Pompe disease: case report in siblings
Introduction: Pompe disease (PD) affects lysosomal digestion due to absence or low action of the enzyme acid α-glucosidase (GAA), with accumulation of glycogen, causing overflow of enzymes and autophagy, which affects striated muscle. PD is divided into infantile, juvenile, and adult clinical forms, with severity determined by amount of residual GAA activity. Case: P1) 45-year-old man admitted with acute respiratory failure (RF), starts mechanical ventilation. History of weakness, dyspnea, dysphagia. He had decreased proximal muscle strength at lower limbs (LL). Sequencing of GAA gene: autosomal recessive deficiency of two variants. Apnea-hypopnea-index (AHI):10.5. GAA enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) was requested. Judicially denied by disease progression. P2) 40-year-old man presented with loss of muscle strength at LL for 15 years, associated with snoring, daytime somnolence. Brother with similar complaints. He had proximal muscle weakness at LL. Positive genetic panel for PD. AHI:23.5. Judicially released ERT treatment and reported improvement. Discussion: Adult form of PD manifests itself with mild phenotype, with presence of residual GAA activity, which causes different clinical expressions. Main manifestations are symmetric proximal muscle weakness in LL and Gowers’ sign. Frequent death cause in late form is RF, which occurs early, unlike other neuromuscular diseases. In Brazil, PD is underdiagnosed, with approximately 2500 cases. Treatment is performed with Myozyme®, an ERT, not available in SUS, which makes treatment difficult. Conclusion: PD is a serious condition, with high underdiagnosis because of its similarity to other myopathies, which allows disease progression. Furthermore, the variability of GAA mutations allows for distinct phenotypes