CASE REPORT article
Front. Cardiovasc. Med.
Sec. Heart Failure and Transplantation
Danon Disease Presenting With Transient Stroke-Like Weakness in a Young Woman: A Case Report
Jinhua Wang
Xiaokai Zhou
LiXia Zhou
Yaoyao Ruan
Jiao Wang
Qizhi Jin
Quzhou City People's Hospital, Quzhou, China
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Abstract
ABSTRACT Background: Danon disease is a rare X-linked dominant lysosomal storage disorder caused by lysosome-associated membrane protein 2 (LAMP2) deficiency. Female carriers demonstrate highly variable penetrance, and neurological manifestations are under-recognized, which delays diagnosis and targeted management. Case presentation: A 27-year-old woman presented with sudden-onset left-sided weakness that resolved within three weeks. Initial magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a right basal ganglia infarction with distal right middle cerebral artery narrowing, and she received dual antiplatelet therapy and statins. When she was referred for etiologic evaluation, physical and neurological examinations were unremarkable, yet N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide and cardiac troponin I levels were elevated. Transthoracic echocardiography revealed left ventricular dilation with global hypokinesia (ejection fraction 30%). Right heart contrast echocardiography excluded patent foramen ovale, whereas 24-hour Holter monitoring captured frequent atrial and ventricular ectopy with short ventricular tachycardia runs. Cardiac magnetic resonance showed markedly reduced systolic function (left ventricular ejection fraction 21%) and mid-wall late gadolinium enhancement, while myocardial perfusion imaging confirmed global hypoperfusion. Whole-exome sequencing identified a heterozygous LAMP2 frameshift variant (c.1079_1083delGAAAG; p.Gly360Valfs*11), which was validated by Sanger sequencing. Cascade testing revealed a hemizygous carrier son and wild-type parents. She was treated with contemporary heart failure therapy, oral dabigatran for presumed cardioembolic stroke, and listed for heart transplantation. Conclusion: This case underscores that Danon disease in women may initially mimic cryptogenic stroke. Multimodality cardiac imaging combined with genetic analysis is crucial for recognizing atypical presentations and guiding anticipatory heart failure management.
Summary
Keywords
cardioembolism, cryptogenic stroke, Danon disease, dilated cardiomyopathy, Heart Failure, LAMP2
Received
30 October 2025
Accepted
03 February 2026
Copyright
© 2026 Wang, Zhou, Zhou, Ruan, Wang and Jin. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
*Correspondence: Qizhi Jin
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