Baldelli Misdiagnosed

[CaliSoxFanViaSWside]

Free agent Rocco Baldelli no longer has the sometimes fatal mitochondrial disorder but now has been diagnosed with the less severe and treatable channelopathy. What this means to his career path is unknown but it's much more encouraging than it was.

[Steve9347]

Free agent Rocco Baldelli no longer has the sometimes fatal mitochondrial disorder but now has been diagnosed with the less severe and treatable channelopathy. What this means to his career path is unknown but it's much more encouraging than it was.

Where did you hear that? That's awesome.

[Steve9347]

link

[Steve9347]

I now 100% want the Sox to sign Rocco Baldelli.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

I now 100% want the Sox to sign Rocco Baldelli.

 

That.

 

Also, this is just great news for him and his family.

 

I can't remember if KW has alwyas had his eye on him or not, but I hope he makes a play for him

[qwerty]

Let's hope he is not bluffing for the sake of it...

[HuskyCaucasian]

I now 100% want the Sox to sign Rocco Baldelli.

So what's the deal with Rocco? I havent really followed him at all. Statistically he had a great rookie year, and his sophomore year wasnt too bad either. Since then, he's barely played. I dont know his story. Enlighten me.

[G&T]

Let's hope he is not bluffing for the sake of it...

 

If he were to sign and then it was discovered that he lied to get a better deal, the contract would almost definitely be void. Any team would take a long look at all medical records and research into the disease to ensure this isn't a bluff.

 

Plus, if he was bluffing, that would make him a sack of crap.

[ChiSox_Sonix]

So what's the deal with Rocco? I havent really followed him at all. Statistically he had a great rookie year, and his sophomore year wasnt too bad either. Since then, he's barely played. I dont know his story. Enlighten me.

 

 

He's been just riddles with injuries and then there was that mitochondrial disease report. He possesses boatloads of pure talent though, and while he almost assuredly will never reach what was his maximum potential a few years back, he still has a pretty nice upside if he could remain healthy. I'd be all for KW offering him a deal with a ton of incentives in it.

[RockRaines]

I now 100% want the Sox to sign Rocco Baldelli.

Why? it changes nothing, the guy still cannot recover from injuries and is injury prone. He still doesnt have the energy to play everyday.

Edited December 17, 2008 by RockRaines

[qwerty]

If he were to sign and then it was discovered that he lied to get a better deal, the contract would almost definitely be void. Any team would take a long look at all medical records and research into the disease to ensure this isn't a bluff.

 

Plus, if he was bluffing, that would make him a sack of crap.

 

I am sure any team that has intentions of signing him will put it extensive homework regarding his condition. Though teams have been bluffed before and it can happen again.

 

Reggie Lewis anyone?

 

Athletes have been known to doctor hop until they hear exactly whatever it is they wanted to hear.

 

The baldelli market has been rather small (almost nonexistent) and this is a sure fire way to get the market going. Baldelli has millions upon millions (might still sign a one year deal to raise his value)of reasons to get this news now of all times.

 

Regardless, he has only played 155 games in 4 seasons. There is room for concern. No team should sign him with the intent of him playing much more than 3 maybe 4 times a weeks.

 

 

 

[qwerty]

Why? it changes nothing, the guy still cannot recover from injuries and is injury prone. He still doesnt have the energy to play everyday.

 

Exactly, different name. Same results. On the surface it sounds great and that is pretty much where it ends.

[G&T]

Why? it changes nothing, the guy still cannot recover from injuries and is injury prone. He still doesnt have the energy to play everyday.

 

Yeah because he hasn't been given the right treatment. So, if the misdiagnosis is accurate, then it could change everything.

 

Nevertheless, I think this report is preliminary and any team should remain skeptical.

[Greg Hibbard]

Baldelli was misdiagnosed last year with "mitochondrial abnormalities" but a Cleveland clinic apparently re-diagnosed this as Channelopathy, which is apparently highly treatable.

