Ethylmalonic encephalopathy. Another patient from Kuwait

Abstract

We report a Kuwaiti girl with ethylmalonic encephalopathy. She presented at the age of 4 months with chronic mucoid diarrhea and delayed psychomotor development, and at 6 months she developed myoclonic epilepsy. She was found to have central hypotonia with pyramidal tract signs, acrocyanosis, and petechiae. Plasma lactate level was elevated. Blood spot and urine for organic acids results were consistent with the diagnosis of ethylmalonic encephalopathy. Cerebral MRI showed basal ganglia and white matter changes. Gene mutation study revealed homozygous deletion of exon 4 of theETHE1 gene. The patient died at 14 months after extensive bronchopneumonia. Our objective is to alert physicians to the existence of such a devastating disease in our community and their role in the early diagnosis in the index patient for proper genetic counseling.