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Fatal haemorrhagic infarct in an infant with homocystinuria

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 February 1999

E Cardo
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Unitat Integrada Hospital Clínic, Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.
J Campistol
Affiliation:
Department of Neurology, Unitat Integrada Hospital Clínic, Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.
J Caritg
Affiliation:
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Unitat Integrada de Pediatria Hospital Clínic, Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
S Ruiz
Affiliation:
Paediatric Intensive Care Unit, Unitat Integrada de Pediatria Hospital Clínic, Sant Joan de Déu, Universitat de Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain.
M A Vilaseca
Affiliation:
Laboratory of Inborn Metabolic Disorders, Hospital Sant Joan de Déu, Barcelona, Spain.
F Kirkham
Affiliation:
Neurosciences Unit, Institute of Child Health (UCL), London, UK.
H J Blom
Affiliation:
University Hospital Nijmegen, NL-6500 HB Nijmegen, The Netherlands.
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Abstract

Thrombotic and thromboembolic complications are the main causes of morbidity and mortality in patients with homocystinuria. However, it is unusual for thrombosis and infarction to be the presenting feature leading to investigation for homocystinuria and cerebrovascular lesions in the first year of life. We describe a previously healthy 6-month-old infant who presented with a large middle-cerebral-artery territory infarction and died of massive brain swelling. Homocystinuria due to cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency was diagnosed by metabolite analysis and confirmed by enzymatic activity measurement in a postmortem liver biopsy. Homocystinuria should be considered in the differential diagnosis of venous or arterial thrombosis, regardless of age, even in the absence of other common features of the disease. We recommend systematic metabolic screening for hyperhomocysteinemia in any child presenting with vascular lesions or premature thromboembolism.

Type
Case Reports
Copyright
© 1999 Mac Keith Press

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