Clinical manifestation and natural course of late-onset Pompe's disease in 54 Dutch patients

Late-onset Pompe's disease (acid maltase deficiency, glycogen storage disease type II) is a slowly progressive myopathy caused by deficiency of acid α-glucosidase. Current developments in enzyme replacement therapy require detailed knowledge of the kind and severity of symptoms and the natural course of the disease in the patient population. A detailed questionnaire covering the patients' medical history and current situation was developed and information was gathered from 54 Dutch patients. The mean age of the participants was 48.6 ± 15.6 years. The first complaints started at a mean age of 2... Mehr ...

Verfasser: Hagemans, M. L. C.
Winkel, L. P. F.
Van Doorn, P. A.
Hop, W. J. C.
Loonen, M. C. B.
Reuser, A. J. J.
Van der Ploeg, A. T.
Dokumenttyp: TEXT
Erscheinungsdatum: 2005
Verlag/Hrsg.: Oxford University Press
Schlagwörter: Articles
Sprache: Englisch
Permalink: https://search.fid-benelux.de/Record/base-28583224
Datenquelle: BASE; Originalkatalog
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Link(s) : http://brain.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/short/128/3/671

Late-onset Pompe's disease (acid maltase deficiency, glycogen storage disease type II) is a slowly progressive myopathy caused by deficiency of acid α-glucosidase. Current developments in enzyme replacement therapy require detailed knowledge of the kind and severity of symptoms and the natural course of the disease in the patient population. A detailed questionnaire covering the patients' medical history and current situation was developed and information was gathered from 54 Dutch patients. The mean age of the participants was 48.6 ± 15.6 years. The first complaints started at a mean age of 28.1 ± 14.3 years and were mostly related to mobility problems and limb-girdle weakness. Fifty-eight percent of the adult patients indicated the presence of mild muscular symptoms during childhood. Twenty-eight percent of the patients waited >5 years for the final diagnosis after the first visit to a physician for disease-related complaints. At the time of questionnaire completion, 48% of the study population used a wheelchair and 37% used artificial ventilation. Movements such as rising from an armchair, taking stairs or getting upright after bending over were difficult or impossible for more than two-thirds of the respondents. The age at onset, the rate of disease progression and the sequence of respiratory and skeletal muscle involvement varied substantially between patients. Seventy-six percent of the participants indicated being troubled by fatigue and 46% by pain. This survey has mapped the age at onset, presenting symptoms, heterogeneity in progression and range of disease severity in a large group ofDutch patients. We conclude that early manifestations in childhood require proper attention to prevent unnecessary delay of the diagnosis. The follow-up of patients with late-onset Pompe's disease should focus on respiratory and limb-girdle muscle function, the capacity to perform daily activities, and the presentation of fatigue and pain.