title: Extraneurologic symptoms as presenting signs of Sanfilippo disease.
abstract: Sanfilippo disease, or mucopolysaccharidosis type III, results from the deficiency of lysosomal hydrolases, which impairs heparan sulfate metabolism. Clinically, the disease is characterized by a mild somatic phenotype combined with early severe neurodegenerative illness with prominent behavioral disturbance. We report clinical and molecular findings of a child with Sanfilippo disease type B (alpha-N>-acetylglucosaminidase deficiency) who presented at age 18 months with marked systemic involvement and normal initial psychomotor development. These findings suggest that atypical mucopolysaccharidosis type III patients may present with early somatic changes preceding the onset of overt neurologic symptoms and ensuring an early diagnosis and possible therapeutic intervention.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Barone
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fiumara
authors.forename: G R
authors.initials: GR
authors.lastname: Villani
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Di Natale
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Pavone
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000172:deficiency*; D000483:Alleles; D002657:Child Development; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004252:DNA Mutational Analysis; D002658:Developmental Disabilities; D004413:Dysostoses / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D019066:Facies; D006720:Homozygote; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D009084:Mucopolysaccharidosis III / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000201:enzymology; D020125:Mutation, Missense; D010641:Phenotype; D011859:Radiography
chemical_list: C033079:alpha-N-acetyl-D-glucosaminidase; D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase