A Rare Case of Persistent Lactic Acidosis in the ICU: Glycogenic Hepatopathy and Mauriac Syndrome. Case Rep Crit Care. 2016;2016:6072909. [PMID: 27699071 PMCID: PMC5035668 DOI: 10.1155/2016/6072909]

A Case Report about Glycogenic Hepatopathy

Introduction

Glycogenic hepatopathy is a rare complication of uncontrolled diabetes mellitus that presents with hepatomegaly and transient elevation in serum aminotransferase enzymes. The underlying pathophysiology involves excessive accumulation of intrahepatic glycogen. Glycogenic hepatopathy is usually underdiagnosed because it is difficult to differentiate from other entities, such as the nonalcoholic fatty liver. The gold standard for diagnosis is liver biopsy. Glycogenic hepatopathy can be reversed by the achievement of adequate glycemic control. Case description. A 19-year-old female patient with a history of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus that resulted in several episodes of diabetes ketoacidosis requiring hospital admissions. The patient presented to the emergency room with generalized weakness and fatigue found to have diabetic ketoacidosis. Blood tests revealed abnormal liver function with aspartate aminotransferase 1129 U/L (13–37 U/L), alanine aminotransferase 766 U/L (13–56 U/L), alkaline phosphatase 216 U/L (45–117 U/L), total bilirubin 1.0 mg/dL (0.2–1.3 mg/dL), albumin 3.8 g/dL (3.4–5.0 g/dL), partial thromboplastin time < 20 s (23–31 s), prothrombin time 11.8 s (9.5–11.5 s), and international normalized ratio 1.1. Acute hepatitis serologies were negative. Epstein–Barr virus and cytomegalovirus were ruled out. Extensive autoimmune hepatitis tests were negative. Primary biliary cirrhosis was also ruled out. A liver biopsy was obtained, which was diagnostic of glycogenic hepatopathy.

Conclusion

Glycogenic hepatopathy must be suspected in patients with uncontrolled type 1 diabetes mellitus who present with elevated liver enzymes and hepatomegaly. Treating this rare condition requires a timely diagnosis with liver biopsy and strict glycemic control.

Hepatic Glycogenosis: An Underdiagnosed Entity?

Hepatic glycogenosis (HG) is a rare complication of long-standing poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), which is often misdiagnosed as non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Despite the existence of several reports in the literature, it still is underrecognized, even among gastroenterologists. Differential diagnosis between these entities is essential since they have different prognoses.

We report a case of an 18-year-old female, with a medical history of poorly controlled T1DM, admitted to an intensive care unit with severe diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA). Upon admission, aminotransferases were significantly elevated; bilirubin and coagulation tests were normal. Despite adequate DKA treatment, she had persistently elevated aminotransferases and hyperlactacidemia. Imaging studies showed hepatomegaly and bright liver parenchyma. Extensive laboratory workup was negative for other causes of liver disease. So, a liver biopsy was performed, which was consistent with the diagnosis of HG. Under strict metabolic control, she had progressive improvement, achieving biochemical normalization within 6 months.

This case highlights the need for clinicians to be aware of this condition due to non-negligible differences between HG and NAFLD, with the latter progressing to fibrosis, and ultimately cirrhosis and hepatocarcinoma. On the opposite, HG is considered a benign condition, associated with an excellent prognosis that can be reversible after adequate metabolic control. Liver biopsy remains the gold standard method for HG diagnosis since it can distinguish it from NAFLD.

Hepatopathy Associated With Type 1 Diabetes: Distinguishing Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease From Glycogenic Hepatopathy

