Catalog

Mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes

No MMS code

Link to WHO Definition

Mitochondrial encephalopathy with lactic acidosis and stroke-like episodes – http://id.who.int/icd/entity/1369657886

MELAS (Myopathy, Encephalopathy, Lactic Acidosis, and Stroke-like episodes) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterised by acute neurological episodes resembling strokes associated with hyperlactatemia and mitochondrial myopathy. The exact prevalence of the disease is unknown. Patients usually present during childhood or early adulthood with acute crises, which may be triggered by infection or physical exercise. These crises associate cephalalgia, vomiting and sometimes pseudo-stroke signs, such as confusion, hemiparesia and hemianopsia. They often occur in patients with chronic symptoms such as muscle weakness, deafness, diabetes, short stature, cardiomyopathy, developmental delay, learning difficulties, memory loss or attention disorders. The disease is caused by mitochondrial DNA mutations.