Glutaric aciduria and suspected child abuse

AIM—To determine the relation between respiratory function in infancy and at school age in children who have undergone oesophageal atresia and tracheoesophageal fistula repair, and assess the value of infant respiratory function testing; and to examine the effect of bronchodilators.METHOD—Fourteen children (6 girls, and 8 boys) who had undergone respiratory function testing in infancy were retested at school age (7?12 years). Measurements included lung volume, airways resistance, peak flow, and spirometry. Clinical problems were investigated by questionnaire. Twelve children had repeat measurements after taking salbutamol.RESULTS—Predominant complaints were non-productive cough and dysphagia, but even those children with major problems in infancy reported few restrictions at school or in sport or social activities. Respiratory function and clinical findings at school age appeared unrelated to status in infancy, such that even the patients with severe tracheomalacia requiring aortopexy did not have lung function testing suggestive of malacia at school age. Most patients showed a restrictive pattern of lung volume which would appear to result from reduced lung growth after surgery rather than being a concomitant feature of the primary congenital abnormality. Although six children reported wheeze and four had a diagnosis of asthma, only one responded to salbutamol. This suggests that a tendency to attribute all lower respiratory symptoms to asthma may have led to an overdiagnosis of this condition in this patient group.CONCLUSION—Respiratory function testing in infancy is of limited value in medium term prognosis, but may aid management of contemporary clinical signs. In children respiratory function testing is valuable in assessing suspected asthma and effects of bronchodilators.     

Glutaric aciduria type I: unusual biochemical presentation.

We describe a patient with glutaryl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase deficiency, demonstrated by a residual enzyme activity of only 1% in cultured fibroblasts. Although the clinical presentation was typical of glutaric aciduria type I, the urine concentrations of glutaric, glutaconic, and 3-hydroxyglutaric acids remained normal, even during episodes of clinical decompensation. An increased free glutarate level was demonstrated only in cerebrospinal fluid.     

Ⅰ型戊二酸尿症一例

患儿男，8个月。因头竖不稳1个月来我科门诊。患儿系第一胎足月，因胎盘老化剖宫产出生。1分钟Apgar评分10分，出生体重3800g。母乳喂养，6个月添加米粉。患儿出生6个月内发育基本正常，2个月能抬头，4个月能背靠物体坐稳。但7个月时发现患儿头竖不稳，至今不能独坐。曾在外院作头部CT和脑电图未发现异常，发育商(DQ)71分(为临界值)，诊断为“脑瘫”。予以康复治疗无明显好转，来我科门诊。患儿既往体健。父母均体健，非近亲结婚。家族中无类似患者，也无其他遗传性疾病史。体查：头围41．0cm、体重8．20kg、身高67．0cm。     

儿童戊二酸血症I型2例报告

No abstract available

     

Glutaric aciduria type 1: biochemical investigations and postmortem findings

Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA1; deficiency of glutaryl — CoA dehydrogenase) was diagnosed in a 6.5-month-old female infant. Despite a good biochemical response to dietary reduction of lysine and tryptophan, there was no clinical response to diet nor to riboflavin therapy and her neurological condition deteriorated progressively until her death at 10.5 months. At postmortem examination only mild neuropathological abnormalities were found in contrast to previous reports of this condition. High levels of glutarate were found in liver, skeletal muscle, heart muscle and aqueous humor. Eye fluid which is readily available, may be a useful material for the postmortem diagnosis of this, and other organic acidurias when urine is not available.Abbreviations GA1 glutaric aciduria type 1     

Glutaric aciduria. 1 new case]

A 4 year old girl with mild mental retardation presented with convulsions, coma and hepatomegaly. She died rapidly. The main biochemical findings were hypoglycaemia, metabolic acidosis, generalised aminoaciduria, elevation of the plasma and urine alpha-amino adipic acid, massive urine excretion of glutaric and glutaconic acids with traces of alpha-hydroxyglutaric acid. The diagnosis of glutaric aciduria was confirmed by the low activity of glutaryl CoA dehydrogenase in liver tissue. This diagnosis should be considered in children with progressive neurological disorders (dystonia, choreoathetosis) and in children with an illness similar to Reye's syndrome.     

Glutaric aciduria type I: ultrasonographic demonstration of early signs

Background. Glutaric aciduria type I (GA-I) is a rare inherited metabolic disease with increased excretion of glutaric acid and its metabolites. Diagnosis is often delayed until the onset of irreversible neurological deficits. Material and methods. We reviewed the clinical and imaging (US, CT and MRI) findings in six patients with proven GA-I and with emphasis on the early US findings. Coronal and sagittal US images of the brain were obtained through the anterior fontanelle in all patients. CT was obtained in three patients and MRI was obtained in two. Results. Macrocephaly was found in all patients, being present in three children at birth or developing rapidly within the first weeks of life. US showed, in all patients, bilateral symmetrical cyst-like dilatation of the sylvian fissures. Progressive fronto-temporal atrophy developed within the first months. CT and MRI demonstrated fronto-temporal atrophy with lack of opercularisation in all cases and basal ganglia or periventricular hypodensities in three patients. Conclusions. In patients with macrocephaly at birth or rapidly developing within the first weeks of life, US should be performed as the primary imaging modality. Cyst-like bilateral widening of the sylvian fissures is the first sign of GA-I, followed by progressive fronto-temporal and ventricular enlargement. These patients should be screened for GA-I in order to initiate treatment in the asymptomatic stage. Received: 15 September 1997 Accepted: 15 June 1998     

