Successful use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation in a patient with the severe form of X-linked myotubular myopathy

The severity of X-linked myotubular myopathy (XLMTM) ranges from mild to severe, depending on the level of ventilatory support required. Patients with the severe form of XLMTM usually die within the first year of life due to respiratory failure. Most survivors need tracheostomies, and there has only been one report about the use of non-invasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV) in patients with the severe form of XLMTM because of the severity of the associated respiratory failure. We successfully applied NPPV with high-span positive inspiratory pressure (PIP) in a patient with the severe form of XLMTM, who also had secondary pectus excavatum. About a year after the initiation of NPPV with high-span PIP, the patient's pectus excavatum had improved. As the patient's pectus excavatum improved, his respiratory disturbance was ameliorated, and the frequency of respiratory infections gradually decreased. NPPV might be the first-choice respiratory management strategy for patients with XLMTM.