OBJECTIVE: to investigate the clinical characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus with diffuse intracranial calcification.
METHODS: The clinical characteristics of one case of systemic lupus erythematosus with diffuse intracranial calcification were analyzed, and 12 cases in related literatures were reviewed by searching Medline and Wanfang database.
RESULTS: Our case and 12 cases reviewed were all female. With the exception of one case, the course of SLE was more than 5 years. The clinical manifestations of the nervous system are diverse, including epilepsy, hemiplegia, cognitive impairment, and mental abnormalities. In the presence of neuropsychiatric manifestations, this case and six cases reviewed had SLE activity. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination was performed in seven patients, including four patients with CSF protein elevation, two patients with IL-6 elevation, and one patient with anti-ribosomal p antibody elevation. This case and 10 of 12 cases reviewed had bilateral basal ganglia calcification. Intracranial calcification was very high density on CT and showed high T1WI and low T2WI signal on MRI.
CONCLUSIONS: Systemic lupus erythematosus with intracranial calcification is a rare and severe manifestation of SLE, which is not completely parallel to SLE activity. The clinical manifestations of the nervous system are diverse, and bilateral basal ganglia calcification is the most common in imaging. High T1WI signal and low T2WI signal may be used as one of the imaging features to identify intracranial calcification.

Dizziness is an atypical symptom of the nervous system. Many neurological disorders can manifest as dizziness. When patients have multiple neurological disorders, the most obvious diagnosis is often considered, and diseases that are potentially more deadly are overlooked. Here, we report the case of a man aged in his early 50s with dizziness who was found to have four neurological disorders. A series of treatments failed to resolve the condition. A review of this case highlights that when a patient\'s symptoms are not typical, a comprehensive examination and evaluation is required to determine the etiology, and imaging may reveal further minor problems.

It has been recently reported that mutations in SLC20A2 gene are a major cause of primary familial brain calcifications, a rare neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symmetrical and bilateral intracranial calcification. We conducted a pedigree study by performing next Generation Sequencing in a Chinese family with three generations. Three members in this family developed Parkinsonism in their sixth decade, also, the proband presented with schizophrenia for 40 years. Next Generation Sequencing identified a novel nonsense heterozygous substitution c.1158C > A (p.Thr 386*) of SLC20A2 gene, introducing a stop codon in exon 10. The mutation was present in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals with intracranial calcification, but absent in the individual without calcification, suggesting the mutation segregates with brain calcification. mRNA expression was decreased by 35% in the proband. We are the first to demonstrate a novel c.1158C > A mutation of SLC20A2 gene in a Chinese family with primary familial brain calcifications.

OBJECTIVE: Patients with hypoparathyroidism exhibit metabolic disorders (hypocalcemia) and brain structural abnormalities (brain calcifications). Currently, studies have determined whether antiepileptic drug (AED) treatment is required for epileptic seizures in children with hypoparathyroidism.
METHODS: This study aims to evaluate the data of two medical centers in Beijing based on the diagnosis of epileptic seizures as the first symptom of hypoparathyroidism in children.
RESULTS: A total of 42 patients were included and assigned into AED and non-AED treatment groups in a 1:2 matched case-control study. Results show that the seizure outcome after 1 year of AED treatment is not significantly different from that of the control. In the subgroup analysis of patients with subcortical calcifications, the seizure outcome is still not significantly different from that of the control.
CONCLUSIONS: Thus, AED treatment cannot improve the seizure outcomes in children with parathyroid disorder, even in such cases as suspected structural seizure caused by subcortical calcifications. Clinicians must take adequate considerations on the use of AEDs in these patients. Epileptic seizures, as the first symptom of hypoparathyroidism in children, do not require epilepsy drugs.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary folate malabsorption is a rare, autosomal recessive disorder of proton-coupled folate transporter deficiency resulting in folate deficiency. Left untreated, the condition can cause severe brain damage and megaloblastic anemia, leading to progressive psychomotor retardation, seizures and other neurological problems. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial. No case has been documented yet in Mainland China until now.
METHODS: A Chinese girl affected by hereditary folate malabsorption was studied. The girl presented with recurrent megaloblastic anemia from the age of 7 months. Paroxysmal limbs trembling and seizures were presented from the age of three years. Intracranial calcification was noted by CT. At her age of 5 years, mental regression, lower-extremity weakness and sleeping problems were observed. Her plasma folate decreased to 4.49 nmol/L (normal control>6.8nmol/L). Plasma total homocysteine elevated to 28.11 μmol/L (normal control<15 μmol/L). Folate and 5-methylterahydrofolate in cerebrospinal fluid were significantly decreased to undetectable level.
RESULTS: On SLC46A1 gene, a novel mutation, c.1A>T (M1L), and a reported mutation c.194-195 insG (p.Cys66LeufsX99) were identified, supported the diagnosis of hereditary folate malabsorption. Each parent carries one of two mutations. Folinic calcium supplement resulted in rapid clinical improvement. She is currently 6 years old with normal development and routine blood features.
CONCLUSIONS: Hereditary folate malabsorption is one of the few easily-treatable inherited metabolic diseases. Measurements of folate and 5-methyltetrahydrofolate in cerebrospinal fluid are keys for the diagnosis of the patients.