of glycogen storage disease with
histologic features consistent with
Cori disease.
Liver biopsy.
H&E stain. Methods to diagnose glycogen storage diseases include
history and
physical examination for associated symptoms,
blood tests for associated metabolic disturbances, and
genetic testing for suspected mutations. Advancements in genetic testing are slowly diminishing the need for biopsy; however, in the event of a
VUS and inconclusive exercise tests, a biopsy would then be necessary to confirm diagnosis. Differential diagnoses for glycogen storage diseases that involve fixed muscle weakness, particularly of the
proximal muscles, would be an
inflammatory myopathy or a
limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. The timing of the symptoms of exercise intolerance, such as muscle fatigue and cramping, is important in order to help distinguish it from other
metabolic myopathies such as
fatty acid metabolism disorders. Problems originating within the circulatory system, rather than the muscle itself, can produce exercise-induced muscle fatigue, pain and cramping that alleviates with rest, resulting from inadequate blood flow (
ischemia) to the muscles. Ischemia that often produces symptoms in the leg muscles includes
intermittent claudication,
popliteal artery entrapment syndrome, and
chronic venous insufficiency. Diseases disrupting the neuromuscular junction can cause abnormal muscle fatigue, such as
myasthenia gravis, an autoimmune disease. Similar, are
Lambert–Eaton myasthenic syndrome (autoimmune) and the
congenital myasthenic syndromes (genetic). Diseases can disrupt glycogen metabolism
secondary to the primary disease. Abnormal thyroid function—hypo- and hyperthyroidism—can manifest as myopathy with symptoms of exercise-induced muscle fatigue, cramping, muscle pain and may include proximal weakness or muscle hypertrophy (particularly of the calves). Prolonged hypo- and hyperthyroid myopathy leads to atrophy of type II (fast-twitch/glycolytic)
muscle fibres, and a predominance of type I (slow-twitch/oxidative) muscle fibres. EPG5-related
Vici syndrome is a multisystem disorder, a congenital disorder of
autophagy, with muscle biopsy showing excess glycogen accumulation, among other myopathic features. It is interesting to note, in comparison to hypothyroid myopathy, that McArdle disease (
GSD-V), which is by far the most commonly diagnosed of the muscle GSDs and therefore the most studied, Poor diet and
malabsorption diseases (such as celiac disease) may lead to malnutrition of essential vitamins necessary for glycogen metabolism within the muscle cells. Malnutrition typically presents with systemic symptoms, but in rare instances can be limited to myopathy.
Vitamin D deficiency myopathy (also known as
osteomalic myopathy due to the interplay between vitamin D and calcium) results in muscle weakness, predominantly of the proximal muscles; with muscle biopsy showing abnormal glycogen accumulation, atrophy of type II (fast-twitch/glycolytic) muscle fibres, and diminished calcium uptake by the sarcoplasmic reticulum (needed for muscle contraction). Although Vitamin D deficiency myopathy typically includes muscle atrophy, Exercise-induced, electrically silent, muscle cramping and stiffness (transient muscle contractures or "pseudomyotonia") are seen not only in GSD types V, VII, IXd, X, XI, XII, and XIII, but also in
Brody disease,
Rippling muscle disease types 1 and 2, and
CAV3-related hyperCKemia (Elevated serum creatine phosphokinase). Unlike the other myopathies, in Brody disease the muscle cramping is painless. Like GSD types II, III, and V, a pseudoathletic appearance of muscle hypertrophy is also seen in some with Brody disease and Rippling muscle disease. Erythrocyte lactate transporter defect (formerly
Lactate transporter defect, myopathy due to) also includes exercise-induced, electrically silent, painful muscle cramping and transient contractures; as well as exercise-induced muscle fatigue. EMG and muscle biopsy is normal however, as the defect is not in the muscle but in the red blood cells that should clear lactate buildup from exercising muscles. Myofibrillar myopathy 10 (MFM10) has exercise-induced muscle fatigue, cramping and stiffness, with hypertrophic neck and shoulder girdle muscles. LGMD R28 has calf hypertrophy and exercise-induced muscle fatigue and pain. LGMD R8 has calf pseudohypertrophy and exercise-induced weakness (fatigue) and pain. LGMD R15 (a.k.a MDDGC3) has muscle hypertrophy, proximal muscle weakness, and muscle fatigue. DMD-related myopathies of
Duchenne and
Becker muscular dystrophy are known for fixed muscle weakness and pseudohypertrophic calf muscles, but they also have secondary
muscular mitochondrial impairment causing low ATP production; as well as decreasing type II (fast-twitch/glycolytic) muscle fibres, producing a predominance of type I (slow-twitch/oxidative) muscle fibres. DMD-related childhood-onset milder phenotypes present with exercise-induced muscle cramping, stiffness, pain, fatigue, and elevated CK. Becker muscular dystrophy has adult-onset exercise-induced muscle cramping, pain, and elevated CK.
Tubular aggregate myopathy (TAM) types 1 and 2 has exercise-induced muscle pain, fatigue, stiffness, with proximal muscle weakness and calf muscle pseudohypertrophy. TAM1 has cramping at rest, while TAM2 has cramping during exercise. Stormorken syndrome includes the symptoms of TAM, but is a more severe presentation including short stature and other abnormalities. Dimethylglycine dehydrogenase deficiency has muscle fatigue, elevated CK, and fishy body odour. Myopathy with myalgia, increased serum creatine kinase, with or without episodic rhabdomyolysis (MMCKR) has exercise-induced muscle cramps, pain, and fatigue; with some exhibiting proximal muscle weakness.
Liver (help wikipedia by contributing to this subsection) Glycogenosis-like phenotype of
congenital hyperinsulinism due to
HNF4A mutation or
MODY1 (maturity-onset diabetes of the young, type 1). This phenotype of MODY1 has
macrosomia and infantile-onset hyperinsulinemic hypoglycemia, physiological 3-OH butyrate, increased triglyceride serum levels, increased level of glycogen in liver and erythrocytes, increased liver transaminases, transient
hepatomegaly, renal
Fanconi syndrome, and later develop liver cirrhosis, decreased succinate-dependent respiration (mitochondrial dysfunction), rickets,
nephrocalcinosis, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes. == Treatment ==