ABSTRACT
Inborn errors of fatty acid transport and mitochondrial oxidation (FATMO) represent
a group of metabolic disorders that has brought forward many interesting developments
in recent years, particularly the discovery of several new defects and the recognition
of an ever-increasing spectrum of clinical phenotypes. The impact of newborn and postmortem
screening in preventing morbidity and mortality is now recognized beyond specialized
academic centers and has emerged as a staple of general pediatric practice. This review
focuses on the biochemical basis and clinical manifestations of these disorders, particularly
maternal complications of pregnancy, the increasingly complex process of laboratory
evaluation, and a synopsis of two recently discovered defects: long-chain fatty acid
transport/binding defect and medium- and short-chain L-3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase
deficiency. Although our understanding of these new disorders is still incomplete,
they nevertheless appear to have a more than casual relationship with acute liver
failure in pediatric patients.
KEYWORD
Liver failure - maternal complications of pregnancy - newborn screening - sudden death