Leigh syndrome is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous disorder resulting from defective mitochondrial energy generation. It most commonly presents as a progressive and severe neurodegenerative disorder with onset within the first months or years of life, and may result in early death. Affected individuals usually show global developmental delay or developmental regression, hypotonia, ataxia, dystonia, and ophthalmologic abnormalities, such as nystagmus or optic atrophy. The neurologic features are associated with the classic findings of T2-weighted hyperintensities in the basal ganglia and/or brainstem on brain imaging. Leigh syndrome can also have detrimental multisystemic affects on the cardiac, hepatic, gastrointestinal, and renal organs. Biochemical studies in patients with Leigh syndrome tend to show increased lactate and abnormalities of mitochondrial oxidative phosphorylation (summary by Lake et al., 2015). Genetic Heterogeneity of Leigh Syndrome Leigh syndrome may be a clinical presentation of a primary deficiency caused by genes in any of the mitochondrial respiratory chain complexes: complex I deficiency (see 252010), complex II deficiency (see 252011), complex III deficiency (see 124000), complex IV deficiency (cytochrome c oxidase; see 220110), and complex V deficiency (see 604273) (summary by Lake et al., 2015). Mutations in mitochondrial genes have also been identified in patients with Leigh syndrome: see MTTV (590105), MTTK (590060), MTTW (590095), and MTTL1 (590050). Leigh syndrome may also be caused by mutations in components of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex (e.g., DLD, 238331 and PDHA1, 300502). Deficiency of coenzyme Q10 (607426) can present as Leigh syndrome. Some forms of combined oxidative phosphorylation deficiency can present as Leigh syndrome (see, e.g., 617664).

Sudden infant death with dysgenesis of the testes syndrome (SIDDT) is characterized by sudden cardiac or respiratory arrest, disordered testicular development, and neurologic dysfunction, and is uniformly fatal before 1 year of age (Slater et al., 2020).

Lessel-Kreienkamp syndrome (LESKRES) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay with intellectual disability and speech and language delay apparent from infancy or early childhood. The severity of the disorder is highly variable: some patients have mildly delayed walking and mild cognitive deficits, whereas others are nonambulatory and nonverbal. Most have behavioral disorders. Additional features, including seizures, hypotonia, gait abnormalities, visual defects, cardiac defects, and nonspecific dysmorphic facial features, may also be present (summary by Lessel et al., 2020).