Diagnosing Fabry Disease in Clinical Practice
Clinical Manifestations of FD
Classical FD (<3% enzyme activity)
2nd decade |
Symptoms appear later. |
Neuropathic pain, angiokeratomas, and/or cornea verticillata are absent in females. |
Childhood and adolescence |
|
Neuropathic pain | |
Hypohidrosis and hyperhidrosis | |
Febrile crisis | |
Eye involvement* | |
Hearing loss | |
Angiokeratoma | |
Microalbuminuria | |
GI symptoms |
2nd decade |
|
Cardiomyopathy | |
Stroke and TIA | |
Macroproteinuria and eGFR loss |
From 3rd decade |
|
Progressive organ damage | |
Organ failure | |
Premature death |
Nonclassical or late-onset FD (3%–30% enzyme activity) |
|
Variable disease course and single organ involvement | |
Cardiac variant is common in late-onset FD | |
Identified in patients with stroke, renal failure, or cardiomyopathy | |
No neuropathic pain, angiokeratomas, and/or cornea verticillata |
FD diagnosis requires a multidisciplinary team approach involving: |
Biochemist |
Pediatrician |
Neurologist |
Cardiologist |
Dermatologist |
Nephrologist |
Geneticist |
Suggested diagnostic algorithm for patient with clinically suspected FD |
Testing for FD |
1. Lyso-Gb3 indicates severity of FD
2. Endomyocardial and renal biopsies are used
3. Genetic testing
Testing for FD
|
LSD referral centers to manage FD from diagnosis to long-term follow-up |
FD: |
Rare but underdiagnosed |
To be known and recognized by internal medicine physicians |
Early treatment can change the natural course of the disease. |
*Eye involvement includes cornea verticillata, tortuous retinal vessels, cataracts, and conjunctival lymphangiectasia.
Rare but To be known and recognized by underdiagnosed internal medicine physicians α-Gal A: Alpha-galactosidase; eGFR: Estimated glomerular filtration rate; GLA: α-Galactosidase A; FD: Fabry disease; GI: Gastrointestinal; LSD: Lysosomal storage disease; Lyso-Gb3: Globotriaosylsphingosine; TIA: Transient ischemic attack.