PM&R Meeting Abstracts

Official abstracts site for the AAPM&R Annual Assembly and the PM&R Journal.

MENU 
  • Home
  • Meetings Archive
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2022
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2021
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2020
    • AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2019
  • Resources
  • Advanced Search

Spasticity Management in a Patient with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome with IFIH1 Variant: A Case Report

Kyle D. Josephson, MD (Mary Free Bed Rehabilitation Hospital, Grand Rapids, MI, United States); Lisa Voss, DO

Meeting: AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2019

Session Information

Date: Saturday, November 16, 2019

Session Title: Pediatrics Case Report

Session Time: 11:15am-12:45pm

Location: Research Hub - Kiosk 3

Disclosures: Kyle D. Josephson, MD: Nothing to disclose

Case Description: This patient was born at full-term without complication surrounding her birth. At 16 months, she was evaluated for toe walking and was noted to have hypertonia of the lower extremities, spastic gait, and mild dystonia. She was followed by Pediatric Neurology and underwent MRI Brain revealing bifrontal white matter calcifications. Metabolic screening studies were performed and nondiagnostic. Subsequent whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed monoallelic mutation of the IFIH1 gene associated with Aicardi-Goutieres syndrome-7. Additional family members underwent WES, and the IFIH1 variant was observed in her paternal grandfather, who is currently asymptomatic; father, who has spastic gait but is otherwise healthy; and younger brother, who has spastic gait and hyperreflexia. The patient was noted to have a more severe phenotypic presentation compared to her family, and therefore presented for management of her symptoms related to AGS7.

Setting: Pediatric Rehabilitation Center

Patient: A 4-year-old female with spastic diplegia from Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome-7 (AGS7).

Assessment/Results: The patient has remained functional with onabotulinumtoxinA (Botox) injections and serial casting despite reports suggesting that Botox in patients with AGS may have poor outcomes. Botox has provided functional improvement in gait, sleep, and reduction in pain.

Discussion: AGS7 with IFIH1 variant is an extraordinarily rare disease with few reported cases in the literature. While some cases have demonstrated normal early development with episodic neurologic progression, most patients present with delayed psychomotor development, axial hypotonia, spasticity, and white matter calcification particularly in the basal ganglia. In certain patients with AGS, spasticity management with Botox has been associated with abnormal neurologic and immune reactions. However, in this patient, Botox has provided significant improvement in symptoms without signs of adverse reaction.

Conclusion: This case demonstrates the phenotypic variation between generations in a family with AGS7. Despite previous concerns, Botox can result in significant functional improvements in patients with spasticity due to AGS7.

Level of Evidence: Level V

To cite this abstract in AMA style:

Josephson KD, Voss L. Spasticity Management in a Patient with Aicardi-Goutieres Syndrome with IFIH1 Variant: A Case Report [abstract]. PM R. 2019; 11(S2)(suppl 2). https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/spasticity-management-in-a-patient-with-aicardi-goutieres-syndrome-with-ifih1-variant-a-case-report/. Accessed May 12, 2025.
  • Tweet
  • Email
  • Print

« Back to AAPM&R Annual Assembly 2019

PM&R Meeting Abstracts - https://pmrjabstracts.org/abstract/spasticity-management-in-a-patient-with-aicardi-goutieres-syndrome-with-ifih1-variant-a-case-report/

Leading the Way. Baltimore, MD & Virtual. October 20-23, 2022. #aapmr22

PM&R Journal

View issues of PM&R on the Wiley Online Library »

American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation

Visit the official site for the American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation »

AAPM&R Annual Assembly

Visit the official site for the AAPM&R Annual Assembly »

  • Help & Support
  • About Us
  • Cookies & Privacy
  • Wiley Job Network
  • Terms & Conditions
  • Advertisers & Agents
Copyright © 2025 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Wiley