BACKGROUND: Although a common shoulder disease, there are no accepted classification criteria for frozen shoulder (FS). This study therefore aimed to evaluate the accuracy of the conventionally used FS classification system. METHODS: Primary FS patients (n=168) who visited our clinic from January 2010 to July 2015 were included in the study. After confirming restrictions of the glenohumeral joint motion and absence of history of systemic disease, trauma, shoulder surgery, shoulder muscle weakness, or specific x-ray abnormalities, the Zuckerman and Rokito's classification was employed for diagnosing primary FS. Following clinical diagnosis, each patient underwent a shoulder magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and blood tests (lipid profile, glucose, hemoglobin A1c, and thyroid function). Based on the results of the blood tests and MRIs, the patients were reclassified, using the criteria proposed by Zuckerman and Rokito. RESULTS: New diagnoses were ascertained including blood test results (16 patients with diabetes, 43 with thyroid abnormalities, and 149 with dyslipidemia), and MRI revealed intra-articular lesions in 81 patients (48.2%). After re-categorization based on the above findings, only 5 patients (3.0%) were classified having primary FS. The remaining 163 patients (97.0%) had either undiagnosed systemic or intrinsic abnormalities (89 patients), whereas 74 patients had both. CONCLUSIONS: These findings demonstrate that most patients clinically diagnosed with primary FS had undiagnosed systemic abnormalities and/or intra-articular pathologies. Therefore, a modification of the Zuckerman and Rokito's classification system for FS may be required to include the frequent combinations, rather than having a separate representation of systemic abnormalities and intrinsic causes.
Bursitis ; Classification ; Diagnosis ; Glucose ; Hematologic Tests ; Humans ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Muscle Weakness ; Pathology ; Shoulder ; Shoulder Joint ; Thyroid Gland

BACKGROUND: Argyria is a rare irreversible cutaneous pigmentation disorder caused by prolonged exposure to silver. Herein, we report a case of generalized argyria that developed after chronic ingestion of soluble silver-nano particles and presented with muscle weakness. CASE PRESENTATION: A 74-year-old woman visited our emergency room, complaining of fever and mental deterioration. She was diagnosed with acute pyelonephritis and recovered after antibiotic therapy. At presentation, diffuse slate gray-bluish pigmented patches were noticed on her face and nails. Two months prior to visiting our hospital, she was diagnosed with inflammatory myopathy and given steroid therapy at another hospital. We performed a nerve conduction study that revealed polyneuropathy. In skin biopsies from pigmented areas of the forehead and nose, the histopathologic results showed brown-black granules in basement membranes of sweat gland epithelia, which are diagnostic findings of argyria. We reviewed pathology slides obtained from the left thigh muscles and found markedly degenerated myofibers with disorganization of myofibrils without inflammatory reactions, consistent with unspecified myopathy, rather than inflammatory myopathy. The patient was diagnosed with generalized argyria with polyneuropathy and myopathy and transferred to a rehabilitation institution after being tapered off of steroids. CONCLUSIONS: Clinicians should be aware of clinical manifestations of argyria and consider it in differential diagnosis when they examine patients who present with skin pigmentation and muscle weakness.
Aged ; Argyria* ; Basement Membrane ; Biopsy ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eating ; Emergency Service, Hospital ; Female ; Fever ; Forehead ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness* ; Muscles ; Muscular Diseases ; Myofibrils ; Myositis ; Neural Conduction ; Nose ; Pathology ; Pigmentation Disorders ; Polyneuropathies ; Pyelonephritis ; Rehabilitation ; Silver ; Skin ; Skin Pigmentation ; Steroids ; Sweat Glands ; Thigh