 

This guy is a free agent, and if healthy, is the kind of bargain KW would scoop up for value. He could play CF and hit second.

 

links:

 

http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?...;name=Neyer_Rob

 

http://www.abc6.com/news/36301134.html

Edited December 17, 2008 by Greg Hibbard

[RockRaines]

Yeah because he hasn't been given the right treatment. So, if the misdiagnosis is accurate, then it could change everything.

 

Nevertheless, I think this report is preliminary and any team should remain skeptical.

If you say so. I still think the kid cannot compete every day and cannot stay healthy, call it whatever you want but its a bad investment.

[RockRaines]

already a thread in DC

[CanOfCorn]

If you say so. I still think the kid cannot compete every day and cannot stay healthy, call it whatever you want but its a bad investment.

 

What about offering a minor league contract with an invite to ST? If he doesn't make it, ship him down and see what he can handle. I don't see that as a bad investment.

[RockRaines]

What about offering a minor league contract with an invite to ST? If he doesn't make it, ship him down and see what he can handle. I don't see that as a bad investment.

Sure we could offer him that, of course another team will offer him a MLB contract which would trump what we offer.

[Greg Hibbard]

I'm not sure what exactly the downside is to offering this dude 1 million MLB contract with a ton of incentives.

[Wanne]

Athletes have been known to doctor hop until they hear exactly whatever it is they wanted to hear.

 

The baldelli market has been rather small (almost nonexistent) and this is a sure fire way to get the market going. Baldelli has millions upon millions (might still sign a one year deal to raise his value)of reasons to get this news now of all times.

 

First thing I thought of too. It's AMAZING how these things happen.

 

[Steve9347]

Why? it changes nothing, the guy still cannot recover from injuries and is injury prone. He still doesnt have the energy to play everyday.

Um, because the problem he has can be cured, thus he WILL have the energy.

[RockRaines]

Um, because the problem he has can be cured, thus he WILL have the energy.

Are there examples of what his improvement would be? Its seems fishy to me that he was always injured, has no energy and cannot recover from stress on his body quickly and all of a sudden as he hits free agency they say he has something that is minor and curable? Tampa has been looking for solutions to his problem for years, and only NOW they determine its something else. I call complete bulls*** and I dont think much will change in his performance at all. There is no miracle "energy and recovery" solution that I know of.

[RockRaines]

I still cant figure out where is says this can be cured. It says more treatable than the potentially fatal disorder he originally was diagnosed with. He is still not going to be an every day player.

 

Baldelli: "An encouraging development"

Free agent OF Rocco Baldelli clarified the Rhode Island TV reports this morning, saying there has been an updated diagnosis that is "an encouraging development" and with adjustments to his current medication he hopes "to be on the field on a much more regular basis.''

 

Baldelli said he was not orginally "misdiagnosed" as reported by WLNE and WPRI, but that the original diagnosis of a mitochondrial disorder was "the best diagnosis at the time.''

 

His doctor at the Cleveland Clinic has since reviewed further and more sophisticated testing that indicates his condition is a less-severe and treatable channelopathy. With a modification of medicine Baldelli is currently taking and having good results from, he is optimistic about his health and his baseball career.

 

"It's definitely an encouraging development,'' Baldelli said this morning from his Rhode Island home. "Knowing this is a treatable condition, I feel this is a very positive thing for me and my baseball career. With this less-severe diagnosis, I hope to be on the field on a much more regular basis.''

 

Channelopathies are diseases involving dysfunction of ion channels that can involve potassium, sodium, chloride and calcium, and other areas, according to MedicineNet.com.

 

Baldelli became a free agent at the end of the season, as the Rays previously declined his 2009 option. He is free to sign with any team, including the Rays. He has been in discussions with more than a half-dozen including the Red Sox (with whom he reportedly visited personally), Yankees, Reds, Phillies and Rays.

