Merosin-negative congenital muscular dystrophy: Report of five cases.

CONTEXT: Congenital muscular dystrophy type 1A (MDC1A) is caused by mutations in the laminin α-2 gene encoding laminin-a2.

AIMS: The purpose of this study is to determine clinical and genetic results in five Turkish patients with MDC1A.

SETTING AND DESIGNS: Five children with MDC1A were retrospectively analyzed.

RESULTS: Three (60%) were boys, and 2 (40%) were girls. Parental consanguinity was found in all the families. In all the patients, hypotonia, weakness, delayed motor milestones, markedly elevated creatine phosphokinase (CPK) concentration, and brain white matter abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging were detected. Mutation analysis was performed in all the patients, and 3 different mutations were detected. However, a mutation in patient 1 and 2 has not been previously described in the literature.

CONCLUSIONS: When a patient presents with severe congenital hypotonia, muscle weakness, high serum CPK levels, and white matter abnormalities, should be suspected as MDC1A.