[Late diagnosis of classical galactosemia. An adult with special biochemistry]. / Zeer late herkenning van klassieke galactosemie. Een volwassene met een bijzondere biochemie.

The atypical case history of a galactosemic patient who was not recognized as such until his 22nd year is described. As in classical galactosemia there was not found any galactose-1-phosphate uridyl transferase activity in the erythrocytes. However, after the patient was on a galactose-free diet, there was no demonstrable elevation of galactose-1-phosphate in the erythrocytes. We would advocate a limited screening on galactosemia.

[Krabbe's disease: globoid cell leukodystrophy. Clinical and prenatal diagnosis]. / De ziekte van Krabbe: globoïdcel leukodystrofie. Klinische en antenatale diagnostiek.

A 9 weeks old boy with infantile globoid cell leukodystrophy is presented. Clinical features consisted of insufficient weight gain, hypertonic musculature, irritability, loss of previously attained skills, loss of visual function, elevation of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) protein. He died at the age of 11 months. First-trimester diagnosis was performed in two consecutive pregnancies by means of analysis of chorionic villi in the 9th week.

Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency leading to thymine-uraciluria. An inborn error of pyrimidine metabolism.

Three unrelated patients with excessive thymine-uraciluria due to dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase deficiency are described. Excretory values (mmol/g creatinine) were: uracil 2.0-10.5, thymine 2.3-7.5, 5-hydroxymethyluracil 0.2-0.9. Orally administered (index patient) uracil and thymine were excreted for the greater part whilst dihydrouracil and S-dihydrothymine were mainly metabolised. Dihydropyrimidine dehydrogenase activities (nmol X h-1 X mg-1 protein) in leucocytes were 0.04, 0.01 and less than 0.01 in the patients, 0.31-1.66 in their parents, and 1.01-4.46 in controls (n = 4). The patients presented with a non-specific clinical picture of cerebral dysfunction.