Wolman Disease

Wolman disease is a congenital disease characterized by an impaired metabolism of the fats (lipids).  It is the most severe type of lysosomal acid lipase deficiency. The lysomal acid lipase deficiency causes a buildup of lipids (fats) in body organs and calcium deposits in the adrenal glands. Common symptoms in infants include enlarged liver and spleen, poor weight gain, low muscle tone, jaundice, vomiting, diarrhea, developmental delay, anemia, and poor absorption of nutrients from food. Wolman disease is caused by mutations in the LIPA gene which provides instructions to make the lysosomal acid lipase.  Inheritance is  autosomal recessive. The disease is severe and life-threatening, however enzyme replacement therapy, available for the treatment of lysosomal acid lipase deficiencies, in the United States, the European Union, and Japan, have shown improvement of symptoms, including liver problems, as well as an increased life expectancy.  Liver transplantation can be considered in some cases when the liver disease is severe. Reports of treatment with bone marrow transplantation have shown mixed results, correcting the metabolic disease in a few cases, but not in others.