Skip to main content
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1989 Sep;52(9):1103–1106. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.52.9.1103

Sandhoff disease mimicking adult-onset bulbospinal neuronopathy.

P K Thomas 1, E Young 1, R H King 1
PMCID: PMC1031750  PMID: 2795083

Abstract

A 32 year old male is described with an onset of upper limb postural tremor in adolescence followed by muscle cramps. Progressive proximal amyotrophy and weakness in the limbs developed late in the third decade. Examination disclosed, in addition, bilateral facial weakness and mild dysarthria. Enzyme studies revealed hexosaminidase A and B deficiency, indicating a diagnosis of Sandhoff disease. Intra-axonal membranocytoplasmic bodies were present in a rectal biopsy. The presentation, which resembled that of X-linked bulbospinal neuronopathy, widens the clinical spectrum for disorders related to G(M2) gangliosidosis.

Full text

PDF

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Argov Z., Navon R. Clinical and genetic variations in the syndrome of adult GM2 gangliosidosis resulting from hexosaminidase A deficiency. Ann Neurol. 1984 Jul;16(1):14–20. doi: 10.1002/ana.410160105. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Balestrazzi P., Baeteman M. A., Mattei M. G., Mattei J. F. Franceschetti syndrome in a child with a de novo balanced translocation (5;13)(q11;p11) and significant decrease of hexosaminidase B. Hum Genet. 1983;64(3):305–308. doi: 10.1007/BF00279420. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Barbeau A., Plasse L., Cloutier T., Paris S., Roy M. Lysosomal enzymes in ataxia: discovery of two new cases of late onset hexosaminidase A and B deficiency (adult Sandhoff disease) in French Canadians. Can J Neurol Sci. 1984 Nov;11(4 Suppl):601–606. doi: 10.1017/s0317167100035125. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Brett E. M., Ellis R. B., Haas L., Ikonne J. U., Lake B. D., Patrick A. D., Stephens R. Late onset GM2-gangliosidosis. Clinical, pathological, and biochemical studies on 8 patients. Arch Dis Child. 1973 Oct;48(10):775–785. doi: 10.1136/adc.48.10.775. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Dreyfus J. C., Poenaru L., Svennerholm L. Absence of hexosaminidase A and B in a normal adult. N Engl J Med. 1975 Jan 9;292(2):61–63. doi: 10.1056/NEJM197501092920201. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Harding A. E., Thomas P. K., Baraitser M., Bradbury P. G., Morgan-Hughes J. A., Ponsford J. R. X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy: a report of ten cases. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1982 Nov;45(11):1012–1019. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.45.11.1012. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Harding A. E., Young E. P., Schon F. Adult onset supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, cerebellar ataxia, and neurogenic proximal muscle weakness in a brother and sister: another hexosaminidase A deficiency syndrome. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 1987 Jun;50(6):687–690. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.50.6.687. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Jellinger K., Anzil A. P., Seemann D., Bernheimer H. Adult GM2 gangliosidosis masquerading as slowly progressive muscular atrophy: motor neuron disease phenotype. Clin Neuropathol. 1982;1(1):31–44. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Johnson W. G. The clinical spectrum of hexosaminidase deficiency diseases. Neurology. 1981 Nov;31(11):1453–1456. doi: 10.1212/wnl.31.11.1453. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Johnson W. G., Wigger H. J., Karp H. R., Glaubiger L. M., Rowland L. P. Juvenile spinal muscular atrophy: a new hexosaminidase deficiency phenotype. Ann Neurol. 1982 Jan;11(1):11–16. doi: 10.1002/ana.410110103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Karni A., Navon R., Sadeh M. Hexosaminidase A deficiency manifesting as spinal muscular atrophy of late onset. Ann Neurol. 1988 Sep;24(3):451–453. doi: 10.1002/ana.410240316. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. MacLeod P. M., Wood S., Jan J. E., Applegarth D. A., Dolman C. L. Progressive cerebellar ataxia, spasticity, psychomotor retardation, and hexosaminidase deficiency in a 10-year-old child: juvenile Sandhoff disease. Neurology. 1977 Jun;27(6):571–573. doi: 10.1212/wnl.27.6.571. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Mitsumoto H., Sliman R. J., Schafer I. A., Sternick C. S., Kaufman B., Wilbourn A., Horwitz S. J. Motor neuron disease and adult hexosaminidase A deficiency in two families: evidence for multisystem degeneration. Ann Neurol. 1985 Apr;17(4):378–385. doi: 10.1002/ana.410170413. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. Oonk J. G., van der Helm H. J., Martin J. J. Spinocerebellar degeneration: hexosaminidase A and B deficiency in two adult sisters. Neurology. 1979 Mar;29(3):380–384. doi: 10.1212/wnl.29.3.380. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Sobue G., Hashizume Y., Mukai E., Hirayama M., Mitsuma T., Takahashi A. X-linked recessive bulbospinal neuronopathy. A clinicopathological study. Brain. 1989 Feb;112(Pt 1):209–232. doi: 10.1093/brain/112.1.209. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Wood S., MacDougall B. G. Juvenile Sandhoff disease: some properties of the residual hexosaminidase in cultured fibroblasts. Am J Hum Genet. 1976 Sep;28(5):489–495. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES