Fatal congenital myopathy with actin filament deposits

Abstract

We present the clinical and morphological findings in a case of progressive congenital myopathy. The symptoms present at birth included severe general muscular hypotonia, diffuse muscular atrophy, arthrogryposis, absence of spontaneous movements, and left ventricular hypertrophy. A biopsy specimen taken from the gastrocnemius muscle when the patient was 2 weeks old revealed deposits which consisted of actin filaments as shown by electron microscopy. The infant was occasionally respirator dependent but was mostly able to breathe unassisted. At the age of 5 months he died of respiratory failure. The actin filament deposits may explain the clinical findings.