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Acute infantile hemiplegia in a patient with propionic acidaemia

  • Neuropediatrics
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Abstract

A 10-month-old girl with mild developmental delay became hemiplegic after seizures. Cranial CT scan and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed no lesions related to vascular diseases, but brain atrophy on the right side was remarkable. Digital subtraction angiography showed slightly decreased visualization of peripheral branches of the right medial cerebral artery. Propionic acidaemia was diagnosed on the basis of high plasma levels of propionic acid and its metabolites and the elevated urinary excretion of these acids. With therapy, the levels of these acids fell, and her left hemiplegia disappeared 3 months later.

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Abbreviations

AIH:

acute infantile hemiplegia

PPA:

propionic acidaemia

PA:

propionic acid

DSA:

digital subtraction angiography

IMP:

N-isopropyl-p-[123I] iodoamphetamine

SPECT:

single-photon emission computed tomography

MRI:

magnetic resonance imaging

References

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Shigematsu, Y., Mori, I., Nakai, A. et al. Acute infantile hemiplegia in a patient with propionic acidaemia. Eur J Pediatr 149, 659–660 (1990). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02034758

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02034758

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