Phenotypic and Neuropathological Characterization of Fetal Pyruvate Dehydrogenase Deficiency

To distinguish pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency (PDH) from other antenatal neurometabolic disorders thereby improving prenatal diagnosis, we describe imaging findings, clinical phenotype, and brain lesions in fetuses from 3 families with molecular characterization of this condition. Neuropathological analysis was performed in 4 autopsy cases from 3 unrelated families with subsequent biochemical and molecular confirmation of PDH complex deficiency. In 2 families there were mutations in the PDHA1 gene; in the third family there was a mutation in the PDHB gene. All fetuses displayed characteristic craniofacial dysmorphism of varying severity, absence of visceral lesions, and associated encephaloclastic and developmental supra- and infratentorial lesions. Neurodevelopmental abnormalities included microcephaly, migration abnormalities (pachygyria, polymicrogyria, periventricular nodular heterotopias), and cerebellar and brainstem hypoplasia with hypoplastic dentate nuclei and pyramidal tracts. Associated clastic lesions included asymmetric leukomalacia, reactive gliosis, large pseudocysts of germinolysis, and basal ganglia calcifications. The diagnosis of PDH deficiency should be suspected antenatally with the presence of clastic and neurodevelopmental lesions and a relatively characteristic craniofacial dysmorphism. Postmortem examination is essential for excluding other closely related entities, thereby allowing for biochemical and molecular confirmation.