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Published on: June 5, 2019
Cerebral hemorrhage in Fabry's disease
Katsuya Nakamura1, Yoshiki Sekijima, Kimitoshi Nakamura
1Department of Medicine (Neurology and Rheumatology), Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
Insights
Cerebral hemorrhage is a potential complication of Fabry disease, particularly in older males. This condition, caused by alpha-galactosidase A deficiency, may present with both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Genetics
- Metabolic Disorders
Background:
- Fabry disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder caused by alpha-galactosidase A deficiency.
- Ischemic stroke is a known complication, but hemorrhagic stroke is considered rare.
Observation:
- This study reports on three hemizygous male patients with Fabry disease who experienced cerebral hemorrhage.
- One patient had classic Fabry disease (p.Ala37Val mutation), while two had the cerebrovascular variant (p.Glu66Gln mutation).
Findings:
- Cerebral hemorrhage can occur in Fabry disease, challenging the notion of its rarity.
- Contributing factors include small artery degeneration from glycosphingolipid deposition, aging, hypertension, and anticoagulant/antiplatelet use.
Implications:
- Fabry disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of cerebral hemorrhage, especially in elderly male patients.
- This highlights the importance of recognizing both ischemic and hemorrhagic stroke as potential manifestations of Fabry disease.
Abstract:
Fabry's disease is an X-linked lysosomal storage disorder resulting from alpha-galactosidase A deficiency. Although ischemic stroke is recognized as an important manifestation of Fabry's disease, hemorrhagic stroke is considered to be rare. Here, we report our recent clinical experience with three hemizygous male patients with Fabry's disease who developed cerebral hemorrhage. One patient had classic type Fabry's disease with p.Ala37Val mutation and others had cerebrovascular variant with p.Glu66Gln mutation. Degeneration of the cerebral small arteries secondary to deposition of glycosphingolipids and aging, in addition to hypertension and antiplatelet/anticoagulant agents, are considered to be contributing factors for hemorrhage. Fabry's disease is frequently associated with not only ischemic but also hemorrhagic stroke, especially in elderly patients.
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