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Abetalipoproteinemia

Last reviewed: 12 Sep 2025
Last updated: 22 Jul 2022

Summary

Definition

History and exam

Other diagnostic factors

  • idade entre 0 e 12 anos
  • esteatorreia/diarreia
  • baixo peso
  • fraqueza muscular
  • contrações musculares
  • perda dos reflexos tendinosos profundos
  • ataxia
  • dismetria
  • disartria
  • cegueira noturna
  • visão deficiente
  • oftalmoplegia
  • fadiga
  • pele pálida
  • edema do disco óptico
  • hepatomegalia
Full details

Risk factors

  • genética
  • pais consanguíneos
Full details

Diagnostic investigations

1st investigations to order

  • perfil lipídico em jejum
  • níveis de vitamina A, D, E, K no sangue
  • esfregaço sanguíneo
  • teste genético de apo B e MTTP
Full details

Investigations to consider

  • esfregaço fecal
  • tempo de tromboplastina parcial ativada/tempo de tromboplastina parcial
  • níveis séricos de ferro
  • transaminases hepáticas
  • biópsia intestinal
  • oftalmoscopia direta ou indireta
  • eletromiografia
  • teste eletrodiagnóstico de potencial evocado
  • estudo da condução nervosa
Full details

Treatment algorithm

ONGOING

todos os pacientes

Contributors

Authors

Nicholas Davidson, MD, DSc

Professor of Medicine

Washington University School of Medicine

Saint Louis

MO

Disclosures

ND declares that he has no competing interests.

Acknowledgements

Professor Nicholas Davidson would like to gratefully acknowledge Professor David Leaf for his contribution to this topic.

Disclosures

DL declares that he has no competing interests.

Peer reviewers

David Muller, PhD

Emeritus Professor of Biochemistry

UCL Institute of Child Health

London

UK

Disclosures

DM is a co-author of an article referenced in this topic. He has previously received research funding from F Hoffmann-La Roche and Co Ltd for research studies on vitamin E.

Katherine Wu, MD

Associate Professor of Medicine

Division of Cardiology

Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions

Baltimore

MD

Disclosures

KW declares that she has no competing interests.

Peer reviewer acknowledgements

BMJ Best Practice topics are updated on a rolling basis in line with developments in evidence and guidance. The peer reviewers listed here have reviewed the content at least once during the history of the topic.

Disclosures

Peer reviewer affiliations and disclosures pertain to the time of the review.

References

Our in-house evidence and editorial teams collaborate with international expert contributors and peer reviewers to ensure that we provide access to the most clinically relevant information possible.

Key articles

Shapiro MD, Feingold KR. Monogenic disorders causing hypobetalipoproteinemia. In: Feingold KR, Anawalt B, Boyce A, et al. eds. Endotext. South Dartmouth (MA): MDText.com, Inc.; 2000–2021.Full text

Lee J, Hegele RA. Abetalipoproteinemia and homozygous hypobetalipoproteinemia: a framework for diagnosis and management. J Inherit Metab Dis. 2014 May;37(3):333-9. Abstract

Reference articles

A full list of sources referenced in this topic is available to users with access to all of BMJ Best Practice.

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