Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
 Open access journal indexed with Index Medicus & ISI's SCI  
Users online: 3132  
Home | Subscribe | Feedback | Login 
About Latest Articles Back-Issues Articlesmenu-bullet Search Instructions Online Submission Subscribe Etcetera Contact
 
  NAVIGATE Here 
 ::   Next article
 ::   Previous article
 ::   Table of Contents

 RESOURCE Links
 ::   Similar in PUBMED
 ::  Search Pubmed for
 ::  Search in Google Scholar for
 ::Related articles
 ::   Citation Manager
 ::   Access Statistics
 ::   Reader Comments
 ::   Email Alert *
 ::   Add to My List *
 * Requires registration (Free)
 

 Article Access Statistics
    Viewed7203    
    Printed293    
    Emailed2    
    PDF Downloaded55    
    Comments [Add]    
    Cited by others 3    

Recommend this journal


 

 CASE REPORT
Year : 2015  |  Volume : 61  |  Issue : 3  |  Page : 200-202

A typical case of myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers (MERRF) and the lessons learned


1 Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
2 Department of Clinical Neurosciences, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India
3 Department of Neuropathology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka, India

Correspondence Address:
S R Chandra
Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore, Karnataka
India
Login to access the Email id

Source of Support: None, Conflict of Interest: None


DOI: 10.4103/0022-3859.150905

Rights and Permissions

Mitochondrial diseases have a special predilection to involve the brain in view of its high metabolic demand and the tendency for the formation of excitatory neurotransmitters when there is deficiency of intracellular ATP. These diseases have a great phenotypic variation and need a high degree of suspicion. However, some specific syndromes are well defined, both genotypically and phenotypically. Some of the drugs are potentially fatal mitochondrial poisons and an insight into that may be lifesaving as well as prevent serious morbidities.We report a typical case of myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers (MERRF) with classical phenotype and genotype. There was rapid multiaxial deterioration with the introduction of sodium valproate which partly reversed on introducing mitochondrial cocktail and withdrawal of the offending drug.Sodium valproate, phenobarbitone, chloramphenicol and many anti-viral agents are mitochondrial poisons that increase the morbidity and mortality in patients with mitochondrial disease. More harm to the patient can be avoided with insight into this information.






[FULL TEXT] [PDF]*


        
Print this article     Email this article

Online since 12th February '04
© 2004 - Journal of Postgraduate Medicine
Official Publication of the Staff Society of the Seth GS Medical College and KEM Hospital, Mumbai, India
Published by Wolters Kluwer - Medknow