Clinical Syndromes Associated with Tomacula Or Myelin Swellings in Sural Nerve Biopsies
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J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2000;68:483–488 483 J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.68.4.483 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from Clinical syndromes associated with tomacula or myelin swellings in sural nerve biopsies S Sander, R A Ouvrier, J G McLeod, G A Nicholson, J D Pollard Abstract syndromes.8–11 Sausage shaped swellings of the Objectives—To describe the neuropatho- myelin sheath were first described by Behse and logical features of clinical syndromes Buchthal in 1972.1 Madrid and Bradley10 subse- associated with tomacula or focal myelin quently gave the name tomaculous neuropathy swellings in sural nerve biospies and to (latin: tomaculum=sausage) and described sev- discuss possible common aetiopathologi- eral mechanisms that may lead to the formation cal pathways leading to their formation in of a tomaculum—for example, hypermyelina- this group of neuropathies. tion, redundant loop formation, the presence of Methods—Fifty two patients with sural a second mesaxon, transnodal myelination, two nerve biopsies reported to show tomacula Schwann cells forming one myelin sheath, and or focal myelin swellings were reviewed, disruption of the myelin sheath. Sural nerve light and electron microscopy were per- biopsies typically show regions of myelin thick- formed, and tomacula were analysed on ening as well as features of demyelination and teased fibre studies. Molecular genetic remyelination. Electrophysiologically, these syn- studies were performed on those patients dromes most often present as multiple monone- who were available for genetic testing. uropathy (sometimes with conduction block) or Results—Thirty seven patients were diag- demyelinating sensorimotor neuropathy. nosed with hereditary neuropathy with In this study we reviewed 52 patients show- liability to pressure palsies (HNPP), four ing myelin swellings on sural nerve biopsy. We with hereditary motor and sensory neu- describe the various clinical syndromes associ- ropathy type I (HMSN I) or Charcot- ated with focal myelin swellings, present their Marie-Tooth disease type 1 (CMT1), four morphological findings, and discuss disease with HMSN with myelin outfolding mechanisms. (CMT4B), three with IgM paraproteine- mic neuropathy, three with chronic in- Materials and methods flammatory demyelinating polyneuro- Samples were obtained by searching sural pathy (CIDP), and one with HMSN III nerve biopsy reports mentioning tomacula or (CMT3). myelin thickenings. The reports were gener- Conclusions—Most of these syndromes ated by three diVerent observers performing were shown to be related to genetic or clinical reports between 1976 and 1998. Each immunological defects of myelin compo- sural nerve biopsy reported to show tomacula http://jnnp.bmj.com/ nents such as peripheral myelin protein 22 or focal myelin swellings on teased fibre studies (PMP22), myelin protein zero (P0), or was subsequently examined. Only myelin myelin associated glycoprotein (MAG). thickenings measuring more than 50% of the These proteins share the HNK-1 epitope fibre diameter were defined as tomacula.12 A which has been implicated in cell adhesion total of 52 sural nerve biopsies were analysed processes. Impaired myelin maintenance by light and electron microscopy. may therefore contribute to the formation of tomacula and subsequent demyelina- HISTOLOGICAL TECHNIQUES on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. tion. Sural nerve biopsy was performed according to (J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 2000;68:483–488) standard techniques and prepared for light and electron microscopy as previously described.13 Institute of Clinical Keywords: myelin proteins; peripheral nerves; pathol- Neurosciences, ogy; sural nerve Teased fibres were prepared as described by University of Sydney, Low et al14 and classified according to Dyck et Sydney, NSW 2006, al.15 Australia S Sander The term “tomaculous neuropathy” generally R A Ouvrier refers to hereditary neuropathy with liability to QUANTITATIVE STUDIES JG McLeod pressure palsies (HNPP), which is most com- Diameter and length of tomacula were G A Nicholson monly associated with a deletion of chromo- measured using an ocular micrometer. Twenty J D Pollard some 17p11.2–12 including the peripheral fibres per patient were analysed. Only patients with HNPP carrying a definite molecular diag- Correspondence to: myelin protein 22 (PMP22). Although tomacula 1 Professor John D Pollard, are the pathological hallmark of HNPP focal nosis were included for quantitative analysis. Institute of Clinical thickening of the myelin sheath is also found in Teased fibre preparations of one patient Neurosciences, University of 2 carrying a P0 mutation did not allow quantita- Sydney, NSW 2006, IgM paraproteinemic neuropathy, hereditary Australia motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN) or tive analysis. Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT),34 5 Received 26 February 1999 HMSN with myelin outfolding, other forms of MOLECULAR GENETIC TECHNIQUES and in final form 22 November 1999 hereditary neuropathy with myelin outfolding PMP22 deletion, duplication, and mutation Accepted 3 December 1999 or hypermyelination,67 and other clinical analysis was performed as previously 484 Sander, Ouvrier, McLeod, et al J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.68.4.483 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from Figure 1 (A) Transverse section of toluidine blue stained epon embedded sural nerve from a patient with HNPP (top arrow, adaxonal myelin breakdown products; bottom arrow, hypermyelinated fibre). (B) Electron micrograph showing a tomaculum with active myelin breakdown. 16 17 described. P0 mutations were analysed MOLECULAR GENETICS according to Bort et al.18 Nineteen patients with HNPP were available for molecular genetic testing. A chromosome Results 17p11.2 deletion was detected in 17 patients, PATIENTS two showed frameshift mutations of the Of 52 patients whose sural nerve biopsies PMP22 gene17 causing a premature stop showed focal myelin swellings, 37 were diag- codon, the result of which is eVectively the nosed with HNPP, four with HMSN type same as a deletion. Two out of four patients 1/CMT1, four with HMSN with myelin with CMT1 underwent genetic testing and outfolding, three with IgM paraproteinaemic showed the typical chromosome 17p11.2 neuropathy and positive anti-MAG antibodies, duplication including the PMP22 gene. A three with chronic inflammatory demyelinating myelin protein zero (P0) point mutation was polyneuropathy (CIDP), and one with HMSN demonstrated in the CMT3 patient. Three out III /CMT3. of four patients with CMT4B were tested for http://jnnp.bmj.com/ on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Figure 2 (A) Transverse section of toluidine blue stained epon embedded sural nerve from a patient with IgM paraproteinemic neuropathy. (B) Electron micrograph showing hypermyelination and redundant loop formation. Clinical syndromes and tomacula or myelin swellings in sural nerve biopsies 485 J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.68.4.483 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from Figure 3 (A) Transverse section of toluidine blue stained epon embedded sural nerve from a patient with CMT4B (top arrow: fibre with myelin outpouchings; bottom arrow: hypermyelinated fibre with redundant myelin foldings). (B) Electron micrograph showing excessive myelin foldings. P0 and PMP22 gene mutations. In one patient, (fig 1 A) and occasional early onion bulb exons 2, 3, and 4 of the PMP22 gene and exons formations were visible. The average number of 1, 2, 3, and 4 of the P0 gene did not show point myelinated fibres was not greatly reduced. In mutations (exon 1 of the PMP22 gene and the paraproteinaemic neuropathies (fig 2 A) exons 5 and 6 of the P0 gene were not and CIDP the degree of hypermyelination was sequenced). Complete sequence analysis in the less extreme compared with HNPP. By contrast two remaining patients disclosed no mutations with HNPP, in some patients marked fibre loss within the PMP22 nor the P0 gene. was evident. In HMSN with myelin outfolding (fig 3 A) the variation in myelin sheath thickness MORPHOLOGY was most pronounced. Most fibres were very Transverse sections (descriptive data) thinly myelinated, similar to those seen in Light microscopy—In sural nerve biopsies of Dejerine-Sottas syndrome, but there were also patients with HNPP many fibres were found to several fibres showing bizarre formations of be thinly myelinated, some showed profound myelin or many redundant myelin foldings. hypermyelination or redundant myelin foldings Biopsies from patients with HMSN I (CMT1) http://jnnp.bmj.com/ on September 29, 2021 by guest. Protected copyright. Figure 4 (A) Transverse section of toluidine blue stained epon embedded sural nerve from a patient with CMT3 and a P0 mutation showing several onion bulb formations and a fibre with bizarre myelin outfoldings (arrow). (B) Electron micrograph showing bizarre myelin outfoldings. 486 Sander, Ouvrier, McLeod, et al J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry: first published as 10.1136/jnnp.68.4.483 on 1 April 2000. Downloaded from Table 1 Classification of teased fibres Age (y) A (% fibres) B C,D,F E G Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD Mean SD HNPP 37.9 15.7 23.2 16.9 0 0 52.2 21.5 0.26 1.1 54 20.9 IgM PPN 64.3 14.2 11.7 12.6 20 30.4 65 40.9 0 0 52.7 9.3 CIDP 49 29.1 18.3 2.9 11.7 12.6 78.3 7.6 1.7 2.9 13.3 10.4 CMT1 28.4 24.4 8.8 17.5 16.3 32.5 67.5 39.5 0 0 18.8 8.5 CMT4B 4.19 1.6 0 0 0 0 100 0 0 0 100 0 Classification (Dyck et al15): A=normal; B=myelin wrinkling; C=demyelination; D=demyelination and remyelination; E=axonal degeneration; F=remyelination. HNPP=hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies; IgM PPN=IgM paraproteinemic neuropathy; CIDP=chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; CMT1=Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 1. CMT4B = Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4B (HMSN with myelin outfolding). Table 2 Diameter and length of tomacula most frequent mechanism of tomacula forma- tion. Adaxonal myelin breakdown products (fig Age (y) Diameter (µm) Length (µm) 1 B) were most often seen in HNPP.