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Megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts 4, remitting(MLC4)

MedGen UID:
1841264
Concept ID:
C5830628
Disease or Syndrome
Synonym: MLC4
 
Gene (location): AQP4 (18q11.2)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0957534
OMIM®: 620448

Definition

Remitting megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts-4 (MLC4) is an autosomal recessive neurologic disorder characterized by macrocephaly in infancy associated with developmental delay, delayed walking, variable cognitive decline, behavioral abnormalities, and early-onset seizures. The severity of neurologic dysfunction is variable, even within a family, but tends to show improvement with time. Brain imaging shows swelling of the cerebral white matter and subcortical cysts in the anterior temporal region, consistent with MLC. Brain imaging abnormalities also tend to improve with time, indicating a remitting disease course (Passchier et al., 2023). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of megalencephalic leukoencephalopathy with subcortical cysts, see MLC1 (604004). [from OMIM]

Clinical features

From HPO
Dysphagia
MedGen UID:
41440
Concept ID:
C0011168
Disease or Syndrome
Difficulty in swallowing.
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.
Dystonic disorder
MedGen UID:
3940
Concept ID:
C0013421
Sign or Symptom
An abnormally increased muscular tone that causes fixed abnormal postures. There is a slow, intermittent twisting motion that leads to exaggerated turning and posture of the extremities and trunk.
Impulsivity
MedGen UID:
43850
Concept ID:
C0021125
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Acting on the spur of the moment or on a momentary basis without consideration of outcomes; having difficulty establishing or following plans; experiencing a sense of urgency and engaging in behavior that is uninhibited, cannot be inhibited, and is uncontrolled. The possibility of repression is inconceivable.
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.
Seizure
MedGen UID:
20693
Concept ID:
C0036572
Sign or Symptom
A seizure is an intermittent abnormality of nervous system physiology characterized by a transient occurrence of signs and/or symptoms due to abnormal excessive or synchronous neuronal activity in the brain.
Status epilepticus
MedGen UID:
11586
Concept ID:
C0038220
Disease or Syndrome
Status epilepticus is a type of prolonged seizure resulting either from the failure of the mechanisms responsible for seizure termination or from the initiation of mechanisms which lead to abnormally prolonged seizures (after time point t1). It is a condition that can have long-term consequences (after time point t2), including neuronal death, neuronal injury, and alteration of neuronal networks, depending on the type and duration of seizures.
Clumsiness
MedGen UID:
66690
Concept ID:
C0233844
Sign or Symptom
Lack of physical coordination resulting in an abnormal tendency to drop items or bump into objects.
Hyperactivity
MedGen UID:
98406
Concept ID:
C0424295
Finding
Hyperactivity is a condition characterized by constant and unusually high levels of activity, even in situations where it is deemed inappropriate.
Global developmental delay
MedGen UID:
107838
Concept ID:
C0557874
Finding
A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.
Gait ataxia
MedGen UID:
155642
Concept ID:
C0751837
Sign or Symptom
A type of ataxia characterized by the impairment of the ability to coordinate the movements required for normal walking. Gait ataxia is characteirzed by a wide-based staggering gait with a tendency to fall.
Intellectual disability
MedGen UID:
811461
Concept ID:
C3714756
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Intellectual disability, previously referred to as mental retardation, is characterized by subnormal intellectual functioning that occurs during the developmental period. It is defined by an IQ score below 70.
Cerebral subcortical cyst
MedGen UID:
1863670
Concept ID:
C5937230
Anatomical Abnormality
A fluid-filled sac (cyst) in the region below the cortex of the cerebrum. In magnetic resonance imaging, the fluid within the cyst has the same appearance as cerebrospinal fluid (CSF).
Rigidity
MedGen UID:
7752
Concept ID:
C0026837
Sign or Symptom
Continuous involuntary sustained muscle contraction. When an affected muscle is passively stretched, the degree of resistance remains constant regardless of the rate at which the muscle is stretched. This feature helps to distinguish rigidity from muscle spasticity.
Macrocephaly
MedGen UID:
745757
Concept ID:
C2243051
Finding
Occipitofrontal (head) circumference greater than 97th centile compared to appropriate, age matched, sex-matched normal standards. Alternatively, a apparently increased size of the cranium.

Recent clinical studies

Clinical prediction guides

Renard D, Brochet B, Vukusic S, Edan G, Deburghgraeve V, Goizet C, Dupuy D, Touze E, Deschamps R, Zephyr H, Creange A, Castelnovo G, Boespflug-Tanguy O, Labauge P
Eur Neurol 2012;68(3):156-61. Epub 2012 Aug 14 doi: 10.1159/000338476. PMID: 22907640

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