Congenital myasthenic syndromes: Diagnosis difficulties, course and prognosis, and therapy - The French CMS network experience

Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are a heterogeneous group of disorders caused by genetic defects affecting neuromuscular transmission and leading to muscle weakness accentuated by exertion. Three different aspects have been investigated by the members of the French CMS network: the difficulties to make a proper diagnosis, the course and long term prognosis, and the response to therapy, especially for the CMS that do not respond to cholinesterase inhibitors. CMS diagnosis was late in most cases due to confusion with other entities: congenital myopathies, due to the frequent myopathic presentation of patients including permanent weakness, atrophy, scoliosis, and biopsy often showing abnormalities of internal structure, diameter and distribution of fibers (type I predominance, type II atrophy); seronegative autoimmune myasthenia gravis when CMS was late onset; metabolic myopathy, with presence of lipidosis in muscle. We studied long term prognosis of CMS in a series of 81 patients recruited with the following mutated genes: CHRNA, CHRNE, DOK7, COLQ, RAPSN, AGRN, MUSK. Course pattern (progressive worsening, exacerbation, stability, improvement) could be variable along the life in one single patient. DOK7 patients had the most severe course with progressive worsening: among the 8 wheel-chair bound and ventilated, 6 were mutated for this gene. Pregnancy was a frequent cause of exacerbation. Anticholinesterase agents are the first line therapy for CMS patients, except for Slow-Channel, COLQ and DOK7. In our experience, 3,4-DAP was a useful complement for several patients harboring CMS with AChR loss CMS or RAPSN gene mutations. Ephedrine was given to 18 patients (8 DOK7, 5 COLQ, 4 AGRN, 1 RAPSN). Tolerance was good. Therapeutic response was encouraging even in the most severely affected patients, particularly with DOK7 and COLQ. Salbutamol was a good alternative in one patient, allergic to Ephedrine.