Riboflavin Deficiency 2 and 3
While most individuals with RTD2 or RTD3 (caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in SLC52A2 or SLC52A3, respectively) present early in life, late onset (ages 10-30 years) has been reported in persons with RTD3. Males and females are equally affected. Table 2 summarizes the frequency of select features in 136 individuals with molecularly confirmed RTD2 and RTD3.
Table 2.
Riboflavin Transporter Deficiency 2 and 3: Select Features
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Feature | % of Persons w/Feature |
---|
RTD2 (n=60) | RTD3 (n=76) | RTD2 & RTD3 (n=136) |
---|
Age of onset
| Mean 3.2 yrs | Mean 8.5 yrs | |
Peripheral neuropathy
| 92% | 84% | 80%-90% |
Motor neuropathy (weakness, hypotonia)
| 77% | 80% | 80% |
Sensory neuropathy (gait abnormality, ataxia)
| 60% | 13% | 34% |
Cranial neuronopathy
|
Optic nerve atrophy / ophthalmoplegia
| 43% | 19% | |
Facial weakness
| 34% | 55% | |
Hearing loss
| 85% | 82% | |
Bulbar palsy
| 55% | 62% | |
Respiratory involvement
| 48% | 57% | |
Feeding difficulties
| 23% | 41% | |
Abnormal cranial MRI
| 19% (7/37) | 22% (13/60) | |
RTD2 = riboflavin transporter deficiency caused by biallelic SLC52A2 pathogenic variants; RTD3 = riboflavin transporter deficiency caused by biallelic SLC52A3 pathogenic variants
The phenotype of individuals with riboflavin deficiency 2 and 3 at onset usually includes hearing impairment and/or sensory ataxia, followed by progressive upper limb weakness, optic atrophy, bulbar weakness, and respiratory failure.The time between the disease onset and the development of other manifestations varies but is usually one to two years. In some individuals an intercurrent event, usually an injury or infection, appears to precipitate the initial manifestations or worsen existing findings [Bandettini Di Poggio et al 2014].
Note: When the onset occurs in infancy, after a symptom-free first few weeks (or in some cases months) of life, infants become floppy with failure to thrive and rapidly developing respiratory insufficiency due to paralysis of the diaphragm, followed (in order of appearance) by:
Infantile- or early childhood-onset nystagmus
Early childhood-onset sensory (gait) ataxia
Early-childhood onset progressive and severe sensorineural hearing loss
Weakness and atrophy of the upper limbs (first distally then proximally)
Weakness of neck extensors and later trunk muscles
Tongue fasciculations and atrophy with increased swallowing problems
Respiratory insufficiency due to muscle weakness
Other initial presenting features can include stridor, slurring of speech, and facial weakness. Visual problems due to optic atrophy are common [Bandettini Di Poggio et al 2014, Foley et al 2014, Manole et al 2014, Srour et al 2014, Bamaga et al 2018, Amir et al 2020, Kranthi et al 2020].
Motor neuropathy has been described in 80% of affected individuals. Limb weakness is frequently accompanied by atrophy and involves the upper extremities more than the lower extremities in RTD2. Many also developed axial weakness, with severe weakness of neck extensor and trunk muscles.
Electrophysiologic studies, when performed, were suggestive of peripheral neuropathy in most individuals with RTD, showing chronic denervation and anterior horn dysfunction. Nerve conduction studies suggest an axonal rather than demyelinating neuropathy.
Sensory neuropathy was reported in 34% of individuals. However, most individuals with gait abnormalities/ataxia had RTD2, while only 13% of those with RTD3 had sensory symptoms. Vibration and proprioception are the most severely affected.
Ophthalmologic involvement, the result of optic nerve atrophy, usually manifests as reduced visual acuity and visual field impairment; a few individuals also experience color blindness. Vision loss can progress rapidly or slowly [Bamaga et al 2018, Gorcenco et al 2019, Kranthi et al 2020].
When present, torsional/horizontal nystagmus is one of the early signs of optic atrophy prior to vision loss; thus, RTD should be considered in children with new-onset nystagmus [Amir et al 2020].
Facial weakness. Fifty-five per cent of individuals with RTD3 presented with facial weakness caused by degeneration of cranial nerve VII; this feature was rarely observed in RTD2.
Hearing loss, a presenting manifestation in many individuals, falls within the auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder (ANSD) and is a consequence of cranial nerve VIII degeneration. Otoacoustic emissions (OAE) are usually present while auditory brain stem reflexes (ABR) are abnormal or absent. The hearing loss is usually progressive and severe and can result in complete bilateral deafness (hearing loss >81 decibels). The time between the onset of ANSD and the development of other manifestations of RTD varies but is usually one to two years. Very rarely affected individuals do not develop any hearing impairment, and sometimes it appears later in the disease course [Anderson et al 2019, Mutlu et al 2019, Amir et al 2020].
Bulbar palsy. Signs and symptoms of bulbar palsy are common, being reported in more than 50% of individuals. Most individuals report dysarthria and feeding difficulties resulting from dysphagia. Tongue wasting/fasciculations are common on neurologic examination.
Respiratory involvement, a consequence of neurogenic diaphragm paralysis, is often an early manifestation. Many affected individuals present with breath-holding spells within the first year of the disease course. Therefore, respiratory insufficiency, secondary to muscle weakness, can also be one of the late manifestations of untreated RTD. Artificial respiratory support may be required.
Other features variably seen:
Epilepsy. Some affected individuals had a single seizure-like episode that resolved before the diagnosis of RTD was established and before beginning treatment with riboflavin [
Pillai et al 2020,
Rabbani et al 2020].
Anemia. Although two individuals had riboflavin-responsive severe macrocytic anemia, riboflavin deficiency had been previously associated with mild-moderate anemia [
Amir et al 2020,
Pillai et al 2020].
While the RTD2 and RTD3 phenotypes are difficult to differentiate, in RTD2 early-onset weakness in the upper limbs and neck is almost invariable, in contrast to RTD3 or genetically unclassified Brown-Vialetto-Van Laere (BVVL) syndrome, in which the onset of weakness is often more generalized [Green et al 2010, Bosch et al 2011, Bosch et al 2012, Foley et al 2014].
Life expectancy. Untreated, most infants diagnosed with RTD rapidly become ventilator dependent (often for some years at home or in intensive care units) and most die before age 12 years [Bandettini Di Poggio et al 2014, Foley et al 2014, Manole et al 2014].
Previous data suggest that in 70% of individuals receiving riboflavin supplementation, muscle strength, motor abilities, respiratory function, and cranial nerve deficits improve [O'Callaghan et al 2019]. Death was reported in some individuals if the treatment was discontinued or started too late in the disease course [Jaeger & Bosch 2016].
With improved disease management and riboflavin treatment (see Management), life span is likely to increase; however, the experience with riboflavin supplementation has only been since 2010 [Bosch et al 2011, Horvath 2012, Bandettini Di Poggio et al 2014, Foley et al 2014, Manole et al 2014].
Pathology. Few pathologic descriptions are available. Sural nerve biopsies in individuals with RTD2 and RTD3 previously showed axonal neuropathy and degeneration. In one study, clinical manifestations and MRI findings supported neuronal loss and degeneration in cranial nerve nuclei and tracts and in the brain stem, cerebellum, and spinal cord of individuals with RTD3 [O'Callaghan et al 2019].