Lipoid proteinosis: Urbach-Wiethe disease

RDoC-based categorization of amygdala functions and its implications in autism

Confusion endures as to the exact role of the amygdala in relation to autism. To help resolve this we turned to the NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) which provides a classification schema that identifies different categories of behaviors that can turn pathologic in mental health disorders, e.g. autism. While RDoC incorporates all the known neurobiological substrates for each domain, this review will focus primarily on the amygdala. We first consider the amygdala from an anatomical, historical, and developmental perspective. Next, we examine the different domains and constructs of RDoC that the amygdala is involved in: Negative Valence Systems, Positive Valence Systems, Cognitive Systems, Social Processes, and Arousal and Regulatory Systems. Then the evidence for a dysfunctional amygdala in autism is presented with a focus on alterations in development, prenatal valproic acid exposure as a model for ASD, and changes in the oxytocin system therein. Finally, a synthesis of RDoC, the amygdala, and autism is offered, emphasizing the task of disambiguation and suggestions for future research.

Lipoid proteinosis: a case series from Istanbul

BACKGROUND

Lipoid proteinosis (LP) is a very rare genodermatosis. The literature on LP consists of case reports only. As we have observed 14 LP patients belonging to nine different families in the last 15 years in our practice, we decided to review all reported Turkish LP patients in this 15-year period, and noted 37 diagnosed cases. The reasons for this relatively large number of cases, the clinical features of the patients, and the associations of LP with other clinical conditions are described in this article.

METHODS

Fourteen LP patients followed in our university clinic in Istanbul were scrutinized with regard to their demographic and clinical features. Diagnoses were established using clinical features, with histopathologic confirmation in 13 cases.

RESULTS

All but one of the patients had a history of consanguinity, or at least a marriage of parents from the same village. Typical cutaneous signs of LP and hoarseness of the voice were observed in all patients. Two patients of the same pedigree had insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), two patients from two different pedigrees had short stature, one patient had multinodular toxic goiter, and one patient had celiac disease.

CONCLUSION

LP is not rare in Turkey as consanguineous marriage is still a social problem, especially in some rural areas. The disease is not limited to a particular geographic region in Turkey. Short stature was observed in two cases from two different families, an association not reported previously; the association of LP with IDDM in one pedigree was thought to be coincidental.

Recovery of associative function following early amygdala lesions in rats

Adult rats with amygdala lesions made at either Postnatal Day (PND) 10 or PND40 were tested on a series of reversal tasks that tap the ability to form stimulus-reward associations. PND40 rats were significantly impaired relative to both controls and PND10 rats on learning rate of the original discrimination and subsequent reversals. Analyses of discrete learning phases revealed that the impairment was specific to the postchance phase. The PND10 group was not impaired relative to controls on any measure. These results confirm prior findings that amygdala lesions sustained in adulthood impair the formation of stimulus-reward associations. They also demonstrate that substantial sparing or recovery of function is possible when the lesion is made during early development. Furthermore, the findings support the view that behavioral recovery may be more likely if the lesion is sustained near the time of peak synaptogenesis.

Lipoid proteinosis of the oral mucosa: case report and review of the literature

We describe a 37-year-old woman who presented with progressive mouth dryness. Physical examination revealed long-standing plaques on the face and upper limbs, papular lesions of the oral cavity and tongue firmness. A lower lip biopsy was performed. Light microscopy demonstrated accumulation of PAS-positive material around blood vessels, capillaries and salivary gland canaliculi as well as focally massive hyaline deposits in the submucosa. Immunohistochemistry revealed widespread presence of type IV collagen in the hyaline material and around thickened blood vessels. Laminin immunoreactivity was particularly strong at thickened basement membranes. The above findings were compatible with lipoid proteinosis, which is likely to involve primary perturbation of collagen metabolism and production of glycoproteins.