Invasive infection with the opportunistic fungus Aspergillus fumigatus predominantly affects people with impaired cell mediated immunity. The case of a 31 year old woman with no identified cause for immunosuppression who presented with severe refractory aspergillosis of the paranasal sinuses is reported. She subsequently developed clinical and molecular evidence of mitochondrial encephalomyopat...

Mitochondrial A8344G Mutation Mitochondrial disorders are usually characterized by the combination of deep gray and white matter involvement on brain imaging. However, a selective white matter involvement has been reported in specific mitochondrial diseases, including Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, myoneurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy, and mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic a...

In this brief review, I have highlighted recent advances in several areas of mitochondrial medicine, including mtDNA-related diseases, mendelian mitochondrial encephalomyopathies, and therapy. The pathogenic mechanisms of mtDNA mutations, especially those affecting mitochondrial protein synthesis, are still largely unknown. The pathogenicity of homoplasmic mtDNA mutations has become evident but...

OBJECTIVES Many heteroplasmic point mutations in tRNA genes of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) have been associated with human diseases. We recently reported on a prospective 7-year study in which we enrolled 116 consecutive children with undefined encephalomyopathy. Seventeen of them were found to have both a defect in the mitochondrial respiratory chain and abnormal ultrastructure of muscle mitocho...

OBJECTIVE To verify the phenotype to genotype correlations of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) related disorders in an atypical maternally inherited encephalomyopathy. METHODS Neuroradiological, morphological, biochemical, and molecular genetic analyses were performed on the affected members of a pedigree harbouring the heteroplasmic A to G transition at nucleotide 3243 of the mitochondrial tRNALeu(...

We present a case series of four previously healthy, employed adults without significant prior medical history in each of whom symptoms developed while on fluoroquinolones (FQs), with progression that continued following discontinuation evolving to a severe, disabling multisymptom profile variably involving tendinopathy, muscle weakness, peripheral neuropathy, autonomic dysfunction, sleep disor...

A9-year-old boy presented with headache, vomiting, and leftward eye gaze deviation. On examination, left homonymous hemianopia, horizontal nystagmus, and anisocoric pupils were noted. Brain CT disclosed symmetric calcification in basal ganglia (figure A). Blood examination showed lactic academia. Further MRI revealed right occipito-temporo-parietal cortical hyperintensities (figure, B and C). M...