[Muscle weakness and early stages of liver failure in a 22-year-old man]

Internist (Berl). 2013 Aug;54(8):1016-22. doi: 10.1007/s00108-013-3329-1.
[Article in German]

Abstract

A 22-year-old man without pre-existing medical conditions presented to our hospital with a progressive reduction of his physical overall performance, muscle weakness of the extremities, and diarrhea for the last 2 months concomitant with elevated liver enzymes and creatine kinase activity. After ruling out infectious diseases, neoplasia, and autoimmune disorders as a cause of these symptoms, the histology of liver and muscle samples led us to suspect a diagnosis of a rare lipid metabolism disorder. Molecular biologic testing provided the diagnosis of multiple acyl-coA dehydrogenase deficiency with ubiquinone deficiency and late onset. The course of disease was complicated by liver failure and severe pneumonia requiring ventilatory assistance. With the substitution of riboflavin and ubiquinone, the patient showed a gradual recovery of his clinical presentation and an improvement of his laboratory tests. A congenital lipid metabolic disorder might be a rare cause of severe myopathy and hepatopathy in a young adult.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Ataxia / complications
  • Ataxia / diagnosis*
  • Ataxia / drug therapy*
  • Diagnosis, Differential
  • Humans
  • Liver Failure / complications
  • Liver Failure / diagnosis*
  • Liver Failure / drug therapy*
  • Male
  • Mitochondrial Diseases / complications
  • Mitochondrial Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Mitochondrial Diseases / drug therapy*
  • Multiple Acyl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase Deficiency / complications
  • Multiple Acyl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase Deficiency / diagnosis*
  • Multiple Acyl Coenzyme A Dehydrogenase Deficiency / drug therapy*
  • Muscle Weakness / complications
  • Muscle Weakness / diagnosis*
  • Muscle Weakness / drug therapy*
  • Riboflavin / therapeutic use
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ubiquinone / deficiency*
  • Ubiquinone / therapeutic use

Substances

  • Ubiquinone
  • Riboflavin

Supplementary concepts

  • Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency