title: Early-onset Hirayama disease in a female.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Hirayama disease is a rare myelopathy, occurring predominantly in males with onset in the teens.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Here, we report a young female patient who developed the first signs of Hirayama disease at 10.5 years of age. Prior to onset, she had experienced a growth spurt and grew about 8 cm. The disease progressed over 3 years and the typical clinical, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging signs of Hirayama disease were found. After this period and achievement of her final height, no further progression was noticed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This case highlights that pediatric neurologists should be aware of Hirayama disease, which can also occur in girls in early adolescence.
authors.affiliation: Clinical Department of Pediatrics I, Division of Pediatric Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Matthias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Baumann
authors.affiliation: Krankenanstalt Rudolfstiftung, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Josef
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Finsterer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Elke R
authors.initials: ER
authors.lastname: Gizewski
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
authors.forename: Wolfgang N
authors.initials: WN
authors.lastname: Löscher
keywords: Hirayama disease; magnetic resonance imaging; motor neuron disease; myelopathy; nerve conduction