In rare cases, Leigh's disease may begin during late adolescence or early adulthood. In these cases, the progression of the disease is slower than the classical form. The most common treatment for Leigh's disease is the administration of thiamine or Vitamin B1. Oral sodium bicarbonate or sodium citrate may also be prescribed for management of lactic acidosis. The prognosis for individuals with Leigh's disease is poor.
Death usually occurs within a few years.
Occasionally, patients may live to be 6 or 7 years of age and a few patients have survived to the mid-teenage years. Children who survive the initial bout with the disease may not fully recover and are likely to face successive bouts of devastating illness which ultimately causes death. Each year, Medical College of Wisconsin physicians care for more than 180,000 patients, representing nearly 500,000 patient visits. Froedtert Memorial Lutheran Hospital, the Milwaukee VA Medical Center, and many other hospitals and clinics in Milwaukee and southeastern Wisconsin.