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Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement-high lactate syndrome(LBSL)

MedGen UID:
370845
Concept ID:
C1970180
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: LBSL; Leukoencephalopathy with Brainstem and Spinal Cord Involvement and Lactate Elevation; LEUKOENCEPHALOPATHY WITH BRAINSTEM AND SPINAL CORD INVOLVEMENT AND LACTATE ELEVATION, MILD; MITOCHONDRIAL ASPARTYL-tRNA SYNTHETASE DEFICIENCY
SNOMED CT: Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (703537008); LBSL - Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement with lactate elevation (703537008); Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation syndrome (735421004); Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and high lactate syndrome (735421004)
Modes of inheritance:
Autosomal recessive inheritance
MedGen UID:
141025
Concept ID:
C0441748
Intellectual Product
Source: Orphanet
A mode of inheritance that is observed for traits related to a gene encoded on one of the autosomes (i.e., the human chromosomes 1-22) in which a trait manifests in individuals with two pathogenic alleles, either homozygotes (two copies of the same mutant allele) or compound heterozygotes (whereby each copy of a gene has a distinct mutant allele).
 
Gene (location): DARS2 (1q25.1)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0012622
OMIM®: 611105
Orphanet: ORPHA137898

Disease characteristics

Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is characterized by slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia and spasticity with dorsal column dysfunction (decreased position and vibration sense) in most individuals. The neurologic dysfunction involves the legs more than the arms. The tendon reflexes are retained. Deterioration of motor skills usually starts in childhood or adolescence, but occasionally not until adulthood. Dysarthria develops over time. Occasional findings include epilepsy; learning problems; cognitive decline; and reduced consciousness, neurologic deterioration, and fever following minor head trauma. Individuals with neonatal or early-infantile onset have a severe disease course often associated with early death. Those with childhood onset have slow progression with wheelchair dependence in the teens or twenties. Adult onset is associated with slow progression and mild impairment. [from GeneReviews]
Authors:
Marc Engelen  |  Truus EM Abbink  |  Gajja S Salomons, et. al.   view full author information

Additional descriptions

From OMIM
Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is defined on the basis of a highly characteristic constellation of abnormalities observed by magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy (Scheper et al., 2007). Affected individuals develop slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, spasticity, and dorsal column dysfunction, sometimes with a mild cognitive deficit or decline.  http://www.omim.org/entry/611105
From MedlinePlus Genetics
Leukoencephalopathy with brainstem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (commonly referred to as LBSL) is a progressive disorder that affects the brain and spinal cord. Leukoencephalopathy refers to abnormalities in the white matter of the brain, which is tissue containing nerve cell fibers (axons) that transmit nerve impulses.

Most affected individuals begin to develop movement problems during childhood or adolescence. However, in some individuals, these problems do not develop until adulthood. People with LBSL have abnormal muscle stiffness (spasticity) and difficulty with coordinating movements (ataxia). In addition, affected individuals lose the ability to sense the position of their limbs or vibrations with their limbs. These movement and sensation problems affect the legs more than the arms, making walking difficult. Most affected individuals eventually require wheelchair assistance, sometimes as early as their teens, although the age varies.

People with LBSL can have other signs and symptoms of the condition. Some affected individuals develop recurrent seizures (epilepsy), speech difficulties (dysarthria), learning problems, or mild deterioration of mental functioning. Some people with this disorder are particularly vulnerable to severe complications following minor head trauma, which may trigger a loss of consciousness, other reversible neurological problems, or fever.

Distinct changes in the brains of people with LBSL can be seen using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). These characteristic abnormalities typically involve particular parts of the white matter of the brain and specific regions (called tracts) within the brainstem and spinal cord, especially the pyramidal tract and the dorsal column. In addition, most affected individuals have a high level of a substance called lactate in the white matter of the brain, which is identified using another test called magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).  https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/leukoencephalopathy-with-brainstem-and-spinal-cord-involvement-and-lactate-elevation

Clinical features

From HPO
Cerebellar ataxia
MedGen UID:
849
Concept ID:
C0007758
Disease or Syndrome
Cerebellar ataxia refers to ataxia due to dysfunction of the cerebellum. This causes a variety of elementary neurological deficits including asynergy (lack of coordination between muscles, limbs and joints), dysmetria (lack of ability to judge distances that can lead to under- or overshoot in grasping movements), and dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapid movements requiring antagonizing muscle groups to be switched on and off repeatedly).
Dysarthria
MedGen UID:
8510
Concept ID:
C0013362
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Dysarthric speech is a general description referring to a neurological speech disorder characterized by poor articulation. Depending on the involved neurological structures, dysarthria may be further classified as spastic, flaccid, ataxic, hyperkinetic and hypokinetic, or mixed.
Spasticity
MedGen UID:
7753
Concept ID:
C0026838
Sign or Symptom
A motor disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes with increased muscle tone, exaggerated (hyperexcitable) tendon reflexes.
Babinski sign
MedGen UID:
19708
Concept ID:
C0034935
Finding
Upturning of the big toe (and sometimes fanning of the other toes) in response to stimulation of the sole of the foot. If the Babinski sign is present it can indicate damage to the corticospinal tract.
Tremor
MedGen UID:
21635
Concept ID:
C0040822
Sign or Symptom
An unintentional, oscillating to-and-fro muscle movement about a joint axis.
Hyperreflexia
MedGen UID:
57738
Concept ID:
C0151889
Finding
Hyperreflexia is the presence of hyperactive stretch reflexes of the muscles.
Leukoencephalopathy
MedGen UID:
78722
Concept ID:
C0270612
Disease or Syndrome
This term describes abnormality of the white matter of the cerebrum resulting from damage to the myelin sheaths of nerve cells.
Cognitive impairment
MedGen UID:
90932
Concept ID:
C0338656
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Abnormal cognition is characterized by deficits in thinking, reasoning, or remembering.
Hyporeflexia
MedGen UID:
195967
Concept ID:
C0700078
Finding
Reduction of neurologic reflexes such as the knee-jerk reaction.
Peripheral axonal neuropathy
MedGen UID:
266071
Concept ID:
C1263857
Disease or Syndrome
An abnormality characterized by disruption of the normal functioning of peripheral axons.
Motor delay
MedGen UID:
381392
Concept ID:
C1854301
Finding
A type of Developmental delay characterized by a delay in acquiring motor skills.
Muscle weakness
MedGen UID:
57735
Concept ID:
C0151786
Finding
Reduced strength of muscles.
Flexion contracture
MedGen UID:
83069
Concept ID:
C0333068
Anatomical Abnormality
A flexion contracture is a bent (flexed) joint that cannot be straightened actively or passively. It is thus a chronic loss of joint motion due to structural changes in muscle, tendons, ligaments, or skin that prevents normal movement of joints.
Muscular atrophy
MedGen UID:
892680
Concept ID:
C0541794
Pathologic Function
The presence of skeletal muscular atrophy (which is also known as amyotrophy).
Nystagmus
MedGen UID:
45166
Concept ID:
C0028738
Disease or Syndrome
Rhythmic, involuntary oscillations of one or both eyes related to abnormality in fixation, conjugate gaze, or vestibular mechanisms.

Term Hierarchy

CClinical test,  RResearch test,  OOMIM,  GGeneReviews,  VClinVar  
  • CROGVLeukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement-high lactate syndrome
Follow this link to review classifications for Leukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement-high lactate syndrome in Orphanet.

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