Clinical Description
Pathogenic variants in TBC1D24 are associated with a spectrum of epilepsy and hearing loss phenotypes, including DOORS syndrome (deafness, onychodystrophy, osteodystrophy, mental retardation, and seizures), familial infantile myoclonic epilepsy (FIME), progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME), rolandic epilepsy with paroxysmal exercise-induced dystonia and writer's cramp (EPRPDC), developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) including epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS), autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (DFNB), and autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss (DFNA).
The contribution of TBC1D24 variants to these phenotypes is shown in Table 3.
Table 2.
Epilepsy/Deafness Phenotypes in TBC1D24-Related Disorders
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Epilepsy/Deafness Phenotype | % of Persons w/Phenotype & Identified TBC1D24 Pathogenic Variant |
---|
DOORS syndrome | 9/18 families w/all 5 major features & 1 person of Turkish ancestry 1 |
Familial infantile myoclonic epilepsy (FIME) | Rare 2, 3 |
Progressive myoclonic epilepsy (PME) | Rare 2, 4 |
Rolandic epilepsy w/paroxysmal exercise-induced dystonia & writer's cramp (EPRPDC) | Rare 2, 5 |
Developmental & epileptic encephalopathy (DEE) | Rare 2, 6 |
Epilepsy of infancy w/migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) | Rare 2, 7 |
Autosomal recessive nonsyndromic hearing loss (DFNB) | Rare 2, 8 |
Autosomal dominant nonsyndromic hearing loss (DFNA) | Rare 2, 9 |
- 1.
- 2.
Although a significant proportion of individuals with this phenotype have a genetic etiology, TBC1D24 is a rare cause.
- 3.
- 4.
- 5.
- 6.
Six families [Guven & Tolun 2013, Milh et al 2013, Lozano et al 2016, Panjan et al 2021, Lee et al 2022] and 21 unrelated individuals reported [Appavu et al 2016, de Kovel et al 2016, Hamdan et al 2017, Nakashima et al 2019, Zhang et al 2019, Hong et al 2020, Salemi et al 2020, Uzunhan & Uyanik 2020, Chen et al 2021, Zhao et al 2022, Jiang et al 2023]
- 7.
- 8.
- 9.
To date, at least 200 individuals have been identified with pathogenic variant(s) in TBC1D24 [Corbett et al 2010, Falace et al 2010, Afawi et al 2013, Guven & Tolun 2013, Milh et al 2013, Azaiez et al 2014, Campeau et al 2014, Rehman et al 2014, Zhang et al 2014, Bakhchane et al 2015, Muona et al 2015, Poulat et al 2015, Appavu et al 2016, Balestrini et al 2016, de Kovel et al 2016, Lozano et al 2016, Hamdan et al 2017, Atli et al 2018, Danial-Farran et al 2018, Burgess et al 2019, Lüthy et al 2019, Nakashima et al 2019, Wang et al 2019, Zhang et al 2019, Boucher et al 2020, Hong et al 2020, Parzefall et al 2020, Safka Brozkova et al 2020, Salemi et al 2020, Steel et al 2020, Tona et al 2020, Uzunhan & Uyanik 2020, Xiang et al 2020, Chen et al 2021, Fang et al 2021, Oziębło et al 2021, Panjan et al 2021, Lee et al 2022, Quaio et al 2022, Reis et al 2022, Shao et al 2022, Zhao et al 2022, Hosseinpour et al 2023, Jiang et al 2023, Lei et al 2024]. The following description of the phenotypic features associated with this condition is based on these reports.
DOORS Syndrome
The five major features of DOORS syndrome are profound sensorineural hearing loss, onychodystrophy, osteodystrophy, intellectual disability / developmental delay, and seizures [James et al 2007, Campeau et al 2014].
Sensorineural hearing loss is often profound and prelingual. Some individuals have benefited from cochlear implants.
Onychoosteodystrophy affects the hands and feet equally. Small or absent nails (onychodystrophy) and hypoplastic terminal phalanges (osteodystrophy) are noted in most individuals. A triphalangeal thumb is present in one third of affected individuals.
Intellectual disability can vary significantly in degree but is often severe [Balestrini et al 2016, Atli et al 2018]. When such details were available, motor and language skills were most delayed [Nomura et al 2009, Girish et al 2011]. One child had autism spectrum disorder [Nomura et al 2009].
Seizures, present in most individuals with DOORS syndrome, usually start in the first year of life. The seizures are more often generalized tonic-clonic, but myoclonic, partial, and absence seizures also occur. Occasionally their frequency or severity increases. In several instances, seizures have been difficult to control even with multiple anti-seizure medications and have led to status epilepticus and death.
On brain MRI, hyperintense T2-weighted signal anomalies may be observed in the cerebellar hemispheres and the frontal regions [Campeau et al 2014].
