Does proximal myotonic myopathy show anticipation?
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Updated: Jan 25, 2026

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Published on: June 14, 2024
Bernd Kruse1, Doris Wöhrle, Peter Steinbach
1Department of Pediatrics, University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf, Martinistr. 52, 20246 Hamburg.
Insights
Proximal myotonic myopathy (DM2) was identified in a 2-year-old boy, challenging the belief that congenital and childhood forms do not exist. Genetic testing confirmed DM2-typical expansions in the patient and his mother.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Myology
Background:
- Proximal myotonic myopathy (DM2) is typically diagnosed in adults, with no reported cases in individuals under 18.
- The absence of congenital and childhood forms is considered a hallmark of DM2.
Observation:
- A 2-year-old boy presented with hypotonia and delayed motor development, exhibiting the youngest known onset of DM2.
- His mother, diagnosed with late-juvenile onset DM2, experienced worsening symptoms during pregnancy and noted reduced fetal movements.
Findings:
- Genetic analysis revealed DM2-typical expanded CCTG repeat arrays in the ZNF9 gene in both the child and his mother.
- The DMPK CTG repeat expansion, characteristic of DM1, was ruled out.
Implications:
- This case demonstrates that DM2 can manifest in early childhood, expanding the known clinical spectrum of the disease.
- Early-onset DM2 may be associated with prenatal symptoms like reduced fetal movements and postnatal hypotonia.
Abstract:
Proximal myotonic myopathy (DM2, PROMM) has not been reported in patients younger than 18 years, and apparent lack of congenital and childhood forms is thought to be one of the distinctive clinical characteristics of this trait. We now describe a 2-year-old boy, the youngest member of a family with a history for myotonia in 2 generations. The patient's 35-year-old mother was diagnosed with DM2 of late juvenile onset. She developed aggravating myotonic symptoms during pregnancy. Remarkably few intrauterine child movements were noticed. After birth the child showed general muscular hypotonia with delayed statomotoric development (sitting and crawling at 13 months, first lifting into standing position at 18 months). Muscle reflexes were normal. In the CL3N58 region of ZNF9, DM2-typical unstable expanded CCTG arrays of about 14.5 kb (about 2,500 repeats) were detected both in the mother and the patient by Southern blotting. Expansion of the DM1-specific DMPK CTG repeat was excluded.
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