Article Text

Download PDFPDF
Dilated cardiomyopathy due to type II X-linked 3-methylglutaconic aciduria: successful treatment with pantothenic acid.
  1. I Ostman-Smith,
  2. G Brown,
  3. A Johnson,
  4. J M Land
  1. Department of Paediatrics, John Radcliffe Hospital, Oxford.

    Abstract

    A case of dilated cardiomyopathy in a young boy secondary to type II 3-methylglutaconic aciduria is described. A metabolic cause for his dilated cardiomyopathy was suspected because of the development on the electrocardiogram of an unusual "camel's hump" shape of the T waves, and of progressive thickening with increasing echogenicity of the left ventricular wall. He initially improved on digoxin treatment, but did not maintain the response with conventional dietary treatment for this condition. Supplementation with L-carnitine was associated with rapid deterioration in cardiac state, and may be contraindicated in this condition. At a point when the patient was moribund, large doses of pantothenic acid, a precursor of coenzyme A, produced a dramatic and sustained improvement in myocardial function and in growth, neutrophil cell count, hypocholesterolaemia, and hyperuricaemia, which suggests that limitation of availability of coenzyme A is a fundamental pathological process in this condition. The clinical improvement has been maintained for 13 months, and myocardial function is now nearly normal. Oral pantothenol, unlike pantothenic acid, is not efficacious.

    Statistics from Altmetric.com

    Request Permissions

    If you wish to reuse any or all of this article please use the link below which will take you to the Copyright Clearance Center’s RightsLink service. You will be able to get a quick price and instant permission to reuse the content in many different ways.