Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency

Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II deficiency, sometimes shortened to CPT-II or CPT2, is an autosomal recessively inherited genetic metabolic disorder characterized by an enzymatic defect that prevents long-chain fatty acids from being transported into the mitochondria for utilization as an energy source. The disorder presents in one of three clinical forms: lethal neonatal, severe infantile hepatocardiomuscular and myopathic.

First characterized in 1973 by DiMauro and DiMauro, the adult myopathic form of this disease is triggered by physically strenuous activities and/or extended periods without food and leads to immense muscle fatigue and pain. It is the most common inherited disorder of lipid metabolism affecting the skeletal muscle of adults, primarily affecting males. CPT II deficiency is also the most frequent cause of hereditary myoglobinuria.