Dehydrogenase (DLD) Deficiency in an Iranian Patient with Recurrent Intractable Vomiting: Successful Treatment with Thiamine Supplementation.

Dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase (DLD) deficiency is a rare disease of genetic origin due to the malfunctioning of a shared subunit of three mitochondrial multi-enzyme complexes. Phenotypes of this disease are a set of clinical manifestations ranging from neonatal disorders to myopathy or recurrent episodes of liver failures, and vomiting for which no adequate or definitive treatment is currently available. This study described a case involving a 16-year-old boy who had experienced recurrent vomiting of unknown cause from age two. Normal value ranges for the basic metabolic panel were reported in previous years. The patient was admitted with Wernicke's encephalopathy after the last vomiting attack, also indicating metabolites of organic acids compatible with DLD deficiency. Whole exome sequencing identified a known pathogenic mutation in the DLD gene, leading to a diagnosis of DLD deficiency. Our patient was treated with a high dose of thiamine supplementation and continued treatment, has not experienced any vomiting attacks or related problems in the last two years and has adequately responded to the treatment prescribed. Normal urine organic acid levels in patients with recurrent vomiting cannot roll out DLD deficiency. However, although thiamine deficiency typically induces Wernicke's encephalopathy, it can also be implicated in pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDHc) deficiency, and high-dose thiamine therapy (with doses up to 30 mg/kg) is recommended for deficient patients.

Inborn Errors of Metabolism Associated With Autism Among Children: A Multicenter Study from Iran.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to find the common inborn errors of metabolism in Iranian patients with autism spectrum disorder. METHODS: In this cross-sectional multicenter study, 105 children and adolescents with autism spectrum disorder from six centers in different cities of Iran were enrolled between August, 2019 and October, 2020. Metabolic screening, including measuring plasma levels of amino acids, acylcarnitines, creatine, and guani-dinoacetate, and urinary levels of organic acids, purines, and pyrimidines was performed. Other data, including age, parental consanguinity, history of seizure, developmental mile-stones, and physical examination, were also recorded. RESULTS: An inborn error of metabolism was found in 13 (12.4%) patients. Five patients (4.8%) had cerebral creatine deficiency syndrome, 4 (3.8%) had arginine succinate aciduria, 2- methylbutyryl glycinuria, short-chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency, and combined methylmalonic aciduria/malonic aciduria. There was a strong association between positive meta-bolic evaluation and parental consanguinity, history of seizures, microcephaly, and delayed development. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that metabolic screening should be performed in the cases of autism associated with parental consanguinity, developmental delay, and a history of seizures. The assays to be considered as a screening panel include plasma or blood amino acids, acylcarnitines, creatine and guanidinoacetate, and urinary levels of organic acids.

A Comparative Study on the Efficacy of Coenzyme Q10 and Amitriptyline in the Prophylactic Treatment of Migraine Headaches in Children: A Randomized Controlled Trial.

Background: Migraine, one of the most common headaches in children, has a significant impact on children and their family's quality of life (QoL). There are two approaches for controlling migraine headaches preventative and controlling acute attacks. Several drugs have been used for this purpose, and tricyclic antidepressants were at the top. Amitriptyline has shown not only a desirable effect on controlling the headaches but also some adverse side effects. Recently, finding effective drugs with fewer side effects, become more critical. Among them, nutraceuticals were one of the promising ones. Materials and Methods: In this randomized clinical trial on 72 patients aged 5-15 years old with diagnosis of migraine based on the International Headache Society criteria, we compare the effectiveness of coenzyme Qten on frequency, duration, and severity of childhood migraine. For comparing the QoL, we used the International PedMIDAS questionnaire. Results: Coenzyme Qten showed good therapeutic effects in children, especially in long-term use; however, amitriptyline showed more rapid response. After 3 months of treatment, clinical outcomes in the two groups did not significantly differ from each other. Similarly, Children's QoL increased in the same way. There are more reported side effects in children using amitriptyline compared to coenzyme Qten. Conclusions: According to results, Co-enzyme Q10, with fewer side effects and comparable therapeutic effects, especially in the long term, could be a good drug for prophylactic treatment of migraine headaches.

Effects of a Formula-Based Ketogenic Diet on Refractory Epilepsy in 1 to 3 Year-Old Patients under Classic Ketogenic Diet.

OBJECTIVES: The classic ketogenic diet (CKD) as a potential epilepsy treatment with high-fat has not good tolerability in some patients, and so many families refuse to use this diet for long term especially in children younger than 2 year. In the present study, the efficacy and tolerability of the CKD only diet were compared with CKD combined a formula-based powder in children between 1 and 3 yr with intractable epilepsy. MATERIALS & METHODS: We randomly enrolled 45 children referred to Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran from April 2016 to May 2017 with refractory epilepsy for CKD only (control group), and formula based CKD (experimental group) treatment. Subjects were followed up for at least six months. RESULTS: Most of the patients in CKD only group did not tolerate the diet and were reluctant to eat homemade foods with high fat. All families of the patients younger than 2 yr old in this group chose to discontinue CKD and pursued other options. About 33% of the families of the patients younger than 2 yr old and 41.6% of the total patients between 1-3 yr old in experimental group stayed to the end of the trial, and all of them showed more than 90% reduction in seizure frequency after 6 months. Moreover, regardless of the other variables, using formula increased the chance of responding to treatment 7.32 times. CONCLUSION: A ketogenic diet using a powder ketogenic formula is effective, safe, and tolerable in infants and children with refractory seizure especially for younger patients who are reluctant to eat ketogenic homemade foods.

Spinal Subdural Hematomas in a Normal Child without Trauma History: A Case Report.

Acute Spinal Subdural Hematoma (ASSH) is a rarely recognized condition that may result in severe irreversible neurologic complication. A 7-yr old girl presented to Neurology Department, Mofid Hospital, ShahidBeheshti University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran with limping and pain in lower extremities and acute paraplegia without history of direct trauma. The patient had muscle weakness in lower limbs and was unable to bear weight. Deep Tendon Reflexes (DTR) in lower extremities had increased. Her MRI showed spinal subdural hematoma we reextended from T2 to T6. We performed laminectomy from T2 to T5 and about 70 cc of subdural hematoma was evacuated. One month after the surgery, the patient's neurological deficit resolved completely. The results showed the pivotal role of attention to clinical manifestation in acute spinal subdural hematoma and early diagnosis to prevent irreversible neurologic complication.

Recurrent Stroke in a Child with TRMA Syndrome and SLC19A2 Gene Mutation.

Here we report a 5-month-old boy with thiamine Responsive Megaloblastic Anemia syndrome (TRMA syndrome) with several attacks of stroke, admitted to Mofid Children's Hospital, Tehran, Iran, in 2016. In addition to the cardinal clinical manifestations of the syndrome, other manifestations comprise thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia, diabetes mellitus, and sensor neural hearing loss. The patient showed the ischemic attack of stroke. Megaloblastic anemia and diabetes were diagnosed at 8 months and was successfully treated with vitamin and insulin prescription. After treatment of thiamine, diabetes was controlled and insulin was discontinued. In spite of the thiamine administration, the second stroke as hemorrhagic stroke occurred in the patient after a few months. TRAMA is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner. TRMA was confirmed by mutation in SLC19A2. A homozygous splice site variant was detected in SLC19A2 gene. Stroke was not reported in this syndrome (only in one report about one attack in an adult patient) but in this patient, several attacks of stroke were reported before and after thiamin administration.