Glycerol intolerance in a child with intermittent hypoglycemia

A 3-yr-old boy was investigated for numerous episodes of fatigue, irritability, pallor, and sweating, which began at 11 mo of age, when he had an episode of symptomatic hypoglycemia with ketonuria. He had euphoria, mental confusion, drowsiness, nausea, and vomiting 1-5 hr after oral administration of glycerol in doses of 0.5-1.0gm/kg. Orally administered MCT (1 gm/kg) had similar effects. On one occasion, oral glycerol also provoked hypoglycemia, as had a 16 1/2 hr fast. Intravenously administered glycerol (0.09 gm/kg) induced an immediate loss of consciousness from which he recovered spontaneously after 30 min; there were no changes in blood glucose values. Intravenously administered fructose (0.25 gm/kg) was tolerated normally. Leukocytes showed normal activities for FDPase, glycerol kinase, and glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase. The restriction of dietary intake of fat has been associated with a marked improvement in physical and mental activities. These observations suggest a unique, yet undifined intolerance to glycerol, which suggest caution in the diagnostic use of glycerol in the investigation of hypoglycemia as well as in the therapy of increased intracranial or intraocular pressure.