Autoimmune destruction of pancreatic β-cells results in the permanent loss of insulin production in type 1 diabetes (T1D). The daily necessity to inject exogenous insulin to treat hyperglycemia leads to a relative portal vein insulin deficiency and potentiates hypoglycemia which can induce weight gain, while daily fluctuations of blood sugar levels affect the hepatic glycogen storage and overall metabolic control. These, among others, fundamental characteristics of T1D are associated with the development of two distinct, but in part clinically similar hepatopathies, namely non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and glycogen hepatopathy (GlyH). Recent studies suggest that NAFLD may be increasingly common in T1D because more people with T1D present with overweight and/or obesity, linked to the metabolic syndrome. GlyH is a rare but underdiagnosed complication hallmarked by extremely brittle metabolic control in, often young, individuals with T1D. Both hepatopathies share clinical similarities, troubling both diagnosis and differentiation. Since NAFLD is increasingly associated with cardiovascular and chronic kidney disease, whereas GlyH is considered self-limiting, awareness and differentiation between both condition is important in clinical care. The exact pathogenesis of both hepatopathies remains obscure, hence licensed pharmaceutical therapy is lacking and general awareness amongst physicians is low. This article aims to review the factors potentially contributing to fatty liver disease or glycogen storage disruption in T1D. It ends with a proposal for clinicians to approach patients with T1D and potential hepatopathy.

Elevated lactate in Mauriac syndrome: still a mystery

BACKGROUND

The Mauriac syndrome was described in 1930 as a peculiar combination of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus type 1, stunted growth and glycogenic hepatopathy. More recently, lactic acidosis was recognized as an additional feature, often induced by insulin treatment.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 17-year old girl known for diabetes type 1A and Mauriac syndrome was admitted to the emergency room with hyperglycemia of > 41 mmol/l without ketoacidosis. Under a standard insulin regimen, hyperglycemia was rapidly corrected but marked hyperlactatemia occurred.

CONCLUSIONS

The mechanism of impaired glucose utilization and lactate elevation independent of ketoacidosis in Mauriac syndrome is intriguing. The rarity of Mauriac syndrome and its resemblance to glycogen storage diseases suggest the presence of a specific metabolic or genetic predisposition that remains to be identified.

Glycogenic hepatopathy in children with poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus

Mauriac syndrome is a rare and underdiagnosed complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). It is characterized by growth retardation, delayed puberty, Cushingoid features, hepatomegaly, and increased transaminase levels. The term glycogenic hepatopathy has been used to describe patients with poorly controlled T1DM and glycogen overload in the hepatocytes but without all the features of Mauriac syndrome. Although rare, glycogenic hepatopathy is reported to be the main cause of hepatomegaly in young patients with T1DM. We report two cases of glycogenic hepatopathy in children with poorly controlled T1DM. Both children had hepatomegaly, elevated liver enzyme levels, and elevated lactate levels. A liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of glycogenic hepatopathy in both patients. In conclusion, hepatomegaly with elevated liver enzymes, negative infective and metabolic screenings and persistently elevated plasma lactate levels should raise the suspicion of glycogenic hepatopathy in poorly controlled T1DM. Early diagnosis and improvement in glycemic control are the mainstays of treatment, which can prevent long-term complications.

Elevated Lactic Acid During Ketoacidosis: Pathophysiology and Management

Lactic acidosis results from an acid-base balance disorder of the body due to an excess of lactic acid. It is frequently found in critically ill patients admitted to the intensive care. The most common cause is type A, found in pathologies such as cardiogenic, septic and hypovolemic shock, trauma and severe hypoxemia. The type B is less common and arises without evidence of tissue hypoperfusion or shock. Divers etiologies have been described for this type of hyperlactatemia: Grand Mal seizures, liver failure, hematologic malignancies, congenital enzyme deficiencies, thiamine deficiencies and diabetes mellitus and also alcohol abuse, which may induce a lactic acid under-use or an increased production. The authors describe a rare complication of type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), leading to a major and persistent expression of a type B lactic acidosis during ketoacidosis.

Antidiabetic agents in patients with hepatic impairment

Chronic liver disease (CLD) often coexists with type 2 diabetes mellitus, making diabetes management a challenge to the clinician. It is well known that liver is the major site of drug metabolism, and, therefore, its impairment affects hepatic metabolism of many antidiabetic agents. Furthermore, patients with CLD have serious comorbidities such as impaired renal function, hypoalbuminemia, lactic acidosis, hypoglycemia and malnutrition, making their treatment even more difficult. On the other hand, most of the antidiabetic agents, with the exception of insulin, need dosage titration due to alterations to their pharmacokinetics in patients with CLD. For well-established antidiabetic treatments, like metformin and sulfonylureas there are studies regarding their dosage chance in these patients. However, despite the growing problem of management of diabetes in patients with CLD the existing literature data, especially on newer antidiabetic agents, are limited and, furthermore, no direct guidelines exist. Therefore, in the present review article we try to summarize the existing literature data regarding management of diabetes in patients with CLD.

