Treatment implications of a delayed diagnosis of maturity-onset diabetes of the young

Abstract

Maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a rare form of monogeneic diabetes that classically presents as non-insulin requiring diabetes with evidence of autosomal dominant inheritance in individuals who are typically young and lean. However, these criteria do not capture all cases and can also overlap with other types of diabetes. The hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 alpha (HNF1A) mutation is a common cause of MODY and is highly sensitive to sulphonylureas, which should be first-line therapy. Our case represents the diagnostic challenges of HNF1A MODY and the implications of a delayed diagnosis, which can lead to reduced success of sulphonylurea treatment.