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  • Title: Molecular and neurological features of MELAS syndrome in paediatric patients: A case series and review of the literature.
    Author: Seed LM, Dean A, Krishnakumar D, Phyu P, Horvath R, Harijan PD.
    Journal: Mol Genet Genomic Med; 2022 Jul; 10(7):e1955. PubMed ID: 35474314.
    Abstract:
    BACKGROUND: Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) syndrome is one of the most well-known mitochondrial diseases, with most cases attributed to m.3243A>G. MELAS syndrome patients typically present in the first two decades of life with a broad, multi-systemic phenotype that predominantly features neurological manifestations--stroke-like episodes. However, marked phenotypic variability has been observed among paediatric patients, creating a clinical challenge and delaying diagnoses. METHODS: A literature review of paediatric MELAS syndrome patients and a retrospective analysis in a UK tertiary paediatric neurology centre were performed. RESULTS: Three children were included in this case series. All patients presented with seizures and had MRI changes not confined to a single vascular territory. Blood heteroplasmy varied considerably, and one patient required a muscle biopsy. Based on a literature review of 114 patients, the mean age of presentation is 8.1 years and seizures are the most prevalent manifestation of stroke-like episodes. Heteroplasmy is higher in a tissue other than blood in most cases. CONCLUSION: The threshold for investigating MELAS syndrome in children with suspicious neurological symptoms should be low. If blood m.3243A>G analysis is negative, yet clinical suspicion remains high, invasive testing or further interrogation of the mitochondrial genome should be considered.
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