| Identifier |
926-2 |
| Title |
Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia |
| Creator |
Shirley H. Wray, MD, PhD, FRCP |
| Contributors |
Steve Smith, Videographer |
| Affiliation |
(SHW) Professor of Neurology, Harvard Medical School; Director, Unit for Neurovisual Disorders, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts |
| Subject |
Unilateral Ptosis; External Ophthalmoplegia Affecting Upgaze; Normal Pupils; Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia (PEO); Mitochondrial Myopathy; Unilateral Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia; Kearns-Sayre |
| History |
This 48 year old woman, who was first seen by a neurologist in March 1989, with a 7 year history of progressive unilateral ptosis, mild facial weakness and generalized fatigue. On examination she had ptosis of the right eye and bilateral limitation of upward gaze. Myasthenia Gravis was ruled out by a negative Tensilon test, negative anti-acetylcholine receptor antibodies, and normal single fiber electromyography of the frontalis muscle. A trial on Mestinon 60 mg t.i.d. provided no improvement. At age 45, progression of external ophthalmoplegia led to impaired eye movements in all directions of gaze. At age 46, a muscle biopsy showed ragged red fibers and a mitochondrial DNA deletion. Family History: A muscle biopsy in her mother and in her daughter were normal. In 1991, at age 47, further progression in her weakness, external ophthalmoplegia and ptosis was noted and at this time she developed late onset diabetes and depression. Her cardiac status remained normal, her visual acuity was 20/20 and a fundus exam showed no abnormality. In 1992, at age 48, a brain MRI showed no abnormality. In 1993, at age 49, she had ptosis surgery of the right eye and she was started on Co-enzyme Q10 200 mg b.i.d. increasing to t.i.d. By 1997, at age 53, she was confined to a wheelchair because of extreme fatigue on exertion. In 1999, at age 55, she moved into a retirement home in Maine and was lost to follow-up. The term Mitochondrial Cytopathy has been used to emphasize multisystem involvement in progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO). This patient had the constellation of: Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia Facial Weakness Late Onset Diabetes Depression Extreme Fatigue on Exertion |
| Pathology |
A skeletal muscle biopsy is diagnostic in mitochondrial myopathy due to a mtDNA deletion. In mitochondrial myopathy defective oxidative phosphorylation results in mitochondrial proliferation in Type 1 and 2A muscle fibers. Fibers with the most severe biochemical defects may degenerate and adjacent fibers with less severe or no defects may appear normal. The combination of a patchy moth-eaten appearance in individual muscle fibers along with mitochondrial proliferation gives rise to the ragged-red fiber seen on modified Gomori trichrome staining. NADH staining shows abnormal subsarcolemmal mitochondria in the muscle fibers. The electron microscopic sections of skeletal muscle show abnormal mitochondria. |
| Disease/Diagnosis |
Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia; Mitochondrial Cytopathy. |
| Clinical |
This 48 year old woman, with progressive external ophthalmoplegia (PEO), due to a mitochondrial DNA deletion, is unusual in her presentation. Instead of the typical bilateral ptosis, she presented with unilateral ptosis of the right eye. The myopathic signs illustrated are: 1. Unilateral ptosis of the right eye with overaction of the right frontalis muscle. 2. Weakness of the orbicularis oculi muscle with bilateral impaired eye closure and inability to bury the eyelashes fully. 3. A partial external ophthalmoplegia affecting primarily conjugate upgaze. Horizontal and vertical downgaze eye movements are of normal velocity and are full. 4. Weakness of the lower face impairing the ability to grip the lips tightly together and 5. Impairing her ability to whistle. 6. Weakness of flexion of the head against moderate resistance. Patient also has: 1. Profound exertional fatigue. It was this disabling symptom that resulted in her being confined to a wheelchair. |
| Presenting Symptom |
Droopy eyelids. Lack of energy |
| Ocular Movements |
Unilateral Ptosis; Impairment of Lid Closure - Unable to Bury Eyelashes Fully; External Ophthalmoplegia Affecting Upgaze; Normal Pupils |
| Neuroimaging |
