BACKGROUND: Hereditary angioedema (HAE) is a genetic condition characterized by dysregulation of the contact (kallikrein-bradykinin) pathway, leading to recurrent episodes of angioedema. OBJECTIVE: This project sought to determine whether a suspicion index screening tool using electronic health record (EHR) data can identify patients with an increased likelihood of a diagnosis of HAE. METHODS: A suspicion index screening tool for HAE was created and validated by using known patients with HAE from the medical literature as well as positive and negative controls from HAE-focused centers. Through the use of key features of medical and family history, a series of logistic regression models for 5 known genetic causes of HAE were created. Top variables populated the digital suspicion scoring system and were run against deidentified EHR data. Patients at 2 diverse sites were categorized as being at increased, possible, or no increased risk of HAE. RESULTS: Prediction scoring using the strongest 13 variables on the real-world EHR-positive control data identified all but 1 patient with C1 inhibitor deficiency and patient with non-C1 inhibitor deficiency without false-positive results. The 2 missed patients had no documented family history of HAE in their EHR. When the prediction scoring variables were expanded to 25, the screening algorithm approached 100% sensitivity and specificity. The 25-variable algorithm run on general population EHR data identified 26 patients at the medical centers as being at increased risk for HAE. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that development, validation, and implementation of suspicion index screening tools can be useful to aid providers in identifying patients with rare genetic conditions.

Background

Clinical characteristics of isolated idiopathic cervical dystonia such as onset site and spread to and from additional body regions have been addressed in single-site studies with limited data and incomplete or variable dissociation of focal and segmental subtypes. The objectives of this study were to characterize the clinical characteristics and demographics of isolated idiopathic cervical dystonia in the largest standardized multicenter cohort.

Methods

The Dystonia Coalition, through a consortium of 37 recruiting sites in North America, Europe, and Australia, recruited 1477 participants with focal (60.7%) or segmental (39.3%) cervical dystonia on examination. Clinical and demographic characteristics were evaluated in terms of the body region of dystonia onset and spread.

Results

Site of dystonia onset was: (1) focal neck only (78.5%), (2) focal onset elsewhere with later segmental spread to neck (13.3%), and (3) segmental onset with initial neck involvement (8.2%). Frequency of spread from focal cervical to segmental dystonia (22.8%) was consistent with prior reports, but frequency of segmental onset with initial neck involvement was substantially higher than the 3% previously reported. Cervical dystonia with focal neck onset, more than other subtypes, was associated with spread and tremor of any type. Sensory tricks were less frequent in cervical dystonia with segmental components, and segmental cervical onset occurred at an older age.

Conclusions

Subgroups had modest but significant differences in the clinical characteristics that may represent different clinical entities or pathophysiologic subtypes. These findings are critical for design and implementation of studies to describe, treat, or modify disease progression in idiopathic isolated cervical dystonia. © 2016 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.