Types of Mitochondrial Disease

Understanding Different Types of Mitochondrial Disease

There are many types of mitochondrial disease. Each disorder produces a spectrum of symptoms and abnormalities that can be confusing to both patients and physicians. Ongoing research and clinical trials offer the best hope for quicker diagnoses and more effective treatments.

Below are capsules of information categorized by Mitochondrial Disease type:

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Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy

ADOA - Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy ADOA - Autosomal Dominant Optic Atrophy – https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/5243/autosomal-dominant-optic-atrophy-plus-syndrome DOA - Dominant Optic Atrophy - DOA -...

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Alpers syndrome

What is Alpers syndrome?Alpers syndrome is a mitochondrial disease that primarily affects the brain, vision, muscles, and liver. It goes by many names, including Alpers disease and Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (AHS). The disorder is very rare, affecting an estimated 1...

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Barth Syndrome

Barth Syndrome / LIC (Lethal Infantile Cardiomyopathy) Symptoms: Skeletal myopathy, cardiomyopathy, short stature, and neutropenia Cause: X-linked recessive Source: Dr. J. Christodoulou; Barth syndrome: clinical observations and genetic linkage studies; American...

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Beta-Oxidation Defects

Beta-oxidation Defects See LCAD, LCHAD, MAD, MCAD, SCAD, SCHAD, VLCAD Treatment: High carbohydrate-low fat diet, administration of medium-chain triglyceride oil, and diet supplementation with carnitine and/or riboflavin. Avoidance of fasting. NOTE: Information about...

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Carnitine-Acyl-Carnitine Deficiency

Carnitine-Acyl-Carnitine DeficiencySymptoms: Seizures, apnea, bradycardia, vomiting, lethargy, coma, enlarged liver, limb weakness, myoglobin in the urine, Reye-like symptoms triggered by fasting Cause: Autosomal recessive...

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Carnitine Deficiency

Carnitine DeficiencySymptoms: Seizures, apnea, bradycardia, vomiting, lethargy, coma, enlarged liver, limb weakness, myoglobin in the urine, Reye-like symptoms triggered by fasting Cause: Autosomal recessive...

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Complex I Deficiency

Complex I DeficiencyLong Name: NADH dehydrogenase (NADH-CoQ reductase) deficiency  Inside the mitochondrion is a group of proteins that carry electrons along four chain reactions (Complexes I-IV), resulting in energy production. This chain is known as the Electron...

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Complex II Deficiency

Complex II Deficiency Long Name: Succinate dehydrogenase deficiency Symptoms: Encephalomyopathy and various manifestations, including failure to thrive, developmental delay, hyoptonia, lethargy, respiratory failure, ataxia, myoclonus. Lactic acidosis common. May cause...

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Complex III Deficiency

Complex III Deficiency Long Name: Ubiquinone-cytochrome c oxidoreductase deficiency Symptoms: Four major forms: Fatal infantile encephalomyopathy, congenital lactic acidosis, hypotonia, dystrophic posturing, seizures, and coma. Ragged-red fibers common....

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Complex IV Deficiency / COX Deficiency

Complex IV Deficiency / COX DeficiencyLong Name: Cytochrome c oxidase deficiency is caused by a defect in Complex IV of the respiratory chain. Symptoms: Two major forms: Typically normal for the first 6 to 12 months of life and then show developmental regression,...

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Complex V Deficiency

Complex V Deficiency Long Name: ATP synthase deficiency Symptoms: Slow, progressive myopathy Links: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/1459/mitochondrial-complex-v-deficiency

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CPT I Deficiency

CPT I Deficiency Symptoms: Enlarged liver and recurrent Reye-like episodes triggered by fasting or illnesses Cause: Autosomal recessive Treatment: Medium-chain triglycerides...

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Co-Enzyme Q10 Deficiency

Co-Enzyme Q10 DeficiencySymptoms: Encephalomyopathy, mental retardation, exercise intolerance, ragged-red fibers, and recurrent myoglobin in the urine Cause: Probably autosomal recessive Treatment: Administration of Co-enzyme Q10 Links:...

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CPEO

What is CPEO?See similar topics: KSS, Mitochondrial Deletion SyndromeChronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia (CPEO) is a mitochondrial DNA deletion syndrome characterized by weakness of the eye muscles. The condition typically emerges in adults between the ages...

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CPEO Plus

What is CPEO "plus"?Chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia “plus” (CPEO “plus”) is a mitochondrial DNA deletion syndrome that affects the eye plus at least one other organ or system. It is sometimes called “Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS)-spectrum” due to the fact...

