Glycogen storage disease type II
| Pompe disease (Glycogen storage disease type II) | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Pompe disease; acid maltase deficiency; GSD-IIa; LGMD2V |
| Muscle biopsy showing large vacuoles in a case of Pompe disease (HE stain, frozen section) | |
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| Specialty | Endocrinology |
Glycogen storage disease type II (GSD-II), also called Pompe disease, and formerly known as GSD-IIa or Limb–girdle muscular dystrophy 2V, is an autosomal recessive metabolic disorder which damages muscle and nerve cells throughout the body. It is caused by an accumulation of glycogen in the lysosome due to a deficiency of the lysosomal acid alpha-glucosidase enzyme (GAA). The inability to break down glycogen within the lysosomes of cells leads to progressive muscle weakness throughout the body and affects various body tissues, particularly in the heart, skeletal muscles, liver and the nervous system.
GSD-II and Danon disease are the only glycogen storage diseases characterised by a defect in lysosomal metabolism. It was first identified in 1932 by Dutch pathologist Joannes Cassianus Pompe, making it the first glycogen storage disease to be discovered.