Electroencephalography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in neonatal citrullinemia

The authors present a case of citrullinemia with a genotype of argininosuccinate synthetase (ASS1), c.380 G>A (p.R127Q)/c.380 G>A (p.R127Q), in two alleles. A 3-day-old female infant presented with status epilepticus and coma. Laboratory data showed hyperammonemia and marked lactic acidosis in the blood and cerebrospinal fluid; electroencephalography showed severely suppressed cerebral activity and focal paroxysmal volleys of slow and sharp waves (< 1 Hz) over the left hemisphere. Real-time transcranial Doppler ultrasonography showed a brain edema and high peaked systolic and low diastolic flows in basal, anterior, and middle cerebral arteries; however, immediately after a blood exchange transfusion, systolic flows were lower and diastolic flows were higher. The resistance indices were significantly different (means: 0.58 vs. 0.37; p = 0.01). The patient was placed on diet therapy. After six blood exchange transfusions and peritoneal dialysis, her neurologic examination results and serum ammonia and lactate values were normal. The authors found that electroencephalography and transcranial Doppler ultrasonography were useful for the diagnosis and follow-up treatment of neonatal citrullinemia.