Nonspecific dysmorphic features. A wide nasal base and a bulbous nose are the most common facial dysmorphisms. Other findings in a minority of individuals include narrow forehead, narrow or high-arched palate, broad alveolar ridge, short frenulum, and nevus simplex on the glabella and nose.
Other features. In individuals with DOORS syndrome, several additional anomalies may be noted, including the following [Campeau et al 2014]:
Microcephaly (estimated to occur in one third of individuals)
Other cranial anomalies (sagittal craniosynostosis, frontal bossing, trigonocephaly, or brachycephaly in several other affected individuals)
Dental anomalies (delayed eruption, wide spacing, and abnormal shape, size, and number)
Congenital heart defects (e.g., double outlet right ventricle, atrial septal defect, third-degree atrioventricular block)
Skeletal anomalies (e.g., calcaneal deformities)
Hypothyroidism
Renal and urinary tract anomalies (e.g., hydronephrosis, nephrocalcinosis)
Peripheral neuropathy (in 1 individual with confirmed
TBC1D24 pathogenic variants [
Balestrini et la 2016] and 3 individuals who either did not undergo genetic testing or in whom no
TBC1D24 pathogenic variant was identified)
Hypochromic microcytic anemia (reported in at least 1 individual with confirmed
TBC1D24 pathogenic variants [
Atli et al 2018])
Familial Infantile Myoclonic Epilepsy (FIME)
TBC1D24-related FIME is characterized by early-onset myoclonic seizures. Findings include focal epilepsy, dysarthria, mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, and cerebellar abnormalities including symmetrical and bilateral selective atrophy and signal abnormality (including decreased T1 signal and increased FLAIR and T2 signal with blurring of the gray-white boundary in the ansiform lobule on brain MRI) [Corbett et al 2010, Afawi et al 2013].
Intellect may be normal; all seven members of an Italian family with FIME and biallelic TBC1D24 pathogenic variants had normal intelligence. Six had normal brain imaging and one had periventricular nodular heterotopia [Zara et al 2000, de Falco et al 2001, Falace et al 2010].
Progressive Myoclonic Epilepsy (PME)
TBC1D24-related PME is characterized by action myoclonus, tonic-clonic seizures, ataxia, and progressive neurologic decline. In one child with PME and biallelic pathogenic variants in TBC1D24, tonic seizures started 36 hours after birth. Developmental delay and later regression were reported. Myoclonus started at age eight months and tonic-clonic seizures at age 3.5 years. Ataxia, spasticity, supranuclear gaze palsy, and visual function decline were also noted. Although the initial clinical diagnosis was epileptic encephalopathy, a florid PME pattern became apparent by age nine years [Muona et al 2015]. There were no digital anomalies or deafness [S Berkovic, personal observation]. Two additional sporadic individuals have been reported with PME caused by biallelic TBC1D24 variants. The clinical manifestations included prominent myoclonus, cerebellar ataxia, and developmental delay. Seizure onset was at ages three and seven months, respectively. Both individuals had cerebellar atrophy with hyperintense T2 signals; one also had global cerebral atrophy [Zhang et al 2019]. In one of the affected individuals, hearing was assessed to be normal before age 9 years. However, bilateral profound sensorineural deafness became apparent on subsequent auditory testing.
Rolandic Epilepsy with Paroxysmal Exercise-Induced Dystonia and Writer's Cramp (EPRPDC)
TBC1D24-related EPRPDC is a syndrome with onset in infancy, featuring focal motor seizures, often hemifacial, centrotemporal EEG abnormalities, and paroxysmal dystonia precipitated by sustained exercise or emotional stress. Exercise-induced dystonia includes forearm dystonia that causes writing to progressively become scribbled and then impossible after a few minutes. Data on long-term follow up show that focal motor seizures, manifesting infrequently after infancy, respond to carbamazepine or oxcarbazepine treatment, with no relapse in adulthood. Exercise-induced dystonia can still be present, although attacks are less frequent in adulthood, with affected individuals reported to have learned how to limit fatigue or physical exercise by modulating their activities.
Adult individuals can still exhibit mild nystagmus and postural tremor of the hands. Trihexyphenidyl can be effective as an anti-tremor drug. Treatment with carbidopa/levodopa, lamotrigine, and benzodiazepines can be effective for treatment of dystonic attacks or seizures. Acetazolamide, flunarizine, valproate, and levetiracetam have been reported as ineffective. Treatment with ubidecarenone was tentatively started at age 30 years in one individual who reported no overall benefits and ceased medication after two months, as seizures had long been under remission and exercise-induced dystonia episodes were rare at the time [Guerrini et al 1999, Lüthy et al 2019].
Brain MRI is typically normal including in adulthood in most individuals [Lüthy et al 2019, Hosseinpour et al 2023]. Mild nonprogressive pontocerebellar hypoplasia was reported in one individual [Steel et al 2020].