 

The encouraging medical report should increase his appeal to teams, though there will still be some question as to how often he will be be able to play and whether he can be used more often in the field or primarily as a DH and pinch-hitter. The Rays have said they are open to bringing him back, but they apparently want to first address their quest to add a front-line hitter to their lineup and then see how and if Baldelli still fits.

 

Baldelli, 27, was sidelined much of the season due to what was described as a muscle fatigue disorder then rejoined the Rays in August and hit .263 with four homers and 13 RBIs in 28 games during the regular season, then hit .200 with two homers and six RBIs in eight postseason games, including a key single in Game 7 of the ALCS and a game-tying home run in Game 5 of the World Series.

 

http://blogs.tampabay.com/rays/2008/12/baldelli-an-enc.html

 

 

In doing some research on this group of disorders, I've also found that although treatable, it never goes away and can be triggered by cold weather. There seem to be several different flavors of this disease affecting many different parts of the body.

 

Paramyotonia Congenita

This disease is autosomal dominant, inherited with complete penetrance. The predominant symptom is paradoxical myotonia, usually present from birth and persisting throughout life. The myotonia is paradoxical because unlike classical myotonia, it increases with repetitive movements. Cold temperature exacerbates myotonia and can cause weakness. The myotonia particularly affects the face, neck, and forearm. Typically on relief of the myotonia, either spontaneously or on warming, there is a variable degree of weakness that persists for several hours. In a warm environment patients may have no symptoms at all. In some families with this disorder, there is a tendency for attacks of paralysis to occur independently of the myotonia. In many patients, these attacks are precipitated by potassium ingestion, in much the same way as hyperkalemic periodic paralysis. Occasional patients, usually adolescents, are weakened by hypokalemia.

 

Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis

As with paramyotonia congenita, hyperkalemic periodic paralysis normally appears in infancy or early childhood with frequent episodes of paralysis that are generally brief and mild, lasting between 15 minutes and 4 hours. Attacks are often precipitated by rest following exercise, by ingestion of potassium-rich foods, or by administration of potassium compounds. They commonly start in the morning before breakfast. Stress tends to make the attacks more easily provoked. Weakness is mainly proximal, but distal muscles can be involved. There is usually no ocular or respiratory muscle weakness. Examination of a patient during a severe attack reveals a flaccid tetraparesis with absent reflexes and normal sensory examination. The potassium may rise during the attack but not necessarily above the upper limit of normal range and rarely to levels that cause cardiac arrhythmia. Generally between attacks, patients maintain normal strength, but in a few cases there is persistent mild weakness.

Edited December 17, 2008 by RockRaines

[ptatc]

I for one have never heard of this. So I went through a number of research articles. The consensus is that these channel disturbances cannot be fully reveresed.

 

The highly treatable part means that it's not fatal, although some of the articles suggests it can be.

 

I'm not sure the fatigue and injuries are a part of this syndrome that can be treated. It's really a syndrome not a disease in that it's a group of symptoms that are related but the cause of the channel ddisturbance is unknown.

 

KW should not even consider giving him a guaranteed deal unless it has alot of incentives and is a minor league deal.

[RockRaines]

More info:

 

Definition

 

Channelopathies are inherited diseases caused by defects in cell proteins called ion channels.

 

Channelopathies include a wide range of neurologic diseases, including periodic paralysis, congenital myasthenic syndromes, malignant hypothermia, a form of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, and several other disorders. Cystic fibrosis and long Q-T syndrome, which are not neurological diseases, are also types of channelopathy.

 

Description

 

Cells of the body, including nerve and muscle cells, are surrounded by thin coverings called membranes. Embedded in these membranes are a large and varied set of proteins that control the movement of materials across the membrane, in and out of the cell. One major type of material that crosses through such proteins are called ions, and the proteins that transport them are called ion channels.