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disease of neuromuscular blockade, characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue, and is associated with the production of autoantibodies against the skeletal muscle acetylcholine receptor, muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), and other muscle endplate proteins. In addition, MG may be classified according the location of the affected muscles (ocular vs. generalized), patient age at symptom onset, and thymic pathology. Subgroup classification based on serum antibodies and clinical features include early-onset, late-onset, thymoma-associated, MuSK and LRP4 antibody-negative, and ocular forms of MG, and can help with therapeutic decisions and prognosis. Pyridostigmine is the chosen symptomatic treatment. For patients who do not adequately respond to symptomatic therapy, corticosteroids, other immunomodulating agents, and thymectomy are the first-line immunosuppressive treatments. The treatment of MG is highly individualized and depends on the age of the patient, the type and severity of the disease, and the pace of progression.
Acetylcholine ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Child ; Classification* ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Pathology ; Phosphotransferases ; Prognosis ; Pyridostigmine Bromide ; Thymectomy

Myasthenia gravis (MG) is a chronic autoimmune disease of neuromuscular blockade, characterized by muscle weakness and fatigue, and is associated with the production of autoantibodies against the skeletal muscle acetylcholine receptor, muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein 4 (LRP4), and other muscle endplate proteins. In addition, MG may be classified according the location of the affected muscles (ocular vs. generalized), patient age at symptom onset, and thymic pathology. Subgroup classification based on serum antibodies and clinical features include early-onset, late-onset, thymoma-associated, MuSK and LRP4 antibody-negative, and ocular forms of MG, and can help with therapeutic decisions and prognosis. Pyridostigmine is the chosen symptomatic treatment. For patients who do not adequately respond to symptomatic therapy, corticosteroids, other immunomodulating agents, and thymectomy are the first-line immunosuppressive treatments. The treatment of MG is highly individualized and depends on the age of the patient, the type and severity of the disease, and the pace of progression.
Acetylcholine ; Adrenal Cortex Hormones ; Adult ; Antibodies ; Autoantibodies ; Autoimmune Diseases ; Child ; Classification* ; Fatigue ; Humans ; Lipoproteins ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscle, Skeletal ; Muscles ; Myasthenia Gravis* ; Neuromuscular Blockade ; Pathology ; Phosphotransferases ; Prognosis ; Pyridostigmine Bromide ; Thymectomy

BACKGROUNDMyopathies with rimmed vacuoles are a heterogeneous group of muscle disorders with progressive muscle weakness and varied clinical manifestations but similar features in muscle biopsies. Here, we describe a novel autosomal dominant myopathy with rimmed vacuoles in a large family with 11 patients of three generations affected.

METHODSA clinical study including family history, obstetric, pediatric, and development history was recorded. Clinical examinations including physical examination, electromyography (EMG), serum creatine kinase (CK), bone X-rays, and brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed in this family. Open muscle biopsies were performed on the proband and his mother. To find the causative gene, the whole-exome sequencing was carried out.

RESULTSDisease onset was from adolescence to adulthood, but the affected patients of the third generation presented an earlier onset and more severe clinical manifestations than the older generations. Clinical features were characterized as dysarthria, dysphagia, external ophthalmoplegia, limb weakness, hypophrenia, deafness, and impaired vision. However, not every patient manifested all symptoms. Serum CK was mildly elevated and EMG indicated a myopathic pattern. Brain MRI showed cerebellum and brain stem mildly atrophy. Rimmed vacuoles and inclusion bodies were observed in muscle biopsy. The whole-exome sequencing was performed, but the causative gene has not been found.

CONCLUSIONSWe reported a novel autosomal dominant myopathy with rimmed vacuoles characterized by dysarthria, dysphagia, external ophthalmoplegia, limb weakness, hypophrenia, deafness, and impaired vision, but the causative gene has not been found and needs further study.

