High-dose flecainide for symptomatic relief in paramyotonia congenita/severe neonatal episodic laryngospasm due to SCN4A G1306E: a case report

Abstract Background Severe neonatal episodic laryngospasm has been previously reported in multiple patients with the heterozygous pathogenic variant G1306E in SCN4A. Treatment can be difficult due to side effects from therapies utilized conventionally for the management of myotonia and paramyotonia...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Vanessa Ogueri, Jessica Chong, Melissa Fleming, Kara Simpson, Elizabeth Sherwin, Diana Bharucha-Goebel, Christopher Spurney
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMC 2025-05-01
Series:Journal of Medical Case Reports
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1186/s13256-025-05164-8
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Abstract Background Severe neonatal episodic laryngospasm has been previously reported in multiple patients with the heterozygous pathogenic variant G1306E in SCN4A. Treatment can be difficult due to side effects from therapies utilized conventionally for the management of myotonia and paramyotonia congenita. Case presentation We report on two female siblings of Irish, Scandinavian, and German ethnicity aged 7 and 3 years with severe neonatal episodic laryngospasm and paramyotonia congenita due to a paternally inherited heterozygous pathogenic variant of the SCN4A gene and the use of high-dose flecainide therapy for symptomatic management. Interestingly, one of the two siblings has a coexisting separate maternally inherited and pathogenic CLCN1 variant that may further impact phenotype. High-dose flecainide 220–250 mg/m2/day was not associated with any cardiac side effects. Conclusion This report supports the use of high-dose flecainide in combination with standard therapies in pediatric patients with SCN4A mutations to modulate acute symptoms and provides suggested dosing with an acute and long-term monitoring protocol.
ISSN:1752-1947