A Historical Cohort Study on the Efficacy of Glucocorticoids and Riboflavin Among Patients with Late-onset Multiple Acyl-CoA Dehydrogenase Deficiency

Background: Late-onset multiple acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (MADD) is the most common type of lipid storage myopathies in China. Most patients with late-onset MADD are well responsive to riboflavin. Up to now, these patients are often treated with glucocorticoids as the first-line drug because they are misdiagnosed as polymyositis without muscle biopsy or gene analysis. Although glucocorticoids seem to improve the fatty acid metabolism of late-onset MADD, the objective evaluation of their rationalization on this disorder and comparison with riboflavin treatment are unknown. Methods: We performed a historical cohort study on the efficacy of the two drugs among 45 patients with late-onset MADD, who were divided into glucocorticoids group and riboflavin group. Detailed clinical information of baseline and 1-month follow-up were collected. Results: After 1-month treatment, a dramatic improvement of muscle strength was found in riboflavin group ( P P Conclusions: Our results provide credible evidences that the overall efficacy of riboflavin is superior to glucocorticoids, and a longer duration of riboflavin treatment is necessary for patients with late-onset MADD.