Neuroimaging studies were not done in this case. MR of the Brain in Mitochondrial Myopathy published in 1995 illustrates MR images in KSS and PEO (14). The figures included: A 61-year old woman (patient 1) with KSS, moderately severe truncal and appendicular ataxia, and a documented mtDNA deletion. A. T1-weighted sagittal image demonstrates severe cerebellar vermian atrophy (arrow) A 23-year old man (patient 2) with KSS, cognitive impairment, ataxia and an mtDNA deletion. A. T2 weighted image demonstrates regions of hyperintense signal (arrows) in the subcortical white matter. The periventricular regions were spared. B. T2-weighted image shows foci of hyperintense signal (arrows) in the dorsal midbrain. A 37-year old woman (patient 8) with CPEO manifested by external ophthalmoplegia, ataxia, and sensorineural hearing loss. A. Long-repetition-time/short-echo-time (proton density) axial image. In the frontal lobes, abnormal hyperintense signal predominates in the subcortical white matter (arrows), whereas in the posterior temporal and parietal lobes the abnormal signal extended from the subcortical regions to the ventricular surface (curved arrows). B. T2-weighted axial MR image demonstrates bilateral hyperintense signal abnormalities in the globus pallidus (arrows). Hyperintense white matter abnormalities and ventricular dilatation are also present. C. T1-weighted sagittal image demonstrates cerebral cortical and cerebellar vermian atrophy (arrow) and thinning of the corpus callosum. Other PEO patients are reported show predominantly white matter damage that correlated with spongiform degeneration of the brain verified by autopsy examinations. |
| Treatment |
Co-enzyme Q (ubiquinone) deficiency is present in KSS and PEO and treatment strategies are based on supplying electron transport chain cofactors and substraits, and antioxidants in an attempt to protect against mtDNA free-radical damage. Co-enzyme Q10 (ubiquinone) 4 mg-kg/day has the largest literature-supported efficacy in mitochondrial disease. |
| Etiology |
Mutations in mtDNA are maternally inherited in a graded fashion. A single mtDNA mutation can lead to dramatically different clinical phenotypes, creating a very large spectrum of expressivity. For example, the A3243G mutation associated with mitrochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic academia, stroke-like episodes (MELAS) can also cause cardiomyopathy, diabetes and deafness, or external ophthalmoplegia. Deletions of mtDNA in skeletal muscle, ranging in size from 3.8 to 9.1 kilobases, were found in an identical location on muscle biopsy in five of eleven personal cases (3 KSS, 8 PEO). The deletion encompasses structural genes for the mitochondrial respiratory chain and is associated with impaired mitochondrial function. The variable involvement of multiple organs, (e.g. heart, brain and retina in PEO and KSS) may be attributable to a mixed population of mutant and normal genomes in varying amounts in different tissues. Both muscle and brain are also involved in patients with mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, namely, the MELAS syndrome which is characterized by mitochondrial myopathy, encephalopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes; and MERRF, characterized by myoclonic epilepsy associated with ragged-red fibers. In MELAS, dysfunction of the central nervous system dominates the clinical picture. While there is considerable overlap of symptoms and signs between PEO, KSS, MELAS, and MERRF, there is general agreement that cases of mitochondrial myopathy, PEO and KSS, with or without clinical involvement of the brain, should be considered separately. The term mitochondrial encephalomyopathy or cytopathy has been applied to the multisystem diseases involving brain, skeletal muscle, and other organs. These disorders and the clinical phenotypes of mtDNA disease span the spectrum of all known oxidative phosphorylation disorders and include PEO., deafness, cardiomyopathy, MELAS and MERRF. |
| Supplementary Materials |
Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia: https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=2174232 Mitochondrial Myopathy: https://collections.lib.utah.edu/details?id=2174210 |
| Date |
1991 |
| References |
