Magnetic resonance imaging findings in Hunter syndrome.
Hunter syndrome is a rare genetic lysosomal storage disease that is caused by a deficiency, or absence, of iduronate-2-sulphatase, an enzyme needed to break down specific glycosaminoglycans (GAGs). As a result, GAGs build up in various tissues throughout the body leading to adverse neurological and non-neurological effects. This literature review focuses on the neurological findings. Although few magnetic resonance imaging studies have been conducted, those done have shown that patients with Hunter syndrome generally exhibit brain atrophy, enlarged periventricular spaces and ventriculomegaly. Similar findings have been reported in other mucopolysaccharide disorders. Enzyme replacement therapy is a novel treatment which has had success in treating peripheral disease in mice and humans.


CONCLUSIONS
Future studies should focus on how structural and chemical signatures in the brain of Hunter patients are altered before and after enzyme replacement therapy, and how those alterations correlate with clinical outcome.
Finn
Chelsea T
CT
Brain Imaging Center, McLean Hospital, Department of Psychiatry, Harvard Medical School, Belmont, MA, USA.
Vedolin
Leonardo
L
Schwartz
Ida V
IV
Giugliani
Roberto
R
Haws
Charlotte A
CA
Prescot
Andrew P
AP
Renshaw
Perry F
PF
D001284:Atrophy; D001479:Basal Ganglia / Q000473:pathology; D002552:Cerebral Ventricles / Q000473:pathology; D002574:Cervical Vertebrae / Q000473:pathology; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009083:Mucopolysaccharidoses / Q000175:diagnosis; D016532:Mucopolysaccharidosis II / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000188:drug therapy; D013788:Thalamus / Q000473:pathology