Clinical Description
Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) deficiency is associated with a wide phenotypic spectrum. Based on the severity of symptoms and signs as well as responsiveness to levodopa therapy, the three clinical phenotypes from mildest to most severe are: TH-deficient dopa-responsive dystonia (DRD) (DYT5b, DYT-TH); TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay; and TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy (see Table 2). In addition, several atypical severe forms have been recognized.
None of the symptoms and signs of TH deficiency improve without proper treatment with levodopa (see Management).
Mild Form: TH-Deficient DRD (DYT5b, DYT-TH)
Clinical features of more than 15 individuals with molecularly confirmed TH-deficient DRD have been reported [Castaigne et al 1971, Rondot & Ziegler 1983, Rondot et al 1992, Knappskog et al 1995, Lüdecke et al 1995, Swaans et al 2000, Furukawa et al 2001, Furukawa et al 2004b, Schiller et al 2004, Verbeek et al 2007, Wu et al 2008, Willemsen et al 2010, Haugarvoll & Bindoff 2011, Yeung et al 2011, Sun et al 2014, Yan et al 2017].
The perinatal and postnatal periods are normal. Early psychomotor development is normal. Onset of symptoms is generally between ages 12 months and 12 years. Initial symptoms are usually lower-limb dystonia and/or difficulty in walking. In general, gradual progression to generalized dystonia occurs. Bradykinesia and tremor (mainly postural) can be observed. A variable degree of rigidity is detected in affected limbs. There is a tendency to fall. Without treatment individuals with TH-deficient DRD become wheelchair bound.
In addition to dystonic and parkinsonian elements, many affected individuals have some clinical features suggestive of pyramidal signs (hyperreflexia, spasticity, and/or extensor plantar responses). Plantar responses become flexor after beginning levodopa therapy, suggesting that the previous findings may be consistent with a dystonic phenomenon (the striatal toe) rather than a Babinski response.
Intellect is not impaired in individuals with TH-deficient DRD. Of note, Schiller et al [2004] reported one individual with TH-deficient DRD and mild cognitive impairment attributed to Rh incompatibility.
In rare instances, sustained upward ocular deviations (oculogyric crises) are observed.
Diurnal fluctuation of symptoms (worsening of the symptoms toward the evening and their alleviation in the morning after sleep) has been reported in approximately one third of individuals with TH-deficient DRD (a much lower incidence than observed in GTP cyclohydrolase 1-deficient dopa-responsive dystonia).
DRD is characterized by a dramatic and sustained response to relatively low doses of levodopa [Nygaard 1993, Furukawa 2004]. All individuals with TH-deficient DRD demonstrate complete responsiveness of symptoms to levodopa therapy. (Note: The term "levodopa therapy," without further specification, is herein used to indicate oral administration of levodopa with a decarboxylase inhibitor.) Such an excellent response in the absence of any motor adverse effects of chronic levodopa therapy (e.g., wearing-off and on-off phenomena and dopa-induced dyskinesias) for more than 30 years has been confirmed in at least five individuals with TH-deficient DRD [Swaans et al 2000, Schiller et al 2004].
Severe Form: TH-Deficient Infantile Parkinsonism with Motor Delay
Approximately 50 individuals with molecularly confirmed TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay have been reported [Lüdecke et al 1996, Bräutigam et al 1998, Surtees & Clayton 1998, van den Heuvel et al 1998, Wevers et al 1999, de Rijk-Van Andel et al 2000, Grattan-Smith et al 2002, Yeung et al 2006, Ribasés et al 2007, Verbeek et al 2007, Clot et al 2009, Doummar et al 2009, Pons et al 2010, Willemsen et al 2010, Haugarvoll & Bindoff 2011, Najmabadi et al 2011, Ormazabal, et al 2011, Yeung et al 2011, Chi et al 2012, Giovanniello et al 2012, Pons et al 2013, Ortez et al 2015, Zhang et al 2017].
In general, the pregnancies of affected individuals are uncomplicated. Perinatal and early postnatal periods are usually normal. Onset in most children is between ages three and 12 months. In contrast to TH-deficient DRD, in this severe form, motor milestones are overtly delayed in infancy.
All affected individuals demonstrate truncal hypotonia as well as parkinsonian symptoms and signs (e.g., hypokinesia, rigidity of extremities, tremor). Although dystonia is recognized in most, it tends to be less prominent. Brisk deep tendon reflexes, spasticity, and/or extensor plantar responses are frequently detected. Deep tendon reflexes have been reported to be normal or reduced in some.
Oculogyric crises are often observed. Ptosis and other features of mild autonomic dysfunction can be observed. Intellectual disability is found in many of the affected individuals.
Typical diurnal fluctuation of symptoms is not observed in most individuals with TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay. Of note, diurnal variation of axial hypotonia but not of limb dystonia has been described in one affected individual [Clot et al 2009, Doummar et al 2009].