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CPT II Deficiency

CPT II Deficiency Symptoms – Myopathic: Exercise intolerance, fasting intolerance, muscle pain, muscle stiffness, and myoglobin in the urine Symptoms – Infantile: Reye-like syndrome, enlarged liver, hypoglycemia, enlarged heart, and cardiac arrhythmia Cause: Autosomal...

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Creatine Deficiency Syndromes

Creatine Deficiency SyndromesAdditional names: Cerebral Creatine Deficiency Syndromes (CCDS) includes: Guanidinoaceteate Methyltransferase Deficiency (GAMT Deficiency), L-Arginine:Glycine Amidinotransferase Deficiency (AGAT Deficiency), and SLC6A8-Related Creatine...

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KSS

What is KSS?See related: CPEO, Mitochondrial Deletion SyndromeKearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) is a mitochondrial DNA deletion syndrome that impacts multiple systems of the body. It is a rare disorder, affecting an estimated 1.6 out of 100,000 individuals[1]. Males and...

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Lactic Acidosis

Lactic Acidosis Cause: The accumulation of lactic acid due to its production exceeding its use. Chronic lactic acidosis is a common symptom of mitochondrial disease. Links: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/3163/lactic-acidosis-congenital-infantile

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LBSL – Leukodystrophy

LBSL – LeukodystrophyLeukoencephalopathy with brain stem and spinal cord involvement and lactate elevation (LBSL) is a result of a DARS2 gene mutation and is characterized by slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia and spasticity with dorsal column dysfunction (decreased...

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LCA Deficiency

LCAD Long Name: Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrongenase Deficiency Symptoms: Usually causes a fatal syndrome, in infants, typified by failure to thrive, enlarged liver, enlarged heart, metabolic encephalopathy, and hypotonia. Cause: Autosomal recessive Treatment: See...

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LCHA Deficiency

LCHAD Symptoms: Encephalopathy, liver dysfunction, cardiomyopathy, and myopathy. Also pigmentary retinopathy and peripheral neuropathy. Cause: Autosomal recessive Treatment: See Beta-oxidation Defects Links:...

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LHON

LHON Live Monthly Online Meetings Each month, members of the LHON community gather online for LHON Live. During each session, patients interact on topics related to living with LHON.What is LHON?Leber hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON) is a rare inherited...

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Leigh syndrome

What is Leigh syndrome?Leigh syndrome (or Leigh’s disease) is a mitochondrial disorder, sometimes called subacute necrotizing encephalomyelopathy (SNE). Although rare, experts regard it as one of the most common clinical presentations of a mitochondrial disorder[1]....

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Luft Disease

Luft Disease Symptoms: Hypermetabolism, with fever, heat intolerance, profuse perspiration, polyphagia, polydipsia, ragged-red fibers, and resting tachycardia. Exercise intolerance with mild weakness. Cause: Unknown inheritance NIH Link:...

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MAD / Glutaric Aciduria Type II

MAD / Glutaric Aciduria Type II Long Name: Multiple Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency Cause: Defects of the flavoproteins responsible for transferring electrons (ETF or ETF-dehydrogenase) therefore affecting the function of all six ETF-funneling acyl-CoA...

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MCAD

MCAD Long Name: Medium-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrongenase Deficiency Symptoms: Afflicts infants or young children with episodes of encephalopathy, enlarged and fatty degeneration of the liver, and low carnitine in the blood. Cause: Autosomal recessive Treatment: See...

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MERRF

MERRFLong Name: Myoclonic Epilepsy and Ragged-Red Fiber Disease Symptoms: Myoclonus, epilepsy, progressive ataxia, muscle weakness and degeneration, deafness, and dementia MERRF is a progressive multi-system syndrome usually beginning in childhood, but onset may occur...

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MELAS

What is MELAS?Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) is a progressive multisystem disorder that primarily affects the nervous system and the muscles. Although rare, it is one of the most common mitochondrial diseases. The...

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MEPAN

What is MEPAN?Mitochondrial Enoyl CoA Reductase Protein-Associated Neurodegeneration (MEPAN) is a rare mitochondrial disease that affects the brain and the nerves. It was first described in the medical literature in 2016 as the first disorder to be linked to defects...

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MIDD

What is MIDD?Maternally inherited diabetes and deafness (MIDD) is a subtype of mitochondrial disease that is associated with specific inherited mutations in mitochondrial DNA[1]. It accounts for an estimated 1% of diabetes cases[2] and is most common in individuals of...

