Fatty acid oxidation (FAO) defects often present with multi-system involvement, including several life-threatening cardiac manifestations, such as cardiomyopathy, pericardial effusion and arrhythmias.
We report herein a fatal case of cardiac dysfunction and rapid-onset tamponade following an acute illness in a neonate with molecularly proven very long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (VLCAD) deficiency, requiring 15 days of extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) treatment.
As data regarding the use of ECMO in FAO defects in general, and VLCAD deficiency in particular, are scarce, we review the literature and discuss insights from in vitro models and several successful reported cases.
