Clinical Information

Deficiency of lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) results in 2 clinically distinct phenotypes, Wolman disease (WD) and cholesteryl ester storage disease (CESD). Both phenotypes follow an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern and are caused by variant in the LIPA gene.

WD, the early-onset phenotype of LAL deficiency, is a lipid storage disorder characterized by vomiting, diarrhea, failure to thrive, abdominal distension, hepatosplenomegaly, and liver failure. Enlarged adrenal glands with calcification, a classic finding in WD, can lead to adrenal cortical insufficiency. Unless successfully treated, survival is rare beyond infancy.

CESD, the late-onset phenotype of LAL deficiency, is clinically variable with patients presenting at any age with progressive hepatomegaly and often splenomegaly, serum lipid abnormalities, and elevated liver enzymes. In childhood, patients can also present with failure to thrive and delayed milestones. Common features include premature atherosclerosis leading to coronary artery disease and strokes, liver disease of varying severity, and organomegaly. Lipid deposition in the intestinal tract can lead to diarrhea and weight loss.

CESD is likely underdiagnosed and frequently diagnosed incidentally after liver pathology reveals findings similar to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease or nonalcoholic steatohepatitis. Birefringent cholesteryl ester crystals in hepatocytes or Kupffer cells in fresh-frozen tissues are visualized under polarized light and pathognomonic.

Enzyme replacement therapy (sebelipase alfa) was recently approved for both WD and CESD and is now clinically available.