Turkish Journal of Pathology

Türk Patoloji Dergisi

Turkish Journal of Pathology

Turkish Journal of Pathology

2021, Vol 37, Num, 3     (Pages: 264-265)

A Case of Lafora Disease Diagnosed by Axillary Skin Biopsy

Elife KIMILOĞLU 1, Pelin AKBAŞ 1, Özgül ESEN ÖRE 2, Çağla TURAN 2

1 Department of Pathology, Health Sciences University, Istanbul Gaziosmanpasa Research and Training Hospital, İSTANBUL, TURKEY
2 Department of Neurology, Health Sciences University, Istanbul Gaziosmanpasa Research and Training Hospital, İSTANBUL, TURKEY

DOI: 10.5146/tjpath.2021.01522
Viewed: 1006
 - 
Downloaded : 349

Lafora disease is a severe form of progressive myoclonic epilepsy with autosomal recessive inheritance diagnosed by inclusion body in biopsy. A 26-year-old woman was admitted due to complaints of frequent twitches and fainting. The 0.5x0.3x0.3 cm axillary skin punch biopsy was subjected to routine histopathological evaluation. Cytoplasmic PAS-positive inclusion bodies were observed at the basal side of the eccrine and apocrine glands. The diagnosis of Lafora disease can also be made by the observation of the polyglycosan cytoplasmic inclusion bodies in the brain, liver and skeletal muscle biopsies. Although we need more work to understand the etiopathogenesis of Lafora disease, we would like to draw attention to the importance of skin biopsy in the differential diagnosis of young patients with clinically refractory epilepsy, myoclonus, and cognitive decline.

Keywords : Lafora disease, Skin biopsy, Epilepsy