Adolescent ; Adult ; Child ; Deafness ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Dysarthria ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Electromyography ; Female ; Humans ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Muscle, Skeletal ; pathology ; physiopathology ; Muscular Diseases ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Muscular Dystrophy, Oculopharyngeal ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Pedigree ; Vacuoles ; pathology ; Vision Disorders ; diagnosis ; physiopathology ; Young Adult

Cap myopathy is pathologically characterized by cap structures comprising well-demarcated areas under the sarcolemma and containing deranged myofibrils and scattered Z-disks. Clinically it presents with slowly progressive muscle weakness, myopathic face, and frequent respiratory insufficiency. Four genes have been reported to be associated with the disease: TPM2, TPM3, ACTA1, and NEB. Here we describe that a patient presenting with mild limb weakness with facial affection showed cap structures on muscle pathology and carried a heterozygous TPM3 mutation.
Extremities ; Humans ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Diseases* ; Mutation, Missense* ; Myofibrils ; Pathology ; Respiratory Insufficiency ; Sarcolemma ; Tropomyosin

OBJECTIVETo summarize clinical features and diagnosis of Chinese infantile patients with glycogen storage disease type II (GSD II).

METHODSix infant patients with GSD II diagnosed from January 2012 to June 2014 in the Department of Pediatrics, Peking University First Hospital were enrolled into this study. Clinical information of the 6 patients, including clinical manifestation, blood biochemistry, chest X-ray, echocardiogram, electrocardiogram, acid alpha-glucosidase (GAA) activity and GAA gene mutation analysis by direct sequencing of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) product were reviewed.

RESULTOf the 6 patients, five were female and one was male, five of whom were classic infantile type while the other one was atypical. The age of onset ranged from birth to 3-month-old. All patients had varying degrees of generalized muscle weakness, hypotonia and development retardation or retrogression. Other common findings were feeding difficulties in two patients, tongue weakness in two patients, respiratory distress in four patients, macroglossia in one patient, and hepatomegaly in two patients. Left ventricular hypertrophy and cardiomegaly were obvious in all the six patients. All six patients were found to have a enlarged heart in physical examination, and three patients who underwent a chest X-ray examination had an enlarged heart shadow. Four patients who had an echocardiography were found to have myocardial hypertrophy. The electrocardiogram in three patients showed short PR intervals and high voltage. The creatine kinase (CK) levels were three to seven times elevated. The mildest elevated CK was 441 IU/L, and the highest CK level was 1 238 U/L. Assay of GAA enzyme activity in whole blood showed significantly reduced activity (1.3 nmol/ (spot·d) to 2 nmol/(spot·d)) in the patients tested. Gene sequencing in 4 patients showed 8 pathogenic mutations, including 6 missense mutations, one nonsense mutation and one frameshift mutation. The missense mutations were c.998C > A (p.Thr333Lys), c.1280T > C (p.Met427Thr), c.1760T > C (p.Leu587Pro), c.1924G > T (p.Val642Phe), c.2012T > A (p.Met671Lys) and c.2105G > A (p.Arg702His). The nonsense mutation was c2662G > T (p.Glu888X), and the frameshift mutation was c2812_2813delTG (p.Cys938fs). The 5 classic infantile patients died at the age of 7 to 22 months. The atypical infantile patient was 2 years and five months old according to our latest follow up.

CONCLUSIONInfantile GSD II had similar motor manifestations and cardiac involvements, blood biochemical test, imaging findings, enzyme assays, though there were slight differences. The probability of GSD II should be taken into consideration if an infant has both muscular disease and cardiac involvement.

Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Female ; Glycogen Storage Disease Type II ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Humans ; Infant ; Infant, Newborn ; Macroglossia ; congenital ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; Mutation ; Mutation, Missense ; Polymerase Chain Reaction ; alpha-Glucosidases ; genetics ; metabolism

