Patients include: clinical examination, enzyme activity assay, muscle testing, cardiological and respiratory workup. Lowered enzyme activity suggests a pathogenic genetic variant to be identified. The secondary objective is to propose genetic counselling and a family investigation in order to identify relatives who are also affected.
Pompe's disease is a lysosomal storage disease of autosomal recessive genetic transmission due to a deficiency in acid alpha glucosidase. This enzyme deficiency leads to glycogen overload in all cells but with a more marked expression in muscle cells. There is a great variability in the clinical manifestations and in the age of onset of symptoms depending on whether the enzyme deficiency is partial or total. The prevalence is estimated at 1 in 40,000. There is a specific treatment based on enzyme replacement therapy