The Lack of Hepatocyte Steatosis in Adult-onset Type II Citrullinemia Patients as Assessed by 7-year Interval Paired Biopsies

Abstract

Adult-onset type II citrullinemia (CTLN2) is a urea cycle disease characterized by neurological and psychiatric abnormalities associated with hyperammonemia. One of the pathological features of CTLN2 is the presence of hepatocyte steatosis. The condition progresses in almost all CTLN2 patients to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). We herein report a 74-year-old woman who developed CTLN2 without hepatocyte steatosis. The diagnosis was based on clinical and laboratory findings and confirmed by two liver biopsies conducted within 7 years, as well as by a DNA analysis, which demonstrated mutations in the SLC25A13 gene. We describe a rare CTLN2 case without hepatocyte steatosis in an elderly woman who responded well to a low-carbohydrate diet.