were involved in direct patient care and contributed clinical data; Dr Gunay-Aygun was involved in direct patient care and conceptualized and designed the case series; and all authors revised and reviewed the manuscript, approved the final manuscript as submitted, and agree to be accountable for all aspects of the work.
Pyridoxine dependent-developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (PD-DEE) or pyridoxine-dependent epilepsy (PDE) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in ALDH7A1. It classically presents as intractable infantile-onset seizures unresponsive to multiple antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) but with a profound response to large doses of pyridoxine (B6). We report a case of PDE with an atypical clinical presentation. The patient presented at 3 days of life with multifocal seizures, fever, increased work of breathing, decreased left ventricular systolic function, and lactic acidosis, raising suspicion for a mitochondrial disorder or infectious process. Within 1.5 weeks of presentation, seizure activity resolved with antiepileptic therapy. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed homozygous pathogenic variants in ALDH7A1 (c.1279G > C, p.E427Q) and confirmed the diagnosis of PDE. Follow-up biochemical testing demonstrated elevated urine pipecolic acid. In the second week of life, the patient was initiated on triple therapy, including pyridoxine supplementation, low lysine diet, and arginine supplementation, which he tolerated well. Urine pipecolic acid levels responded accordingly after initiation of therapy. Our case illustrates the diagnostic challenges in PDE, the utility of rapid WES in such cases, and the response in urine pipecolic acid to therapy.
Urea cycle disorders (UCDs) comprise a group of inborn errors of metabolism with impaired ammonia clearance and an incidence of ~1:35 000 individuals. First described in the 1970s, the diagnosis and management of these disorders has evolved dramatically. We report on a 59‐year‐old woman with a UCD who contributed to advances in the understanding and treatment of this group of disorders. This individual was diagnosed with carbamoyl phosphate synthetase 1 deficiency based on a biochemical assay under a research context predating genetic sequencing, treated longitudinally as having this metabolic disorder, and was among the first participants to trial UCD pharmaceutical therapies. She ultimately succumbed to a SARS‐CoV‐2 infection while maintaining unexpectedly normal ammonium levels. Postmortem genetic testing revealed ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency. This individual's contributions to the field of UCDs is discussed herein.
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