Paedriatic Genetics 2 Flashcards
(154 cards)
What are the embryological stages
Dorsal induction
Ventral induction
Migration and cell specialisation - neuronal migration from germinal matrix to the cortex
Myelination - starts inferior to superior, posterior to anterior
Describe the early neural tube
Early embryo there is a flat ‘neural plate’ which folds up to form the neural tube
Overlying that is the epidermis which becomes the cell
Overlying are the neural crest cells which migrates to innervate all the different parts of the body
Describe neural tube closure
Closure of the neural tube - closes at specific points along the tube
The somites represent the developing vertebral bodies - spine and ribs
Defects can occur at specific points across the cords
Anterior neural pore - brain
Posterior neural pore - bottom of the spinal cord
Describe the three parts of the neural tube folding
Prosencephalon - forms the cerebral hemispheres and thalamus
Mesencephalon forms the mid-brain
Rhombencephalon forms the pons, cerebellum, and medulla
Types of CNS malformation
Abnormalities of neural tube development
Affecting formation of cerebral hemispheres
Affecting formation of midbrain/brainstem
Neuronal migration
Myelination
What can you see in normal brain imaging - sagittal view
Sagittal view
Corpus callosum - bundle of white matter Posterior fossa - cerebellum, bulky Pons - oval shape ball Medulla - brain stem leading down into spinal cord Gyri - bumps, sulci - grooves
What can you see in normal brain imaging - coronal view
Lateral ventricles below the corpus callosum
What is neural tube anencephaly
No formation of the cerebral spheres - only has brain stem
Genetics uncertain - increased in Irish/Scottish and if family history
Teratogens – e.g. carbamazepine - increase risk
Folic acid lowers risk and inositol under trial
What is neural tube encephalocele
Can occur at point of any suture in skull
Image shows an occipital encephalocele, can also be very small
If small it may be okay, if its only fluid but if there is brain tissue then more care is taken
Syndromic or isolated
What is neural spina bidifa
This is when the spinal cord is fixed at the bottom so it becomes stretched when the child grows, affecting the nerve supply to the legs and bladder (spinal tethering)
Myelomeningocele - spinal cord material, most severe
Most serious spina bifida can be detected antenatally - affects appearances in the brain
Meningocele - outpouching of the defect
Spina bifida occulta - sign is a patch of hair
What is holoprosencephaly
Failure of brain to separate into cerebral hemispheres:
Alobar - complete failure
Semilobar
Lobar
Midline interhemispheric variant
Isolated or syndromic e.g. could occur in trisomy 13 (Patau’s syndrome)
Sign = single middle tooth , eyes slightly close together, cleft lip
What are the causes of holoprosencephaly
Chromosomal - trisomy 13
Teratogens - maternal diabetes
Single gene - 14 genes known: SHH (30-40%) (7q36), ZIC2 (13q32), SIX3 (2p21), TGIF1 (18p11)
What are the three posterior fossa malformations
Dandy-Walker malformation
Chiari malformation
Cerebellar abnormalities
What are the Dandy-Walker malformation
Cystic dilatation of fourth ventricle (back of brain)
Complete or partial agenesis of the corpus callosum
Enlarged posterior fossa
Isolated or syndromic (chromosomal in ~50% antenatally diagnosed)
What are the Chiari malformation
Type 1 (Arnold) – downward displacement of the cerebellum, asymptomatic usually Incidental but could go down enough to plug the spinal cord causing pressure and headaches
Type 2 – with myelomeningocele = exerts a pull on the top of spinal cord causing the downpull
Type 3 – posterior encephalocele
Type 4 – cerebellar hypoplasia (small)
What are the cerebellar abnormality subtypes
Hemispheres or vermis (centre)
Isolated or syndromic
Congenital or progressive
What are syndromes with cerebellar abnormalities
Joubert
COACH syndrome (Joubert + hepatic fibrois)
Oro-facial digital syndrome
Walker-Warburg syndrome
Metabolic e.g. Smith – Lemli –Opitz syndrome
Mitochondrial
How can you identify cerebellar abnormalities
In a brain scan you can see a leaf pattern
What is Joubert syndrome
Part of the group of ciliopathies - aka cerebellooculorenal syndrome
Autosomal recessive
Association of cerebellar vermis hypoplasia with distinctive facial features, eye anomalies (retinal dystrophy), cystic renal disease, dysregulation of breathing
Brain imaging shows molar tooth sign (image) - medulla gets pulled down
Is joubert syndrome AR or AD
AR
What is the different between hypoplasia vs atrophy
Born small V became small
What are the neuronal migration defects
Schizencephaly
Lissencephaly
Pachygyria
Polymicrogyria
Heterotopias
Focal cortical dysplasia
What are causes of neuronal migration defects
Environmental
Infection - CMV, toxoplasmosis, syphilis
Radiation
Genetic Metabolic e.g. Zellweger Chromosomal e.g. 22q11 deletion Syndromic e.g. TSC - tuberous sclerosis Non-syndromic
Describe neuronal migration
From 8th week of foetal life neuroblasts migrate from germinal zone on ventricular surface
Neurons migrate in ‘inside-out’ fashion – those destined for deepest layer migrate first
Gyri and sulci form during this process
Neurons migrate along radial glial fibres that span entire thickness of hemisphere
Also evidence of tangential migration of GABAergic neurons from ventral to dorsal telencephalon
Migration continues to week 25 - thus not always detected antenatally