Glycogenic Hepatopathy

Glycogenic hepatopathy is excessive intrahepatic glycogen accumulation. It is a rare complication of long-standing, poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus. We report a case of a 19-year-old woman with a history of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus and frequent admissions for diabetic ketoacidosis, who presented with abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and hepatomegaly. She was found to have diabetic ketoacidosis with persistently elevated serum lactate that did not improve with insulin infusions. She eventually underwent a liver biopsy, which showed excessive intracytoplasmic glycogen accumulation consistent with glycogenic hepatopathy.

Glycogenic hepatopathy as a cause of severe deranged liver enzymes in a young patient with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Glycogenic hepatopathy (GH) is a rare complication of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). We present a 19-year-old woman with T1DM and autoimmune thyroiditis who admitted to our department because of abrupt onset intermittent abdominal pain in the right upper quadrant accompanied by laboratory evidence of acute anicteric hepatitis. Physical examination revealed significant hepatomegaly but the common imagining studies were negative. Following exclusion of common causes of acute hepatitis and because of the presence of smooth muscle antibodies in a young female patient with already established two autoimmune diseases, a liver biopsy was performed in order to exclude the potential presence of autoimmune hepatitis. However, liver histology showed typical findings of GH. Intense treatment targeting strict glycemic control resulted in normalisation of liver biochemistry. This case underlines that GH should be considered as a rare cause of acute hepatitis in T1DM patients with poor glycemic control.

Young Man with Hepatomegaly: A Case of Glycogenic Hepatopathy

Glycogenic hepatopathy is a rare but potentially reversible condition characterized by hepatomegaly and elevated liver enzymes occurring in poorly controlled type 1 diabetes mellitus patients and often requires a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis. We present the case of a young man who was admitted with diabetic ketoacidosis in the setting of poorly controlled diabetes mellitus type 1 and was noted to have significantly elevated transaminases that continued to worsen despite appropriate treatment of the diabetic ketoacidosis. A liver biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of glycogenic hepatopathy and the patient improved with diabetes control. The aim of this report is to shed light on possible causes of significant elevation of liver enzymes in patients presenting with diabetic ketoacidosis. In addition, we would like to raise awareness about the diagnosis, management, and prognosis of glycogenic hepatopathy and how to differentiate it from other hepatic conditions that have a similar presentation.

Glycogenic hepatopathy: A narrative review

Glycogenic hepatopathy (GH) is a rare complication of the poorly controlled diabetes mellitus characterized by the transient liver dysfunction with elevated liver enzymes and associated hepatomegaly caused by the reversible accumulation of excess glycogen in the hepatocytes. It is predominantly seen in patients with longstanding type 1 diabetes mellitus and rarely reported in association with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Although it was first observed in the pediatric population, since then, it has been reported in adolescents and adults with or without ketoacidosis. The association of GH with hyperglycemia in diabetes has not been well established. One of the essential elements in the pathophysiology of development of GH is the wide fluctuation in both glucose and insulin levels. GH and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) are clinically indistinguishable, and latter is more prevalent in diabetic patients and can progress to advanced liver disease and cirrhosis. Gradient dual-echo MRI can distinguish GH from NAFLD; however, GH can reliably be diagnosed only by liver biopsy. Adequate glycemic control can result in complete remission of clinical, laboratory and histological abnormalities. There has been a recent report of varying degree of liver fibrosis identified in patients with GH. Future studies are required to understand the biochemical defects underlying GH, noninvasive, rapid diagnostic tests for GH, and to assess the consequence of the fibrosis identified as severe fibrosis may progress to cirrhosis. Awareness of this entity in the medical community including specialists is low. Here we briefly reviewed the English literature on pathogenesis involved, recent progress in the evaluation, differential diagnosis, and management.