[Respiratory insufficiency as the first sign of mitochondrial disorders].
BACKGROUND
In spite of the great variability in clinical signs in the mitochondrial disorders, reports of respiratory disorders in these conditions are purely anecdotal, and almost all occurred in patients with clinical data of the illness. We present a case in which respiratory insufficiency was the first sign of a mitochondrial disorder.


METHODS
A 74 year old patient, with no significant clinical history, had two episodes of severe acute respiratory insufficiency without cardiopulmonary causes to justify it. The patient was investigated for neuromuscular disorders and had a muscle biopsy compatible with mitochondrial myopathy.


CONCLUSIONS
The occurrence of respiratory failure in patients with mitochondrial disorders is exceptional, is not related to the degree of deterioration of the respiratory function tests and is potentially reversible.
Ortí-Pareja
M
M
Sección de Neurología, Hospital Universitario Príncipe de Asturias, Madrid, España. MIORTI@teleline.es
Jiménez-Jiménez
F J
FJ
Barcenilla
B
B
Montero
E
E
Marcos
J
J
García-Albea
E
E
D000208:Acute Disease; D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017240:Mitochondrial Myopathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D009122:Muscle Hypertonia / Q000175:diagnosis; D012075:Remission, Spontaneous; D012121:Respiration, Artificial; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000534:rehabilitation; D012720:Severity of Illness Index