Symptoms of MELAS

List of symptoms of MELAS:

The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for MELAS includes the 33 symptoms listed below:

• Mitochondrial encephalopathy
• Lactic acidosis
• Stroke like episodes
• Abnormal motor development
• Abnormal cognitive development
• Stroke-like episode
• Seizures
• Muscle weakness on one side of body
• Myopathy
• Muscle pain
• Paralysis of eye muscles
• Cardiomyopathy
• Respiratory insufficiency
• Vision problems
• Pigmentary retinopathy
• Nerve deafness
• Impaired ability to control voluntary movements
• Migraine
• Acquired dementia
• Endocrinopathy
• Short stature
• Skin hemorrhage
• Brain infarcts
• Loss of appetite
• Vomiting
• Muscle weakness
• Altered consciousness
• Severe headache
• Movement problems
• Lactic acidosis
• Abdominal pain due to lactic acidosis
• Fatigue due to lactic acidosis
• Breathing difficulty due to lactic acidosis

Note that MELAS symptoms usually refers to various symptoms known to a patient, but the phrase MELAS signs may refer to those signs only noticable by a doctor.

More ways to research these symptoms: To research other symptoms use the symptom center, or to research causes of more than one symptom in combination, try our multi-symptom search.

Research More About MELAS

Do I have MELAS?

• MELAS: Introduction
• MELAS: Diagnostic Testing to confirm diagnosis
• How serious is it?
• Treatments for MELAS
• More about MELAS

Less Common Symptoms of MELAS:

Ocassionally other symptoms may also present themselves as symptoms of MELAS. 3 of the more common ones are included in the list below:

• Heart problems
• Kidney problems
• Involuntary muscle spasms

More about symptoms of MELAS:

More information about symptoms of MELAS and related conditions:

• Tests to determine if these are the symptoms of MELAS
• Symptoms that may be caused by complications of MELAS
• Underlying causes of MELAS

Other Possible Causes of these Symptoms

Click on any of the symptoms below to see a full list of other causes including diseases, medical conditions, toxins, drug interactions, or drug side effect causes of that symptom.

• Abdominal pain due to lactic acidosis - see all causes of Abdominal pain
• Acquired dementia - see all causes of Dementia
• Brain infarcts - see all causes of Stroke symptoms
• Breathing difficulty due to lactic acidosis - see all causes of Breathing difficulties
• Cardiomyopathy - see all causes of Cardiomyopathy
• Impaired ability to control voluntary movements - see all causes of Movement symptoms
• Lactic acidosis - see all causes of Lactic acidosis
• Lactic acidosis - see all causes of Lactic acidosis
• Loss of appetite - see all causes of Poor appetite
• Migraine - see all causes of Migraine
• Movement problems - see all causes of Movement symptoms
• Muscle pain - see all causes of Muscle pain
• Muscle weakness - see all causes of Muscle weakness
• Muscle weakness on one side of body - see all causes of Muscle weakness
• Myopathy - see all causes of Myopathy
• Nerve deafness - see all causes of Nerve deafness
• Paralysis of eye muscles - see all causes of Eye paralysis
• Seizures - see all causes of Seizures
• Severe headache - see all causes of Severe headache
• Short stature - see all causes of Short stature
• Skin hemorrhage - see all causes of Bleeding under skin
• Stroke like episodes - see all causes of Stroke symptoms
• Vision problems - see all causes of Vision changes
• Vomiting - see all causes of Vomiting

Medical Books Online about MELAS

Medical Books Excerpts Excerpts of published medical book chapters related to MELAS are available from published medical books for more detailed information about MELAS.

Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

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Symptoms of MELAS: Online Medical Books

16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the symptoms of MELAS.

Stroke: Signs and Symptoms
(Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition))

Depending on area affected, aphasia, hemiparesis, dysphasia, pupillary changes, sensory changes, weakness, confusion, amnesia, slurred speech

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

Stroke: Signs and symptoms
(Handbook of Diseases)

Signs and symptoms of stroke vary, depending on the artery affected (and, consequently, the portion of the brain it supplies), the severity of damage, and the extent of collateral circulation that develops to help the brain compensate for decreased blood supply.

If the stroke occurs in the left hemisphere, it produces symptoms on the right side; if it occurs in the right hemisphere, it produces symptoms on the left side. However, a stroke that causes cranial nerve damage produces signs of cranial nerve dysfunction on the same side as the hemorrhage.

Symptoms are usually classified according to the artery affected:

❑ middle cerebral artery: aphasia, dysphasia, visual field cuts, and hemiparesis on the affected side (more severe in the face and arm than in the leg)

❑ carotid artery: weakness, paralysis, numbness, sensory changes, and visual disturbances on the affected side; altered level of consciousness; bruits; headaches; aphasia; and ptosis

❑ vertebrobasilar artery: weakness on the affected side, numbness around the lips and mouth, visual field cuts, diplopia, poor coordination, dysphagia, slurred speech, dizziness, amnesia, and ataxia

❑ anterior cerebral artery: confusion, weakness and numbness (especially in the leg) on the affected side, incontinence, loss of coordination, impaired motor and sensory functions, and personality changes

❑ posterior cerebral arteries: visual field cuts, sensory impairment, dyslexia, coma, and cortical blindness. Usually, there’s no paralysis.

Symptoms can also be classified as premonitory, generalized, and focal. Premonitory symptoms (such as drowsiness, dizziness, headache, and mental confusion) are rare. Generalized signs and symptoms (such as headache, vomiting, mental impairment, seizures, coma, nuchal rigidity, fever, and disorientation) are typical. Focal symptoms (such as sensory and reflex changes) reflect the site of hemorrhage or infarction and may worsen.

READ BOOK EXCERPT ONLINE »

MELAS as a Cause of Symptoms or Medical Conditions

When considering symptoms of MELAS, it is also important to consider MELAS as a possible cause of other medical conditions. The Disease Database lists the following medical conditions that MELAS may cause:

• Anion gap high metabolic acidosis
• Cerebellar syndrome
• Chronic brain failure
• Fits
• Hyperglycaemia
• Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy
• Lactic acidosis
• Learning disability
• Muscle weakness
• Ophthalmoplegia
• Peripheral neuropathy
• Retinitis pigmentosa
• Sensorineural hearing loss
• Short stature
• Thrombocytopenia

Medical articles and books on symptoms:

These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:

• Diagnostic Testing for a Diagnosis of MELAS
• How serious is MELAS?
• More about MELAS
• Online Diagnosis
• Self Diagnosis Pitfalls
• Pitfalls of Online Diagnosis
• Symptoms of the Silent Killer Diseases
• Lesser known silent killer diseases
• Books on signs and symptoms

Full list of premium articles on symptoms and diagnosis

About signs and symptoms of MELAS:

The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of MELAS. This signs and symptoms information for MELAS has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of MELAS signs or MELAS symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of MELAS may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed MELAS symptoms.