Metachromatic leukodystrophy

What it is, symptoms and effects

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

Metachromatic leukodystrophy is an inherited disorder characterized by the accumulation of fats called sulfatides in cells. This accumulation especially affects cells in the nervous system that produce myelin, the substance that insulates and protects nerves. Nerve cells covered by myelin make up a tissue called white matter. Sulfatide accumulation in myelin-producing cells causes progressive destruction of white matter (leukodystrophy) throughout the nervous system, including in the brain and spinal cord (the central nervous system) and the nerves connecting the brain and spinal cord to muscles and sensory cells that detect sensations such as touch, pain, heat, and sound (the peripheral nervous system).

In people with metachromatic leukodystrophy, white matter damage causes progressive deterioration of intellectual functions and motor skills, such as the ability to walk. Affected individuals also develop loss of sensation in the extremities (peripheral neuropathy), incontinence, seizures, paralysis, an inability to speak, blindness, and hearing loss. Eventually they lose awareness of their surroundings and become unresponsive. While neurological problems are the primary feature of metachromatic leukodystrophy, effects of sulfatide accumulation on other organs and tissues have been reported, most often involving the gallbladder.

The most common form of metachromatic leukodystrophy, affecting about 50 to 60 percent of all individuals with this disorder, is called the late infantile form. This form of the disorder usually appears in the second year of life. Affected children lose any speech they have developed, become weak, and develop problems with walking (gait disturbance). As the disorder worsens, muscle tone generally first decreases, and then increases to the point of rigidity. Individuals with the late infantile form of metachromatic leukodystrophy typically do not survive past childhood.

In 20 to 30 percent of individuals with metachromatic leukodystrophy, onset occurs between the age of 4 and adolescence. In this juvenile form, the first signs of the disorder may be behavioral problems and increasing difficulty with schoolwork. Progression of the disorder is slower than in the late infantile form, and affected individuals may survive for about 20 years after diagnosis.

The adult form of metachromatic leukodystrophy affects approximately 15 to 20 percent of individuals with the disorder. In this form, the first symptoms appear during the teenage years or later. Often behavioral problems such as alcohol use disorder, drug abuse, or difficulties at school or work are the first symptoms to appear. The affected individual may experience psychiatric symptoms such as delusions or hallucinations. People with the adult form of metachromatic leukodystrophy may survive for 20 to 30 years after diagnosis. During this time there may be some periods of relative stability and other periods of more rapid decline.

Metachromatic leukodystrophy gets its name from the way cells with an accumulation of sulfatides appear when viewed under a microscope. The sulfatides form granules that are described as metachromatic, which means they pick up color differently than surrounding cellular material when stained for examination.

Causes and biological mechanisms

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

Most individuals with metachromatic leukodystrophy have mutations in the ARSA gene, which provides instructions for making the enzyme arylsulfatase A. This enzyme is located in cellular structures called lysosomes, which are the cell's recycling centers. Within lysosomes, arylsulfatase A helps break down sulfatides.

A few individuals with metachromatic leukodystrophy have mutations in the PSAP gene. This gene provides instructions for making a protein that is broken up (cleaved) into smaller proteins that assist enzymes in breaking down various fats. One of these smaller proteins is called saposin B; this protein works with arylsulfatase A to break down sulfatides.

Mutations in the ARSA or PSAP genes result in a decreased ability to break down sulfatides, resulting in the accumulation of these substances in cells. Excess sulfatides are toxic to the nervous system. The accumulation gradually destroys myelin-producing cells, leading to the impairment of nervous system function that occurs in metachromatic leukodystrophy.

In some cases, individuals with very low arylsulfatase A activity show no symptoms of metachromatic leukodystrophy. This condition is called pseudoarylsulfatase deficiency.

Inheritance and family implications

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

This condition is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern, which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations. The parents of an individual with an autosomal recessive condition each carry one copy of the mutated gene, but they typically do not show signs and symptoms of the condition.

How common is it?

From: MedlinePlus Genetics, National Library of Medicine

Metachromatic leukodystrophy is reported to occur in 1 in 40,000 to 160,000 individuals worldwide. The condition is more common in certain genetically isolated populations: 1 in 75 in a small group of Jews who immigrated to Israel from southern Arabia (Habbanites), 1 in 2,500 in the western portion of the Navajo Nation, and 1 in 8,000 among Arab groups in Israel.

Reported clinical features and what the terms mean

The following findings are associated with this condition in Orphanet. They are not a checklist for diagnosing yourself, and they do not all occur in every affected person. Some are examination, imaging or laboratory findings that cannot be recognised at home.

The frequency labels describe how often a finding was reported among people with the condition in the source. They do not give the chance that a person with that symptom has the condition. Definitions below reproduce HPO terminology; they explain the term, not the likely severity in an individual.

Abnormal enzyme/coenzyme activity · Very frequent (99-80%)

Concentration or activity of an enzyme is above or below the limits of normal in the blood circulation.