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MIRAS

MIRASLong Name: Mitochondrial Recessive Ataxia Syndrome. Symptoms: encephalopathy, balance problems, ataxia, epilepsy, cognitive impairment, psychiatric symptoms, eye movement disorders, involuntary movements, peripheral neuropathy. Cause: POLG mutation, Recessive...

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Mitochondrial Deletion Diseases

What is Mitochondrial DNA Deletion Disease? See related disease: KSS, CPEO A common form of mitochondrial disease results from absence (or deletion) of a segment of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) circle. Like most mtDNA diseases, these disorders usually exist as...

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Mitochondrial DNA Depletion

Mitochondrial DNA DepletionSymptoms: Three forms:Following normal early development until one year old, weakness appears and worsens rapidly, causing respiratory failure and death typically within a few years. Neonatal weakness, hypotonia requiring assisted...

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Mitochondrial Encephalopathy

Mitochondrial Encephalopathy Includes: Encephalomyopathy, Encephalomyelopathy NIH Link: https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/mitochondrial-encephalomyopathy-lactic-acidosis-and-stroke-like-episodes

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MNGIE

What is MNGIE? Mitochondrial neurogastointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) is a mitochondrial disease that primarily impacts the digestive and nervous systems. It is a rare disorder; only around 150 affected individuals have been reported[1,2]. The average...

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NARP

NARP Long Name: Neuropathy, Ataxia, and Retinitis Pigmentosa Cause: Mitochondrial DNA point mutations in genes associated with Complex V: T8993G, (also T8993C by some researchers). Leigh Syndrome may result if the percentage of mutation is high enough. Links:...

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Pearson Syndrome

What is Pearson Syndrome? Pearson syndrome is a mitochondrial DNA deletion syndrome with the onset in the first six months of life that primarily affects the bone marrow and the pancreas[1]. For this reason, it is sometimes called Pearson marrow-pancreas syndrome....

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PDC Deficiency (PDCD)

What is PDCD?Pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (PDC) deficiency (also known as PDC deficiency, or more commonly PDCD) is a rare mitochondrial disorder that causes impaired carbohydrate metabolism. This impairment results in neurological problems and the buildup of a...

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PolG

What is PolG? See related: CPEO, Mitochondrial Deletion Syndrome PolG disease is a mitochondrial disorder caused by mutations in the POLG gene[1]. It typically affects multiple organs, primarily the brain, nerves, muscles, and liver, and can affect vision due to...

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Primary Mitochondrial Myopathies

What are primary mitochondrial myopathies?Primary mitochondrial myopathies (PMM) are a group of genetically defined mitochondrial diseases that principally affect the muscle[1]. These disorders can affect males, females, and individuals from any ethnic or racial...

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Pyruvate Carboxylase Deficiency

Pyruvate Carboxylase Deficiency Symptoms: Lactic acidosis, hypoglycemia, severe retardation, failure to thrive Common Symptoms: Seizures and spasticity Cause: Autosomal recessive Links: https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/7512/pyruvate-carboxylase-deficiency

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SANDO

What is SANDO?Sensory ataxic neuropathy, dysarthria, and ophthalmoparesis (SANDO) is a very rare mitochondrial disease that is part of the ataxia neuropathy spectrum (ANS) typically associated with mutations in the gene POLG1. It primarily affects the brain, muscles,...

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SCAD

SCAD Long Name: Short-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency Symptoms: Failure to thrive, developmental delay, and hypoglycemia Cause: Autosomal recessive Treatment: See Beta-oxidation Defects Links:...

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SCHAD

SCHADShort Chain 3-hydroxyacyl CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency Symptoms: Encephalopathy and possibly liver disease or cardiomyopathy Cause: Autosomal recessive Treatment: See Beta-oxidation Defects Links:...

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TK2d

What is TK2d?Thymidine kinase 2 deficiency (TK2d) is a rare genetic mitochondrial disease that may also be called TK2-Related Mitochondrial DNA Maintenance Defect or Mitochondrial DNA Depletion Syndrome 2 (MTDPS2)[1]. As its other names suggest, TK2d is considered a...

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VLCAD

VLCADLong Name: Very Long-Chain Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency Symptoms: Various manifestations, ranging from fatal infantile encephalopathy to recurrent myoglobin in the urine, similar to the myopathic form of CPT II deficiency. Cause: Autosomal recessive...

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