Glutaric aciduria type I associated with learning disability

The authors report a 7-year-8-months-old boy with glutaric aciduria type I who had associated dyslexia, dysgraphia and dyscalculia. The diagnosis of glutaric aciduria type I was confirmed on the basis of characteristic neuroimaging and biochemical findings. Axial T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain showed fronto-temporal atrophy, open opercula and bat-wing dilatation of the sylvian fissures. Axial T[2]-weighted and FLAIR imaging showed hyperintense signal abnormality in both putamen and in the fronto-parietal deep white matter. Urinary aminoacidogram by thin layer chromatography revealed a generalized aminoaciduria. Urinary organic acid analysis by gas chromatography- mass spectroscopy revealed a marked excretion of glutaric acid. Psychoeducational testing was used to diagnose the learning disability. We postulate that the accumulation of glutaric acid and other metabolites was responsible for the child developing the associated learning disability.     

Glutaric aciduria type I: Outcome of patients with early- versus late-diagnosis

Patients with Glutaric aciduria type 1 (GA-1) can be identified by newborn screening using tandem mass spectrometry. The clinical evolution of screened patients seems to be more favourable compared with those diagnosed later, although long-term evolution is still doubtful. We have evaluated the outcome in nine GA-1 patients diagnosed in our region during 12 years. Six were detected by newborn screening and 3 clinically. The birth prevalence was 1:35,027. High blood C5DC concentration, in 8/9 patients, was found, whereas all patients exhibited high concentration of this metabolite in urine. Therefore, urine C5DC was a good marker for the detection of this disease. Eight different mutations in the GCDH gene were identified, four of them were novel (p.R88H, p.Y398C, p.R372K, p.D220N); being p.R227P the mostcommon. Macrocephaly with enlarged frontotemporal subarachnoid space was present in 4/6 patients diagnosed by newborn screening, all these patients required high energy intake, and in two cases, enteral feeding during the first year of life was needed. One child had an intercurrent episode of feeding refuse with hypoglycemia at two years of age. The mean follow-up time of screened patients was 56 months, and patients still remain asymptomatic. However, after a mean follow-up of 97 months treatment efficacy was poor in unscreened patients, two of them showing a severe spastic tetraparesis. Plasma levels of lysine, tryptophan and carnitine, were the most useful biomarkers for the follow-up.Our data support that, early diagnosis and treatment strategies are essential measures for the good clinical evolution of GA-1 patients.     

Glutaric aciduria type I: enzymatic and neuroradiologic investigations of two kindreds

Two kindreds with glutaric aciduria type I were investigated. Of 20 family members who underwent neurologic examination and organic acid analysis of urine, 18 had glutaryl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase (GDH) activity determined in cultured skin fibroblasts and 12 had computed tomographic brain scans. Six homozygotes were identified who had undetectable GDH activity and identical biochemical profiles (consisting of glutaric and 3-hydroxyglutaric aciduria, reduced serum carnitine concentrations, and frontotemporal atrophy). Serial computed tomographic brain scans of one homozygous infant demonstrated the sequential postnatal development of this atrophy during 3 years before the development of clinical manifestations. In three of the six homozygotes, including the father in one kindred, there were no clinical manifestations of glutaric aciduria type I. These findings raise questions about the value of prenatal diagnosis in predicting clinical manifestations in homozygous newborn infants.     

Glutaric aciduria type II: treatment with riboflavine,carnitine and insulin

A boy, now 22 months old, is described who presented at the age of 6 weeks with hypoglycaemic coma. The excretion pattern of organic acids in the urine was consistent with glutaric aciduria type II (GA II). A high energy diet low in fat and protein was given.Treatment with riboflavine resulted in an improvement of the metabolite profile, and the patient gained weight. However, a tendency to hypoglycaemia and severe hypotonia persisted. Due to muscle weakness, aggravated by infections, artificial ventilation was necessary during three periods.Serum carnitine level was low. Treatment with carnitine, started during the third period of artificial ventilation, led to some improvement of muscle strength, but he still could not breathe without support. Treatment with insulin, combined with further enrichment of the diet with glucose, resulted in an increase in muscular strength and in weight gain.Thirteen families with GA II have been described upto now. This is the first patient with a severe form of the disorder wo has survived the 1st year of life. Treatment and metabolic studies are presented.     

Glutaric aciduria type 1 and neonatal screening: time to proceed--with caution

The new technology of tandem mass spectrometry is having a significant impact on the diagnostics of inborn metabolic errors. One of the most important aspects of this new technology is the possibility of recognising a whole class of disorders within a single analytical step. Shall this powerful technology be applied to the screening of newborn babies? Careful evaluation of every single disorder that could potentially be identified is needed. In the following, I will present some considerations that concern glutaric aciduria type 1 (MIM 231670; glutaryl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency).