title: Psychiatric disorders in patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis.
abstract: Cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis is a familial recessive disorder. Patients with the disorder present with tendon xanthomas, juvenile cataracts, dementia, and pyramidal and cerebellar abnormalities but have normal plasma cholesterol. High plasma cholestanol concentrations and abnormal bile acid metabolism are specific for this disease. The authors describe four patients with cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis and prominent psychiatric symptoms. In three of these patients appropriate diagnosis and treatment were delayed for years because the presence of cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis was not recognized. Early recognition of this potentially lethal disease is important because both the psychiatric and neurological symptoms respond to treatment with chenodeoxycholic acid.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Soroka Medical Center, Beer-Sheva, Israel.
authors.forename: V M
authors.initials: VM
authors.lastname: Berginer
authors.forename: N L
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Foster
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Sadowsky
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Townsend
authors.forename: G J
authors.initials: GJ
authors.lastname: Siegel
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Salen
mesh_terms: D000125:Achilles Tendon / Q000473:pathology; D000328:Adult; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000378:metabolism; D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D003704:Dementia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D014973:Xanthomatosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts; D002635:Chenodeoxycholic Acid