Compromised therapeutic value of pediatric liver transplantation in ethylmalonic encephalopathy: A case report

Ethylmalonic encephalopathy (EE) is a rare autosomal recessive metabolic disorder caused by impaired mitochondrial sulfur dioxygenase. Due to poor therapeutic effect of current conventional treatments, progressive psychomotor regression and neurological impairment usually contribute to early death in the first decade of life. Liver transplantation (LT) is emerging as a novel therapeutic option for EE; however, worldwide experience is still limited.

An 18-mo-old patient with the diagnosis of EE received a living donor liver transplant in our institution, which, to our knowledge, is the first case in Asian-Pacific countries. During 20 mo of follow-up, the longitudinal metabolic evaluations revealed a wild fluctuation in urinary EMA levels, still far beyond the normal range. Urinary 2-methylsuccinic acid levels gradually restored to normal, whereas the concentrations of urinary isobutyrylglycine and plasma C4- and C5-acylcarnitines fluctuated markedly and still remained above the reference limits. Only mild amelioration of petechiae and ecchymosis was observed, and no dramatic reversion of chronic mucoid diarrhea and orthostatic acrocyanosis occurred. Although brain magnetic resonance imaging suggested a certain improvement in basal ganglia lesions, the patient still presented developmental delay and neurologic disability.

LT may bring about a partial but not complete cure to EE. Given its definite role in defending against the devastating natural progression of EE, LT should still be considered for patients with EE in the absence of other superior therapeutic options. Early establishment of diagnosis and initiation of conventional treatment pre-transplant, timely LT, and continuous administration of metabolism-correcting medications post-transplant may be helpful in minimizing the neurologic impairment and maximizing the therapeutic value of LT in EE.