Prenatal diagnosis of congenital enzymopenic methaemoglobinaemia with mental retardation due to generalized cytochrome b5 reductase deficiency: first report of two cases.

Prenatal diagnosis of congential enzymopenic methaemoglobinaemia (CEM) with mental retardation was performed in two fetuses at risk for generalized NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase deficiency. In the first case the enzyme activity of cultured amniotic cells was in the heterozygous to normal range. The mother delivered a normal baby with normal enzyme activity in cord blood cells. In the second case, the amniotic cells were almost completely enzyme deficient. The pregnancy was terminated, and the diagnosis of homozygous NADH-cytochrome b5 reductase deficiency was confirmed in cord blood cells, in several different tissues and in cultured fibroblasts from the aborted fetus.