Refining the Spectrum of Neuronal Intranuclear Inclusion Disease: A Case Report

Chiara Cupidi, Anke A. Dijkstra, Shami Melhem, Meike W. Vernooij, Lies-Anne Severijnen, Renate K. Hukema, Annemieke J. M. Rozemuller, Manuela Neumann, John C. van Swieten, Harro Seelaar

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleAcademicpeer-review

23 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a rare heterogeneous progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the presence of eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions in neuronal and glial cells of the CNS, peripheral cells of the autonomic nervous system, visceral organs and skin. The clinical presentation is broadly heterogeneous and includes limb weakness, dementia, seizures, ataxia, and parkinsonism. High-intensity signal in the corticomedullary junction on brain MRI is a characteristic finding in NIID. We describe a 65-year-old patient presenting with mild cognitive impairment, evolving in dementia with behavioral disturbances and parkinsonism. Brain MRI showed mild global cortical atrophy, more pronounced in the cingulate and temporal cortex and mild leukoaraiosis, but no high-intensity signal in corticomedullary junction on diffusion weighted imaging. Neuropathological examination showed p62- and optineurin-positive neuronal intranuclear inclusions in the hippocampus and in some subcortical structures. Glial cells did not present any intranuclear inclusions, and no spongiotic changes proximal to the U-fibers or diffuse myelin pallor were disclosed in the white matter. We report on a case with pathological features of NIID showing different neuroimaging and pathological findings. We noted an absence of typical MRI abnormalities, lack of intranuclear inclusions in glial cells, and prominent involvement of hippocampal neurons, refining the clinico-pathological spectrum of the disease.
Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)665-670
Number of pages6
JournalJournal of Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology
Volume78
Issue number7
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 1 Jan 2019

Keywords

  • Dementia
  • Intranuclear inclusions
  • Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease
  • Optineurin
  • P62

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