Wide Spectrum of Cardiac Phenotype in Myofibrillar Myopathy Associated With a Bcl-2-Associated Athanogene 3 Mutation: A Case Report and Literature Review

Abstract

Myofibrillar myopathy is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of muscle disorders characterized by myofibrillar degeneration. Bcl-2-associated athanogene 3 (BAG3)-related myopathy is the rarest form of myofibrillar myopathy. Patients with BAG3-related myopathy present with early-onset and progressive muscle weakness, rigid spine, respiratory insufficiency, and cardiomyopathy. Notably, the heterozygous mutation (Pro209Leu) in BAG3 is commonly associated with rapidly progressive cardiomyopathy in childhood. We describe a male patient with the BAG3 (Pro209Leu) mutation. The patient presented at age 7 years with muscle weakness predominantly in the proximal lower limbs. Histologic findings revealed a mixture of severe neurogenic and myogenic changes. His motor symptoms progressed rapidly in the next decade, becoming wheelchair-dependent by age 17 years; however, at the age of 19 years, cardiomyopathy was not evident. This study reports a case of BAG3-related myopathy without cardiac involvement and further confirmed the wide phenotypic spectrum of BAG3-related myopathy.