Abstract
A patient with a progressive neurological disorder beginning at the age of three years is described. Mental and visual disturbances were the first signs, soon followed by ataxia and myoclonic jerks. Fundoscopy revealed a decreased pigmentation of the retina. Ultramicroscopic investigations of muscle and skin disclosed the typical changes seen in the late infantile and juvenile forms of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis. In contrast to the clinical and ultrastructural findings, the fatty acid pattern of the serum lecithin showed a significant increase of arachidonic acid and a corresponding decrease of linoleic acid which is characteristic of the so-called infantile form of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (Hagberg-Santavuori variant; polyunsaturated fatty acid lipidosis). The obvious heterogeneity of the clinical, histological and laboratory findings within the subgroups of neuronal ceroidlipofuscinosis is briefly discussed.
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With support of the Landesamt für Forschung des Landes Nordrhein-Westfalen
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Becker, K., Goebel, H.H., Svennerholm, L. et al. Clinical, morphological, and biochemical investigations on a patient with an unusual form of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis. Eur J Pediatr 132, 197–206 (1979). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442436
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00442436