Individuals with TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay demonstrate a marked response to levodopa. However, in contrast to TH-deficient DRD, the responsiveness is generally not complete and/or it takes several months or even years for the full effects of treatment to become established. For example, four individuals reported by de Rijk-Van Andel et al [2000] still had clumsy gait and intellectual impairment four to five years after beginning levodopa therapy. One child, who had received levodopa from age six months, showed motor and speech delay at age three years [Lüdecke et al 1996]; when examined at age four years, this child was reported to have no developmental delay and no neurologic abnormalities [Surtees & Clayton 1998].
Some affected individuals are hypersensitive to levodopa (combined with a decarboxylase inhibitor) and are prone to intolerable side effects (e.g., severe dopa-induced dyskinesias which develop at initiation of levodopa treatment); because of this hypersensitivity, such individuals require very low initial doses of levodopa [Clot et al 2009, Doummar et al 2009, Yeung et al 2011].
Very Severe Form: TH-Deficient Progressive Infantile Encephalopathy
More than 15 individuals with molecularly confirmed TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy have been reported [Bräutigam et al 1999, de Lonlay et al 2000, Dionisi-Vici et al 2000, Janssen et al 2000, Häussler et al 2001, Hoffmann et al 2003, Møller et al 2005, Zafeiriou et al 2009, Willemsen et al 2010, Yeung et al 2011, Chi et al 2012, Szentiványi et al 2012, Pons et al 2013, Tristán-Noguero et al 2016, Leuzzi et al 2017].
The onset of TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy is before age three to six months. Fetal distress is reported in most; infants may demonstrate feeding difficulties, hypotonia, and/or growth retardation affecting head circumference, height, and/or weight from birth. Determining the age of onset is sometimes difficult because of complicated perinatal events.
Affected individuals have marked delay in motor development, truncal hypotonia, severe hypokinesia, limb hypertonia (rigidity and/or spasticity), hyperreflexia with extensor plantar responses, oculogyric crises, bilateral ptosis, intellectual disability, and paroxysmal periods of lethargy (with increased sweating and drooling) alternated with irritability – referred to as "lethargy-irritability crises" [Willemsen et al 2010].
In general, dystonia is not a prominent clinical feature of TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy; however, in the most severely affected infants, dystonic crises (every 4-5 days) have been reported [Zafeiriou et al 2009, Willemsen et al 2010]. Other abnormal involuntary movements (tremor and/or myoclonic jerks) can be observed in some.
Although autonomic disturbances occur, especially in the periods of lethargy-irritability crises, the clinical characteristics of impaired production of peripheral catecholamines (e.g., abnormalities in the maintenance of blood pressure) are not present [Hoffmann et al 2003, Willemsen et al 2010].
Usually, typical diurnal fluctuation of symptoms is not recognized in TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy.
Individuals with TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy are extremely sensitive to levodopa therapy; thus, treatment with levodopa is often limited by intolerable dyskinesias. Some develop severe dyskinesias even at doses of 0.2 to 1.5 mg/kg/day levodopa (combined with a decarboxylase inhibitor); no or only minimal improvement can be detected in these individuals [de Lonlay et al 2000, Hoffmann et al 2003, Zafeiriou et al 2009]. Two such individuals died at ages 2.5 years and nine years [Hoffmann et al 2003, Willemsen et al 2010].
Table 2.
Characteristics of the Three Phenotypes of TH Deficiency
View in own window
Clinical Phenotype | Severity | Age at Onset | Effect of Levodopa |
---|
TH-deficient dopa-responsive dystonia | Mild | 12 mos-12 yrs | Dramatic & sustained |
TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay | Severe | 3-12 mos | Incomplete 1 |
TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy | Very severe | <3-6 mos | Little to none 2 |
- 1.
Effect is generally incomplete, or levodopa treatment takes months/years to achieve full effect.
- 2.
Levodopa treatment is often limited by intolerable dopa-induced dyskinesias which develop at initiation of the therapy.
Neuroimaging
In all individuals with TH-deficient DRD and in most individuals with TH-deficient infantile parkinsonism with motor delay, brain MRI is normal. Brain MRI demonstrated no abnormalities in the basal ganglia of two individuals with TH-deficient DRD even 38 and 43 years after onset of the disorder [Schiller et al 2004].
In individuals with TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy, brain MRI often reveals mild-moderate cerebral and/or cerebellar atrophy. In one individual with this very severe form, no abnormalities were observed on two brain MRIs in the first year of life; however, the third brain MRI at age 2.5 years showed periventricular white matter changes and symmetric high signal abnormalities in the superior cerebellar peduncles and dorsal pons [Zafeiriou et al 2009].
Neurochemistry
In a 16-week-old miscarried human fetus found to be heterozygous for TH variants p.Arg328Trp and p.Thr399Met, protein levels of dopaminergic markers (including TH) in the mesencephalon and pons were reported to be lower than those in an age-matched control fetus [Tristán-Noguero et al 2016]. The same TH pathogenic variants were identified in her sister, who developed TH-deficient progressive infantile encephalopathy [Møller et al 2005].