Child Neurology: Mucopolysaccharidosis IIID: Evidence From Ultrastructural and Genomic Study.

Mucopolysaccharidosis IIID (MPS IIID/ Sanfilippo syndrome D, OMIM # 252940), is an autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disorder (LSD) and the rarest form of the mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) III subtypes. It is caused by mutations in the gene encoding lysosomal enzyme N-acetyl glucosamine-6-sulphatase (GNS). Deficiency of GNS impairs catabolism of glycosaminoglycans causing accumulation of heparan sulphate within lysosomes of various tissues which is visualized as membranous cytoplasmic bodies (MCBs) on electron microscopy. The recognition of this ultrastructural feature in a muscle biopsy instigated genetic evaluation for LSD in our case resulting in the detection of a novel pathogenic GNS gene mutation. The patient also exhibited intellectual disability since childhood, reduced vision due to pigmentary retinopathy, and behavioural abnormalities without other systemic features of MPS. Here, we report a patient of Indian origin with MPS IIID based on a novel pathogenic variant c.1078 G>T (p.G360C) in the GNS gene and the presence of MCBs in muscle biopsy, characterized by several novel findings including the occurrence of pigmentary retinopathy which extends the clinical spectrum of MPS IIID.