Developmental and Epileptic Encephalopathy (DEE)
Clinical manifestations in individuals with TBC1D24-related DEE include myoclonic epilepsy with episodic dystonia, hemiparesis, autonomic signs, and lethargy evolving to chronic dystonia, progressive diffuse cerebral atrophy, and early death. Several families [Guven & Tolun 2013, Milh et al 2013, Lozano et al 2016, Panjan et al 2021, Lee et al 2022] and 21 additional unrelated individuals have been reported [Appavu et al 2016, de Kovel et al 2016, Hamdan et al 2017, Nakashima et al 2019, Zhang et al 2019, Hong et al 2020, Salemi et al 2020, Uzunhan & Uyanik 2020, Chen et al 2021, Zhao et al 2022, Jiang et al 2023].
Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS). Epilepsy of infancy with migrating focal seizures (EIMFS) is a type of DEE characterized by seizure migration between cerebral hemispheres and profound developmental impairment often with regression. Seizure onset occurs in the first six months of life, with seizures that often increase in frequency over the first few months and are refractory to anti-seizure medications. This phenotype has been reported in French sibs [Milh et al 2013]. Several additional unrelated individuals have also been reported [Appavu et al 2016, Burgess et al 2019, Zhang et al 2019, Fang et al 2021].
Autosomal Recessive Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss (DFNB)
Clinical findings in individuals with TBC1D24-related DFNB include profound prelingual deafness with hearing thresholds above 90 dB for all test frequencies (in 2 consanguineous Pakistani families; one affected family member and one individual with a heterozygous TBC1D24 pathogenic variant also had seizures [Rehman et al 2014]).
Additional compound heterozygous pathogenic variants have been reported in three Moroccan families [Bakhchane et al 2015], one consaguineous family of the Arab population of northern Israel [Danial-Farran et al 2018], one non-consaguineous Pakistani family [Tona et al 2020], and several unrelated individuals of Czech [Safka Brozkova et al 2020], Chinese [Xiang et al 2020], Portuguese [Reis et al 2022], and Brazilian ancestry [Quaio et al 2022].
Autosomal Dominant Nonsyndromic Hearing Loss (DFNA)
Clinical findings in individuals with TBC1D24-related DFNA include slowly progressive deafness with onset in the third decade, initially affecting high frequencies (in a Chinese family [Zhang et al 2014] and in a family of European descent [Azaiez et al 2014]). Additional heterozygous pathogenic variants in TBC1D24 have been reported in two northern European, two Polish, one Brazilian, and one Chinese family with autosomal dominant nonsyndromic late-onset hearing loss [Parzefall et al 2020, Oziębło et al 2021, Quaio et al 2022, Lei et al 2024] and in one French individual [Boucher et al 2020].
Other Phenotypes
Other phenotypes seen in individuals with biallelic TBC1D24 pathogenic variants include parkinsonism [Banuelos et al 2017], ataxia, dysarthria, axial hypotonia, hearing loss, visual impairment, mild dysmorphic facial features, developmental delay or intellectual disability, microcephaly [Balestrini et al 2016], alternating hemiplegia of childhood [Ragona et al 2017, Cordani et al 2022], non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE), cerebellar ataxia and ophthalmoplegia [Li et al 2018], epilepsia partialis continua [Zhou et al 2018], infantile-onset paroxysmal movement disorder and episodic ataxia [Zimmern et al 2019], and multifocal polymyoclonus with or without neurodevelopmental delay [Ngoh et al 2017, Murofushi et al 2023, Sarıgecılı & Anlas 2023].
Heterozygotes
Several clinical features have been observed in individuals who have heterozygous pathogenic TBC1D24 variants in the context of autosomal recessive disease.
Two unrelated individuals with generalized tonic-clonic seizures and biallelic pathogenic TBC1D24 variants had a family history of hearing loss, but the relatives with hearing loss were not tested for a heterozygous TBC1D24 pathogenic variant. In one family the affected individual's brother had hearing loss, and in the other family the affected individual's maternal grandmother had hearing loss [Balestrini et al 2016].
In a family with autosomal recessive hearing loss, an individual with a heterozygous TBC1D24 pathogenic variant (c.208G>T [p.Asp70Tyr]) developed seizures starting at age three years [Rehman et al 2014].
A family history of seizures was also reported in two families with DOORS syndrome, including a mother who was heterozygous for the TBC1D24 pathogenic variant c.1008delT [p.His336GlnfsTer12] and had absence seizures in childhood [Campeau et al 2014] and a heterozygous father [Balestrini et al 2016 (supplemental material)].
In a family with an atypical neurologic phenotype in the proband, the affected individual's mother and her brother had seizures in childhood and adolescence, respectively. Both were confirmed to have a heterozygous pathogenic TBC1D24 variant (c.404C>T [p.Pro135Leu]) [Banuelos et al 2017].