi di Lafora, che ha una evoluzione progressiva e sempre fatale.
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Iivanainen, M., Eldridge, R. Effect of phenytoin on the mental and physical function of patients with Baltic myoclonus epilepsy. Ital J Neuro Sci 8, 313–317 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02335732
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02335732