diagnosis

When you hear the word “family,” who do you think of? Most people think of their immediate family and relatives, such as parents, siblings, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. However, this word means so much more to me. After a rare disease diagnosis, we often…

Newborn screening for Pompe disease can help improve outcomes for babies and prevent a long diagnostic journey. Following is some information about newborn screening and how it can help the children and their parents. About Pompe disease Pompe disease is a rare genetic disease. It is characterized by…

Pompe disease is a multisystem disorder that affects about one in 40,000 people in the U.S. Raising awareness about this rare genetic disease could mean more patients would benefit from earlier diagnosis and treatment. Here are some facts about Pompe disease, and efforts to make it…

A skin biopsy is one of the tests that doctors can use to help diagnose Pompe disease, a rare genetic disease characterized by the buildup of complex sugar molecules called glycogen in muscle and other tissues. This buildup may interfere with function and cause the symptoms…

Electromyography (EMG) is a medical test that doctors can use to assess the health of muscles and nerves, how well they are working and communicating. An EMG may be given to diagnose late-onset Pompe disease, a rare, heritable, and progressive disorder characterized by the buildup of large sugar…

One test that doctors use to diagnose Pompe disease, a rare genetic disease caused by mutations in the GAA gene, is an enzyme activity test. GAA provides cells with the instructions necessary to make an enzyme that plays a role in breaking down a complex sugar molecule called…

European authorities must step up efforts to screen babies for a multitude of genetic disorders, a panel of experts suggested during a May 14-15 online medical conference. The session was part of the 10th European Conference on Rare Diseases & Orphan Products (ECRD2020) — which was to have occurred…

Urinary levels of a proposed Pompe disease biomarker known as Glc4 are higher in patients with either infantile-onset or late-onset forms of this disorder compared to healthy individuals in the Turkish population, a study shows. As Glc4 (or glucose tetrasaccharide) levels vary with age, identifying appropriate reference…

Increased awareness of late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) is crucial to shorten the delay in diagnosis and start appropriate treatment as early as possible, a study says. The study, “Late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD) in Belgium: clinical characteristics and outcome measures,” was published in the…

People with Pompe disease symptoms who are not directly referred to expert centers for a diagnostic work-up tend to take much longer to be properly diagnosed with this rare genetic disorder, a study shows. Researchers say facilitating direct referral might help with early diagnosis of Pompe. The study,…