Two Cases of Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease

ABSTRACT

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) is a rare sudanophilic leukodystrophy with a reduced number of mature oligodendrocytes as well as diffuse central nervous system hypomyelination (dysmyelination) due to abnormal synthesis of proteolipid protein. PMD is characterized with pendular nystagmus, stridor, delay in psychomotor development, hypotonia, ataxia, athetosis and extrapyramidal signs. Abnormal high signal intensity is shown in the entire white matter of cerebrum and cerebellum at early stage by T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). We report two cases of PMD diagnosed with characteristic clinical manifestations and brain MRI findings.