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Glutaric aciduria type 1: proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings
Semra Kurul1, Handan Cakmakçi, Eray Dirik
1Department of Pediatric Neurology, Dokuz Eylül University Faculty of Medicine, Izmir, Turkey.
Insights
Glutaric aciduria type 1, a metabolic disorder, causes brain damage. Proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy reveals key biochemical changes, aiding in noninvasive assessment of neurodegeneration.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Neurology
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Glutaric aciduria type 1 is an inherited metabolic disorder affecting amino acid metabolism.
- It is caused by a deficiency in glutaryl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase.
- The condition often presents in infancy with severe neurological complications.
Observation:
- Neuroimaging findings in glutaric aciduria type 1 are established.
- Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data, however, are limited.
- This study details MRS findings in a young patient with the disorder.
Findings:
- Proton MRS revealed decreased N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio, increased choline/creatine ratio, and increased myoinositol/creatine ratio in affected brain regions.
- These spectral changes correlate with neuroaxonal damage, demyelination, and astrocytosis.
- The findings were compared to age-matched controls.
Implications:
- Proton MRS is a valuable noninvasive tool for evaluating metabolic disturbances in glutaric aciduria type 1.
- MRS can help assess the extent of brain damage.
- This technique may aid in monitoring disease progression and treatment efficacy.
Abstract:
Glutaric aciduria type 1 is an inborn error of lysine, hydroxylysine, and tryptophan metabolism caused by deficiency of glutaryl-coenzyme A dehydrogenase. The disease often appears in infancy with an encephalopathic episode that results in acute basal ganglia and white matter degeneration. The neuroimaging findings in glutaric aciduria type 1 have been well defined. However, the changes in magnetic resonance spectroscopy, a noninvasive tool for identifying the biochemical state of the brain, are scarce in glutaric aciduria type 1. This report presents the magnetic resonance spectroscopy findings in a 19-month-old male with glutaric aciduria type 1. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy of right frontal white matter and right lentiform nuclei revealed decreased N-acetylaspartate/creatine ratio, slightly increased choline/creatine ratio, and increased myoinositol/creatine ratio, compared with the age-matched control patients. We thought that these changes were in accordance with neuroaxonal damage, demyelination, and astrocytosis in these areas. In conclusion, proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy provides a tool for assessing metabolic disturbances and the extent of brain damage noninvasively in glutaric aciduria type 1.
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