Diagnosis and Treatment in a Case of Juvenile Subacute Necrotizing Encephalopathy Leigh without Cytochrome c Oxidase Deficiency

Abstract

Subacute necrotizing encephalopathy (Leigh syndrome) is characterized by lactacidosis, seizures, ataxia, multiple cerebral hypervascularized lesions and mitochondrial oxidation defects. This is a report on a 21-year-old patient with proven Leigh syndrome, mild central and provokable peripheral lactacidosis, an extra-erythrocyte complex II defect, functionally reduced myokinase adenylate deaminase activity, but no ultrastructural mitochondrial changes. Determination of lactate, pyruvate and ammonia under ischemic conditions plus a pyruvate loading test were particularly useful. Oral flunarizine (Sibelium® 30 mg/d) proved to be therapeutically effective.