Neonatal Carnitine Palmitoyltransferase II Deficiency: A Lethal Entity

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II (CPTII) deficiency is a rare disorder of mitochondrial fatty acid oxidation with autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. Three classic forms of CPT II deficiency have been described namely the lethal neonatal form, severe infantile hepatocardiomuscular form and the myopathic form. We present a three-day-old female child, admitted to us for lethargy, icterus, low sugars and convulsions. Persistent non ketotic hypoglycaemia, hyperammonemia, raised liver enzymes with hepatomegaly and cardiomyopathy led to the suspicion of fatty acid oxidation defect. Tandem mass spectrometry helped to clinch the diagnosis of CPT II Deficiency in the present case.