Boy, 6, Suddenly Gets 107-Degree Temperature, Dies; Was It Rare Condition?

July 23, 2010 — -- Six-year-old Vincent Groetzner was enjoying one of his first days of summer vacation splashing in a wading pool in his Florida neighborhood when his legs began to hurt. Then he broke out in a heavy sweat and his heart began to race.

Within hours, the young boy's vital organs had failed and he was pronounced dead despite his mother's fervent efforts to keep him alive.

Now, doctors are trying to determine whether the boy suffered from a rare hereditary disorder known as malignant hyperthermia that affects only about 1,000 people each year -- and his mother hopes finding out could help save Vincent's three siblings and other kids.

While most cases of the heredity disorder occur when a patient is undergoing surgery -- the condition is sparked by a reaction to general anesthesia -- Vincent was outside playing when he fell ill.

"Vincent's case is certainly unusual," said Dr. Henry Rosenberg, an anesthesiologist and president of the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the United States.

Doctors like Rosenberg are beginning to research exactly what happened to Vincent and are trying to determine whether there may be other unknown causes of the disorder than previously thought.

"For many, many years, the primary focus for this syndrome has been in relation to the operating room," said Dr. Henry Rosenberg, an anesthesiologist and president of the Malignant Hyperthermia Association of the U.S.

For those patients who suffer malignant hyperthermia during surgery, there is a drug available that will reverse the condition and, in most cases, save the patient's life, said Rosenberg.

"But over the course of the past few years, we've heard more cases of patients who have developed what sounds like malignant hyperthermia not in conjunction with general anesthesia and outside of the operating room," said Rosenberg.

Vincent's mother, Lisa Groetzner, said that her son was a typical first grader before his death and said she hopes her loss helps other parents avoid the same heartbreak.

"He was awesome," Groetzner said of her son. "He was an honor roll student and was nicknamed 'the wall' because of his defensive skills playing soccer."