 

Ions perform many different functions in cells. In neurons (nerve cells), they help transmit the electrical messages that allow neurons to communicate with each other, and with muscle cells. In muscle cells, they allow the muscle to contract. When the ion channels are defective, these activities may be disrupted.

 

Inheritance

 

The proteins responsible for channelopathies are made by genes, and defects in genes are the cause for the diseases. Genes are inherited from both parents. If two defective copies of a gene are needed in order for a person to develop the disease, this is known as a recessive inheritance pattern. Two parents, each of whom carry one defective copy, have a 25% chance with each pregnancy of having a child with the disease.

 

If only one defective copy of the gene is needed in order to develop the disease, this is known as a dominant inheritance pattern. A single parent who carries the disease gene (and likely has the disease as well) has a 50% chance with each pregnancy of having a child with the disease.

 

Types of Channelopathies

 

Periodic paralysis

 

A person with periodic paralysis experiences sudden onset of weakness, which gradually subsides, only to return again later. Two forms of periodic paralysis exist, termed "hyperkalemic," referring to the excessively high levels of potassium in the blood which can trigger attacks, and "hypokalemic," in which excessively low levels of potassium are the culprit. Each is caused by different genetic mutations of a potassium ion channel, and both exhibit the dominant inheritance pattern. Onset is usually in childhood for the hyperkalemic form, and childhood to adulthood for the hypokalemic form. Dietary restrictions can reduce the frequency of attacks of both forms, with a high-carbohydrate, low-potassium diet for the hyperkalemic form, and a low-carbohydrate, high-potassium diet for the hypokalemic form.

 

Congenital myasthenic syndromes

 

Congenital myasthenic syndromes are a group of related disorders caused by inherited defects in the acetylcholine receptor. This protein sits on the surface of muscle cells; when a nearby neuron releases the chemical acetylcholine, it binds to the receptor, causing the muscle to contract. Defects cause myasthenia ("muscle weakness") and fatigue, and may be life-threatening in some individuals. Most forms display the recessive inheritance pattern. Onset is in infancy. Treatment usually includes the drug mestinon, which blocks the breakdown of the acetylcholine after it is released, prolonging its action, and another drug, called 3, 4-DAP, which increases the amount of acetylcholine released.

 

Malignant hyperthermia

 

Malignant hyperthermia is caused by mutations in the gene for a membrane protein inside the muscle cell, called the ryanodine receptor, which controls calcium ion movement within the muscle. Another form is due to mutation in a different muscle protein controlling calcium. Malignant hyperthermia is usually triggered by exposure to certain kinds of anesthetics or muscle relaxants. It causes a dangerous increase in the rate of activity within the muscle, and a sharp rise in temperature, leading to a cascade of crises which may include severe damage to muscle cells, heart malfunction, swelling of tissues including the brain, and death. It is treated with dantrolene, an anti-spasticity medication that blocks calcium ion movement in the muscle. Awareness of the condition has led to better screening for it among anesthesia patients and a significant reduction in mortality.

 

X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

 

X-linked Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMTX) is caused by a defect in connexin 32. This protein forms connections between adjacent cells, allowing ions to flow between them. The cells affected are those that surround neurons and provide their electrical insulation. Outside the brain and spinal cord (together called the central nervous system, or CNS), this job is performed by Schwann cells. Inside the CNS, the insulating cells are called oligodendrocytes. Like other forms of CMT, CMTX causes slowly progressing muscle weakness in the distal muscles (those furthest away from the body center), including the hands and feet. There may also be decreased sensation in the extremities. CMTX is inherited on the X chromosome, of which males have one and females have two. For this reason, CMTX usually affects males more severely than females because they have only one X chromosome, and therefore lack a second normal copy of the gene.

 

http://www.answers.com/topic/channelopathy

 

Here is study done on patients with this disorder that lead to chronic fatigue

 

http://phoenix-cfs.org/The%20SITE/RNaseChannelStudy.htm

Edited December 17, 2008 by RockRaines