Periventricular leukomalacia · Very frequent (99-80%)

Periventricular leukomalacia is characterized by diffuse injury of deep cerebral white matter, accompanied in its most severe form by focal necrosis. The neuropathologic hallmarks of PVL are microglial activation and focal and diffuse periventricular depletion of premyelinating oligodendroglia.

Abnormality of visual evoked potentials · Frequent (79-30%)

An anomaly of visually evoked potentials (VEP), which are electrical potentials, initiated by brief visual stimuli, which are recorded from the scalp overlying the visual cortex.

Ataxia · Frequent (79-30%)

Ataxia refers to impaired coordination of voluntary muscle movement. Cerebellar ataxia refers to ataxia due to dysfunction of the cerebellum. This causes a variety of elementary neurological deficits including asynergy (lack of coordination between muscles, limbs and joints), dysmetria (lack of ability to judge distances that can lead to under- or overshoot in grasping movements), and dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapid movements requiring antagonizing muscle groups to be switched on and off repeatedly).

Decreased nerve conduction velocity · Frequent (79-30%)

A reduction in the speed at which electrical signals propagate along the axon of a neuron.

Developmental regression · Frequent (79-30%)

Loss of developmental skills, as manifested by loss of developmental milestones.

Floppy infant · Frequent (79-30%)

Floppiness/hypotonia is defined as reduced resistance to passive movement of joints. Physical examination of floppy/hypotonic infants shows head lag, lack of shoulder and elbow muscle contraction on traction response, inability to tighten the shoulder girdle muscles (or slipping through) when held under the axillae, scarf sign (when the arm is pulled to the opposite side, the arm wraps around the neck with the elbow crossing midline), hyperdorsiflexion of the feet, easy apposition of the thumb against the forearm, feet touching the cheek with ease and without discomfort, frog leg position, and inverted U sign on ventral suspension (head, arms, and legs hanging down without elbow or knee flexion and the trunk rounded in a dome shape).

Gait disturbance · Frequent (79-30%)

The term gait disturbance can refer to any disruption of the ability to walk.

Other findings in the same source

From: Orphanet

Additional reported features include Hearing impairment (Frequent (79-30%)); Hyperintensity of cerebral white matter on MRI (Frequent (79-30%)); Hyporeflexia (Frequent (79-30%)); Increased CSF protein concentration (Frequent (79-30%)); Muscle spasm (Frequent (79-30%)); Muscle weakness (Frequent (79-30%)); Peripheral neuropathy (Frequent (79-30%)); Progressive spasticity (Frequent (79-30%)); Seizure (Frequent (79-30%)); Visual impairment (Frequent (79-30%)). This is a selected summary, not a complete description of the condition.

Which doctor should you see?

The suggested department for discussing Metachromatic leukodystrophy is Neurology, with a neurologist as the relevant type of clinician. General physician / Family Medicine; paediatrician for children. Referral depends on symptoms.

Additional services that may be relevant, depending on the findings, include: Clinical Genetics.

This is an editorial referral starting point. The appropriate clinic depends on the person’s age, symptoms, previous diagnosis and local services. The first clinician can decide whether another specialty or a team is needed; a department label does not confirm the diagnosis.

How to prepare for an assessment

Bring a short timeline of the main symptoms: when they first appeared, whether they are constant or episodic, what seems to change them, and how they affect daily activities. Include previous reports, discharge summaries, current medicines and supplements, allergies, and any relevant family history. A dated record is more useful than trying to match every feature in an online article.

Ask the clinician what is already established and what remains uncertain. If a test is suggested, ask what question it answers, what its limitations are and how the result would change the next step. The information here is not an instruction to arrange every possible test. In children, bring growth, developmental and school information if it is relevant to the concern.

• Which nervous-system findings help explain the symptoms?
• Would an assessment of walking, communication or daily function be helpful?
• Are rehabilitation or other specialist services relevant?

Treatment discussions and follow-up

The material gathered for this draft does not provide a complete condition-specific treatment pathway for Metachromatic leukodystrophy. That gap does not mean that treatment is unavailable. A clinician needs to establish the diagnosis and review current guidance before recommending medicines, procedures, rehabilitation or other support.

Before leaving the appointment, clarify the next review date, who will communicate results, and whom to contact if the situation changes. Discuss difficulties with sleep, work, school, mobility, eating or emotional wellbeing when these are relevant. Practical support may require coordination between the treating clinician and other services.

The collected references do not establish a complete prevention or long-term outlook section for this entry. Missing information should not be interpreted as proof that prevention is impossible or that a particular outcome is inevitable. Ask what is known for the exact subtype, stage and personal circumstances, and which uncertainties remain.

When to seek emergency help

Severe breathing difficulty, collapse, new stroke-like symptoms, a seizure that is prolonged or repeated without recovery, uncontrolled major bleeding, or an immediate risk of self-harm require emergency help. In India, call 112 or reach the nearest emergency department. This is a general, non-exhaustive warning list; it is not a condition-specific triage tool.