Genotypic and phenotypic correlation in an Italian population of hereditary amyloidosis TTR-related (HA-TTR): clinical and neurophysiological aids to diagnosis and some reflections on misdiagnosis

Abstract

131 HA-TTR patients from a single referral centre presented at onset five major clinical syndromes: (1) the typical "Portuguese variant" axonal polyneuropathy with dissociated (syringomyelic like) sensory loss and autonomic dysfunction; (2) bilateral carpal tunnel syndrome; (3) restless leg syndrome with impotence and unexplained loss of weight; (4) pure motor neuropathy without autonomic abnormalities; (5) recurrent small brain or spinal cord ischemia or haemorrhages with leptomeningeal amyloid deposition (and late superficial siderosis of the central nervous system) and vitreous deposits. Some patients in our population presented a "pseudodemyelinating" onset of the somatic neuropathy, as well as atypical motor neuropathy simulating lower motor neuron disease. The five syndromes can overlap in advanced stages of the disease. Genetic screening of HA-TTR could be worthwhile in any idiopathic progressive axonal peripheral neuropathy, as well as in drug resistant demyelinating sensory-motor neuropathy or in pure motor neuropathy, when multi-organ involvement is present.