[Severe anorexia in infants in Reunion: a new autosomal recessive disease?]. / L'anorexie sévère du nourrisson réunionnais: une nouvelle affection autosomique récessive?

BACKGROUND: Infantile anorexia is usually considered as a psychogenic disorder with benign prognosis. However, unusually severe characteristics of infantile anorexia, seen in the south of the island, seem to us in favor of a new metabolic etiology. POPULATION AND METHODS: Among 38 known cases, we retrospectively studied the best documented observations of 24 children admitted over the last 25 years to our institution. RESULTS: The sex ratio was ten females and 14 males. Twenty-three of the 24 infants lived in formerly isolated localities of the island where other hereditary diseases have been observed with an unusually high frequency. The family pedigrees favoured an autosomal recessive heredity. Severe anorexia, accompanied by irrepressible vomiting (91%), appeared at the age of 8.5 months +/- 3.5. Parenteral (54.2%) or enteral (54.2%) feeding was necessary but did not always avoid death, which occurred in 45.8% of the cases at the age of 24 months +/- 3.5. All of the children which survived had neurological disorders (pyramidal syndrome, ataxia, laryngeal palsy, mental retardation, seizures) which occurred sometimes at an early stage. The investigations did not allow the identification of any known cause. DISCUSSION: The elevated level of lactic acid in the cerebral spinal fluid seemed to indicate a possible mitochondrial disorder, eventually a mutation of an autosomal gene of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex because of the normal lactate/pyruvate ratio, but enzymatic activities were normal. The cerebral MRI showed features of leukodystrophy. On the other hand, the elevated level of plasma serotonin seemed to indicate a disorder of the serotonin metabolism, for which an animal model exists. CONCLUSION: We propose to name this new syndrome by the acronym 'RAVINE' which associates Reunion, Anorexia, Vomiting which is Irrepressible, and Neurological signs. Linkage study might allow the localization and isolation of a gene and allow one to start understanding the biological mechanism which we suspect to be an hereditary neurobiological eating disorder.

[MELAS syndrome in a five year-old child: clinical, biological and genetic characteristics]. / Syndrome MELAS chez un enfant de 5 ans: caractéristiques cliniques, biologiques et génétiques.

BACKGROUND: MELAS syndrome is a rare mitochondrial cytopathy; its diagnosis can be difficult. CASE REPORT: A 6-month-old boy presented with febrile seizures, possibly due to viral meningitis. At 7 months, he developed myoclonia and "brain attacks" and, subsequently, myoclonical attacks, regression of psychomotor and mental acquisitions, and progressive visual loss. The ratio of lactatorachia/lactacidemia was increased. The molecular genetic analysis showed an heteroplasmic point mutation with A-to-G mutation at nucleotide 3243 of the mitochondrial tRNA(leu) (UUR) gene. He was the second child of a mother having frequent headaches. His great aunt, a sister of his maternal grandmother, was mentally retarded and had frequent epileptic seizures and hemiparesy since her childhood. CONCLUSION: Any unusual neurological symptom, particularly when combined with "illegitimate" symptoms, should lead to search for a mitochondrial cytopathy.

[Myelofibrosis regressing under corticotherapy and intravenous immunoglobulins in an infant]. / Myélofibrose du nourrisson régressive sous corticothérapie et immunoglobulines intraveineuses.

BACKGROUND: Primary myelofibrosis is rare in infants and children; its association with auto-immune markers has only been reported in adults. CASE REPORT: An 8 month-old girl was admitted because of severe anemia and neutropenia. The marrow aspirate showed dysgranulopoiesis and partial interruption of maturation after the myelocyte level. The bone marrow biopsy revealed reticulinic myelofibrosis. The condition worsened with development of agranulocytosis and thrombocytopenia. Investigations ruled out malignant hemopathy, metastatic infiltration of the marrow and osteopathy. A myelodysplastic syndrome was discussed, but presence of anti-granulocyte auto-antibodies and positive Coombs test led to consider an autoimmune etiology. A corticosteroid therapy was attempted, effective only on the platelet lineage. Addition of intravenous gammaglobulin therapy corrected the problem. After a 24 month-course of the disease, it was necessary to prolong therapy. CONCLUSION: The efficacy of gammaglobulins may be an additional argument for auto-immunity, although no other auto-immune pattern has been observed in our patient, contrary to reported cases in adults.