1. DiMauro S, Bonilla E. Zeviani M, Nakagawa M, DeVivo DC. Mitochondrial myopathies. Ann Neurol 1985; 17:521-538. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3927817 2. Evans OB, Parker CC, Haas, RH, Naidu S, Moser HW, Bock, HGO. Clinical and Laboratory Features of Mitrochondrial Encephalomyopathy Syndromes. In Inborn Errors of Metabolism of the Nervous System. In Neurology in Clinical Practice, 3rd Ed. Vol II. Butterworth Henemann 2000;68:1595-1662. 3. Gallastegui J, Hariman RJ, Handler B, Lev M, Bharati S. Cardiac involvement in the Kearns-Sayre syndrome. Am J Cardiol 1987 Aug 1:60(4): 385-8. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3618501 4. Holt IJ, Harding, AE, Morgan-Hughes JA. Deletions of muscle mitochondrial DNA in patients with mitochondrial myopathies. Nature 1988;331:717-719. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2830540 5. Holt IJ, Harding AE, Cooper JM, Schapira AH, Toscano A, Clark JB, Morgan-Hughes JA. Mitochondrial myopathies: clinical and biochemical features of 30 patients with major deletions of muscle mitochondrial DNA. Ann Neurol. 1989 Dec;26(6):699-708. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2604380 6. Kearns TP, Sayre GP, Retinitis pigmentosa, external ophthalmoplegia and complete heart block: unusual syndrome with histologic study in one of two cases. AMA Arch Ophthalmol. 1958 Aug:60(2):280-9. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/13558799 7. Kosmorsky G, Johns DR. Neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations of mitochondrial DNA disorders: chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia, Kearns-Sayre syndrome, and Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Neurol Clin. 1991 Feb;9(1):147-61. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2011107 8. Mitsumoto H, Aprille JR, Wray SH, Nemni R, Bradley WG. Progressive External Ophthalmoplegia (PEO): clinical, morphologic and biochemical studies. Neurology. 1983 Apr:33(4):452-61. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/6300733 9. Moraes CT, DiMauro S, Zevani M et al Mitochondrial DNA deletions in progressive external ophthalmoplegia and Kearns-Sayre Syndrome. N Eng J Med. 1989;320:1293-1299. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/2541333 10. Naviauz RK. Mitochondrial DNA Disorders. Eur J Pediatr. 2000;159 (Suppl 3):S219-226. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11216904 11. Van Goethem G, Martin JJ, Van Broeckhoven C. Progressive external ophthalmoplegia characterized by multiple deletions of mitochondrial DNA: unraveling the pathogenesis of human mitochondrial DNA instability and the initiation of a genetic classification. Neuromolecular Med. 2003;3(3):129-46. Review. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12835509 12. Wallace DC, Singh G, Lott MT, Hodge JA, Schurr TG, Lezza AM, Elsas LJ II, Nikoskelainen EK. Mitochondrial DNA mutation associated with Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy. Science 1988; 242:1427-1430. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3201231 13. Wallace DC. Mitochondrial genetics: a paradigm for aging and degenerative diseases? Science. 1992 May 1;256(5057):628-32. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/1533953 14. Wray SH, Provenzale JM, Johns DR, Thulborn KR. MR of the brain in mitochondrial myopathy. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1995 May;16(5):1167-73. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7639148 15. Zeviani M, Moraes CT, DiMauro S, Nakase H, Bonilla E, Schon EA, Rowland LP. Deletions of mitochondrial DNA in Kearns-Sayre syndrome. Neurology 1988; 38:1339-1346. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3412580 |
| Language |
eng |
| Format |
video/mp4 |
| Type |
Image/MovingImage |
| Source |
3/4" Umatic master videotape |
| Relation is Part of |
906-2, 926-3, 945-3, 946-1 |
| Collection |
Neuro-Ophthalmology Virtual Education Library: Shirley H. Wray Collection: https://novel.utah.edu/Wray/ |
| Publisher |
North American Neuro-Ophthalmology Society |
| Holding Institution |
Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, University of Utah |
| Rights Management |
Copyright 2002. For further information regarding the rights to this collection, please visit: https://NOVEL.utah.edu/about/copyright |
| ARK |
ark:/87278/s6768bwk |
| Setname |
ehsl_novel_shw |
| ID |
188567 |
| Reference URL |
https://collections.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6768bwk |
