title: Cavernous angiomas of the nervous system in Italy: clinical and genetic study.
abstract: We performed a clinical and genetic study of patients affected by cavernous angiomas (CA) of the nervous system. We examined initial signs and symptoms in sporadic and familial cases. We obtained clinical, neuroimaging and genetic data on 15 Italian patients with CA of the nervous system with positive, doubtful or apparently negative family history. Genetic markers surrounding three different gene regions (7q, 3q and 7p) were analysed. In one small family, genetic linkage was consistent with all chromosome loci. In another family with the unusual association of cerebral and spinal CA, linkage with chromosome 7q and, likely, 7p was excluded, while linkage with locus 3q was possible. Our results indicate that Italian families with CA may show genetic heterogeneity. Non-specific and subtle onset symptoms hide the presence of CA within families. Patients with multiple CA may have silent cerebral lesions confirming the low penetrance of clinical signs in spite of radiological ones.
authors.affiliation: Department of Molecular Pathology, Mediterranean Neurological Institute, IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli, Italy.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Squitieri
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Maglione
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Buzzi
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Nargi
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Novelletto
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cannella
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Simonelli
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colonnese
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Simonelli
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Innocenzi
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Gagliardi
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Caruso
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ragona
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Cantore
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D016543:Central Nervous System Neoplasms / Q000235:genetics*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002889:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 2; D002893:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3; D002897:Chromosomes, Human, Pair 7; D005192:Family Health; D005260:Female; D008040:Genetic Linkage; D005819:Genetic Markers; D020786:Hemangioma, Cavernous, Central Nervous System / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009154:Mutation; D010375:Pedigree
chemical_list: D005819:Genetic Markers