Isovaleric acidemia: report of one case.

A case of isovaleric acidemia appearing as diabetic ketoacidosis with acute encephalopathy and pancytopenia was reported. A three-year-old male patient, with mild psychomotor retardation, had recurrent bouts of acute encephalopathy and pancytopenia after episodes of upper respiratory infection. At admission, he had vomiting associated with dehydration, acidosis, ketonuria, coma and a pungent, rather unpleasant odor. Laboratory features included hyperglycemia, hyperammonemia, hyperamylasemia, hypocalcemia, neutropenia, thrombocytopenia and subsequent anemia. Urine organic acid profiles showed profuse amount of 3-beta-hydroxyisovaleric acid (295 mg/ml) and isovalerylglycine (616 mg/ml) by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Levels of amino acids in the serum and urine were normal. The patient received treatment with rehydration and insulin, with rapid improvement. After the acute illness, blood glucose levels returned to normal. The patient was doing well on a low-protein diet in recent 3 months.