Symptoms:

• Balance and coordination difficulties
• Curvature of spine
• Decreased vision that gets worse over time
• Developmental delay
• Failure to thrive (grow) in infancy
• Muscle weakness
• Poor muscle coordination that usually develops after age 10
• Protruding abdomen
• Slurred speech
• Stool abnormalities, including:
  • Fatty stools that appear pale in color
  • Frothy stools
  • Abnormally foul-smelling stools

Signs and tests:

Tests that may be done to help diagnose this condition include:

• Apolipoprotein B blood test
• Blood tests to look for vitamin deficiencies (fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K)
• Complete blood count (CBC)
• Cholesterol studies
• Electromyography
• Eye exam
• Nerve conduction velocity
• Stool sample analysis

Genetic testing may be available for mutations in the MTP gene.