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and lethal dystrophy in childhood, caused by mutations in the dystrophin (DMD) gene. Multiplex ligation dependent probe amplification (MLPA) or array comparative genome hybridization (aCGH) is widely used as an initial molecular diagnostic tool. If no deletions or duplications are found in MLPA or aCGH, the samples must be subjected to a second test of direct sequencing. Direct sequencing of the DMD gene, however, is time-consuming, high-cost, and can be inconclusive. Here, we performed whole exome sequencing on a patient with progressive muscle weakness whose MLPA result was negative; the result revealed a rare frame shift mutation. Direct sequencing on the patient's mother showed the same mutation. Whole exome sequencing can be a new diagnostic routine for DMD patients with negative MLPA3.
Comparative Genomic Hybridization ; Dystrophin ; Exome* ; Frameshift Mutation ; Genetics ; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing ; Humans ; Mothers ; Multiplex Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Muscle Weakness ; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne* ; Pathology, Molecular

The adult form of myotonic dystrophy type 1 is a neuromuscular disorder with multisystem involvement, including the central nervous system (CNS). The presenting clinical features of this condition include distal muscle weakness, myotonia, intellectual decline, cataract, frontal baldness and testicular atrophy. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging shows characteristic white matter changes in the CNS. The clinical presentation, characteristic white matter changes in the brain on MR imaging and electromyographic findings aid in the diagnosis of this disorder.
Adult ; Atrophy ; complications ; Brain ; pathology ; Cataract ; complications ; Central Nervous System ; pathology ; Electromyography ; methods ; Hearing Disorders ; complications ; Humans ; Lactic Acid ; blood ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; methods ; Male ; Muscle Weakness ; complications ; Myotonic Dystrophy ; diagnosis ; pathology ; Neuromuscular Diseases ; diagnosis ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo explore the clinical and laboratory features and the prognosis of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) complicated with interstitial lung disease (ILD).

METHODData of 39 cases of JDM complicated with ILD hospitalized in Beijing Children's Hospital from January 2005 to December 2011 were collected. The clinical features, laboratory data and prognosis of these children were analyzed.

RESULTOf the 39 cases studied, 16 were boys, and 23 girls. The average age of onset was 5.6 years, and 61.5% of the patients' age of onset (24 cases) was under 6 years. Rashes (17 cases, 43.6%), simultaneous eruption of rashes and muscle weakness (14 cases, 35.9%), fever (4 cases, 10.1%), or muscle weakness (3 cases, 7.7%) were common initial symptoms of the disease. Only 51.3% of the patients (20 cases) had the symptoms of respiratory system, but (24 cases) 61.5% were complicated with that of the gastrointestinal system; (27 cases) 69.2% had at the same time electrocardiographic and echocardiographic abnormalities. The chest high resolution computed tomography (HRCT) showed cord or band-like shadows in their lungs of more than half of the cases (25 cases, 64.1%), and other changes included ground glass-like shadow (10 cases, 25.6%), net and lineation-like shadow (9 cases, 23.1%), nodular change (5 cases, 12.8%). The patients complicated with lung essential infiltration accounted for as high as 71.8% (28 cases). These imaging changes were largely seen on both dorsal sides of their lungs. Severe patients also had mediastinal emphysema, pneumothorax, pneumorrhagia or aerodermectasia. Twenty-four patients underwent pulmonary function examination, and 62.5% of the patients' pulmonary function (15 cases) was abnormal. The fatality rate of the cases studied was 10.1%.

CONCLUSIONThe imaging changes of patients suffering from JDM with ILD were often more severe as compared to the clinical symptoms, and were often complicated with damages to other systems and organs. The prognosis of those patients was poorer than others. Patients with JDM especially at a younger age of onset and with various organ damages should be examined with chest HRCT examinations as early as possible.

Child ; Child, Preschool ; Dermatomyositis ; complications ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; Female ; Glucocorticoids ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Humans ; Immunosuppressive Agents ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Lung ; diagnostic imaging ; pathology ; Lung Diseases, Interstitial ; diagnosis ; drug therapy ; etiology ; Male ; Methotrexate ; administration & dosage ; therapeutic use ; Muscle Weakness ; diagnosis ; epidemiology ; etiology ; Prognosis ; Respiratory Function Tests ; Retrospective Studies ; Tomography, X-Ray Computed