Adrenoleukodystrophy history and symptoms
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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:
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Overview
The clinical manifestations of the disease are highly variable, with at least six different types ranging from childhood cerebral to asymptomatic.The most severe type is the childhood cerebral form, which normally occurs in males between the ages of 5 and 10 and is characterized by failure to develop, seizures, ataxia, adrenal insufficiency, as well as degeneration of visual and auditory function. Frequent initial symptoms include emotional lability, hyperactive behaviour, school failure, impaired auditory discrimination and difficulties in vision. The adolescent type usually starts between age 11 and 21 years. Adrenomyeloneuropathy usually presents with weakness and numbness of the limbs and problems with urination or defecation. Some patients may present with sole findings of primary adrenal insufficiency.
History and Symptoms
The clinical presentation is largely dependent on the age of onset of the disease. The most severe type is the childhood cerebral form, which normally occurs in males between the ages of 5 and 10 and is characterized by failure to develop, seizures, ataxia, adrenal insufficiency, as well as degeneration of visual and auditory function. This form can also occur in adolescents and very rarely in adults.
Common Symptoms
Common symptoms in childhood cerebral form of Adrenoleukodystrophy include:[1]
- Emotional lability
- Hyperactive behaviour
- School failure
- Impaired auditory discrimination
- Difficulties in vision
In another form of ALD, which primarily strikes young men, the spinal cord dysfunction is more prominent and therefore is called adrenomyeloneuropathy, or "AMN." The patients usually present with weakness and numbness of the limbs and urination or defecation problems. Most victims of this form are also males, although some female carriers exhibit symptoms similar to AMN.
Adult and neonatal (which tend to affect both males and females and be inherited in an autosomal recessive manner) forms of the disease also exist but they are extremely rare. Some patients may present with sole findings of adrenal insufficiency (Addison's disease). ALD also causes uncontrollable rage in some cases.
References
- ↑ Berger, Johannes; Gärtner, Jutta (2006). "X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy: Clinical, biochemical and pathogenetic aspects". Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) - Molecular Cell Research. 1763 (12): 1721–1732. doi:10.1016/j.bbamcr.2006.07.010. ISSN 0167-4889.