Clarification: "Benson and Alpen Criteria" Does Not Exist as a Recognized Medical Diagnostic System
There are no established "Benson and Alpen criteria" in medical literature. This appears to be a misidentification or conflation of different medical concepts. Based on the available evidence and medical literature, I can clarify what you may be referring to:
Possible Intended References
1. Revised ALPS Diagnostic Criteria (Not "Benson and Alpen")
The evidence provided relates to Autoimmune Lymphoproliferative Syndrome (ALPS), which uses the NIH 2009 revised diagnostic criteria published in Blood journal 1. These criteria have no connection to anyone named "Benson and Alpen."
ALPS Diagnostic Framework:
Required Criteria (both must be present) 1:
- Chronic (≥6 months) nonmalignant, noninfectious lymphadenopathy or splenomegaly or both
- Elevated CD3+TCRαβ+ CD4-CD8- double-negative T cells (≥1.5% of total lymphocytes or 2.5% of CD3+ lymphocytes) with normal or elevated lymphocyte counts
Primary Accessory Criteria (one needed for definitive diagnosis) 1:
- Defective lymphocyte apoptosis in two separate assays
- Somatic or germline pathogenic mutation in FAS, FASLG, or CASP10
Secondary Accessory Criteria (one needed for probable diagnosis) 1:
- Elevated biomarkers (sFASL ≥200 pg/mL, IL-10 ≥20 pg/mL, vitamin B12 ≥1500 ng/L, or IL-18 ≥500 pg/mL)
- Typical immunohistological findings
- Autoimmune cytopenias with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia
- Compatible family history
2. Benson's Disease (Posterior Cortical Atrophy)
"Benson's Disease" refers to posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), first described by D. Frank Benson 2. This is completely unrelated to any "Alpen" criteria and involves:
- Progressive visuospatial dysfunction 2
- Gerstmann's and Balint's syndromes 2
- Relatively preserved memory initially (though this criterion has been challenged) 2
3. Benson Relaxation Technique
The "Benson Relaxation Technique" is a stress-reduction method, not diagnostic criteria 3. It has been studied for pain management post-cesarean section 3.
Common Pitfall
The term "Benson and Alpen criteria" does not exist in medical literature. If you encountered this term in clinical practice or documentation, it likely represents:
- A miscommunication or documentation error
- Confusion with ALPS diagnostic criteria
- Misattribution of Benson's work on PCA
Recommendation: Clarify the specific clinical context (lymphoproliferative disorder, neurodegenerative disease, or other condition) to identify the correct diagnostic criteria being referenced.