• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.13-17
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• 2004

Hereditary tyrosinemia type I (fiunarylacetoacetate hydrolase deficiency) is an autosomal recessive inborn error of tyrosine metabolism that results in liver failure in infancy or chronic liver disease with cirrhosis, frequently complicated by hepatocellular carcinoma in childhood or early adolescence. Early detection of this condition is very important to early intervention for better prognosis of patients. Neonatal screening test using tandem mass spectrometry (MS-MS) is performed, and this method facilitates detection of the inborn error of tyrosine. For early treatment of tyrosinemia type I, phenylalanine and tyrosine restricted diet and NTBC (2-nitro-4-trifluoromethylbenzoyl-1,3-cyclohexanedione) for inhibition of succinylacetone production are recommended. We studied a 10-month-old Korean boy with tyrosinemia type I whose condition was not discovered earlier through conventional neonatal screening testing available in Korea. The patient presented hyperbilirubinemia, liver failure, bleeding tendency, colicky pain and skin melanin pigmentation in neonatal period. MS-MS made it possible to detect tyrosinemia type I and allowed immediate treatment of the patient. This was the first successful NTBC trial on tyrosinemia type I patient in Korea.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Inherited Metabolic disease
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.55-62
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• 2020

A 22-month-old girl who had taken iron supplements due to iron deficiency anemia, presented bloody mucoid stool for one month. She had a bruise at the right periorbital area due to minor trauma and hepatosplenomegaly. Laboratory studies showed anemia, thrombocytopenia, elevated alkaline phosphatase (ALP), hypophosphatemia, decreased haptoglobin, hypocomplementemia, negative direct/indirect Coomb's test, normal vitamin D3 level and high PTHi. Wrist x-ray showed no signs of rickets. The abdominal ultrasound showed only accessory spleen. Tandem mass spectrometry was normal. During follow up, bloody stool regressed after seven days of withdrawal of iron supplement and cow milk, and the total CO2 level had been within 15-20 mEq/L with normal anion gap. NGS (next generation sequencing) panel test for evaluation of renal tubular acidosis showed negative results. After low dose steroid and vitamin D supplements under the impression of hypocomplementemic vasculitis, thrombocytopenia, C3/C4, decreased haptoglobin, and elevated ALP level became normal. At 57 months of age, laboratory findings showed elevated liver enzyme, ALP and gamma-glutamyl transferase again. And liver cirrhosis with splenomegaly and diffuse renal disease were reported with abdomen CT scan. Liver biopsy reported macro- and micronodular cirrhosis. Urine organic acid profile showed elevated succinylacetone level. Whole exome sequencing revealed novel compound heterozygous mutations (NM_00137.2:c.107T>C, NM_00137, 2:c.614T>C) in FAH gene and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. Consequently, the patient was diagnosed as chronic hereditary tyrosinemia type I. She started low phenylalanine/tyrosine diet and nitisinone treatment. Our case had presented symptoms very slowly, which is the first case of chronic tyrosinemia type I in South Korea.