A 78-year-old Japanese male with late-onset PHKA1-associated distal myopathy: Case report and literature review

Neuromuscul Disord. 2022 Sep;32(9):769-773. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2022.05.010. Epub 2022 May 24.

Abstract

PHKA1 mutations are causative for glycogen storage disease type IXd (GSDIXd), a myopathy that can be asymptomatic or associated with exercise intolerance, and rarely is accompanied by weakness or atrophy of limbs. Here we report a patient with GSDIXd who developed distal myopathy which was not accompanied by exercise intolerance at age 71. Muscle MRI revealed severe but gradual involvement of muscles with disease progression in the order of medial gastrocnemius, soleus, lateral gastrocnemius, and gluteus muscles. Muscle pathology revealed vacuolar changes with glycogen accumulation, and muscle enzymatic activity of phosphorylase b kinase was markedly decreased to 1.5 nmol of substrate utilized/min/mg protein (normal range: 39.5 ± 10.8). Collectively, the present findings suggest that PHKA1-associated distal myopathy is an adult-onset distal calf dominant myopathy which does not always present with exercise intolerance.

Keywords: Adult-onset distal myopathy; Glycogen storage disease type IXd (GSDIXd); Phosphorylase kinase (PHKA1).

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Review
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Distal Myopathies* / genetics
  • Distal Myopathies* / pathology
  • Genetic Diseases, X-Linked
  • Glycogen
  • Glycogen Storage Disease
  • Humans
  • Japan
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / diagnostic imaging
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscular Diseases* / genetics
  • Muscular Diseases* / pathology
  • Phosphorylase Kinase / genetics

Substances

  • Glycogen
  • Phosphorylase Kinase

Supplementary concepts

  • Glycogen Storage Disease, Type IXD