Sandhoff disease comprises a phenotypic continuum encompassing acute infantile, subacute juvenile, and late-onset disease. Although classification into these phenotypes is somewhat arbitrary, it is helpful in understanding the variation observed in the timing of disease onset, presenting manifestations, rate of progression, and life span. Acute infantile Sandhoff disease (onset age <6 months). Infants are generally normal at birth followed by progressive weakness and slowing of developmental progress, then developmental regression and severe neurologic impairment. Seizures are common. Death usually occurs between ages two and three years. Subacute juvenile Sandhoff disease (onset age 2-5 years). After attaining normal developmental milestones, developmental progress slows, followed by developmental regression and neurologic impairment (abnormal gait, dysarthria, and cognitive decline). Death (usually from aspiration) typically occurs in the early to late teens. Late-onset Sandhoff disease (onset older teen years or young adulthood). Nearly normal psychomotor development is followed by a range of neurologic findings (e.g., weakness, spasticity, dysarthria, and deficits in cerebellar function) and psychiatric findings (e.g., deficits in executive function and memory). Life expectancy is not necessarily decreased.

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD) involves the central or peripheral nervous system and the adrenal cortex. The nervous system and adrenal glands are involved independently; thus, an affected male may be diagnosed with cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy (CALD), adrenomyeloneuropathy (AMN), and/or primary adrenocortical insufficiency. CALD is characterized by progressive behavioral, cognitive, and neurologic deficits; onset of symptoms ranges from childhood (typically ages 4 to 8 years) to adolescence (ages 11 to 21 years) and adulthood. AMN is characterized by leg weakness, spasticity, clumsy gait, pain, and bladder and bowel dysfunction; onset is typically in the 20s and 30s. Onset of primary adrenocortical insufficiency ranges from age two years to adulthood (most commonly by age 7.5 years). Heterozygous females are not at increased risk to develop CALD, but are at increased risk to develop AMN and primary adrenocortical insufficiency with increasing age.

FMR1 disorders include fragile X syndrome (FXS), fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), and fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency (FXPOI). Fragile X syndrome occurs in individuals with an FMR1 full mutation or other loss-of-function variant and is nearly always characterized in affected males by developmental delay and intellectual disability along with a variety of behavioral issues. Autism spectrum disorder is present in 50%-70% of individuals with FXS. Affected males may have characteristic craniofacial features (which become more obvious with age) and medical problems including hypotonia, gastroesophageal reflux, strabismus, seizures, sleep disorders, joint laxity, pes planus, scoliosis, and recurrent otitis media. Adults may have mitral valve prolapse or aortic root dilatation. The physical and behavioral features seen in males with FXS have been reported in females heterozygous for the FMR1 full mutation, but with lower frequency and milder involvement. FXTAS occurs in individuals who have an FMR1 premutation and is characterized by late-onset, progressive cerebellar ataxia and intention tremor followed by cognitive impairment. Psychiatric disorders are common. Age of onset is typically between 60 and 65 years and is more common among males who are hemizygous for the premutation (40%) than among females who are heterozygous for the premutation (16%-20%). FXPOI, defined as hypergonadotropic hypogonadism before age 40 years, has been observed in 20% of women who carry a premutation allele compared to 1% in the general population.

The hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies (HSAN), which are also referred to as hereditary sensory neuropathies (HSN) in the absence of significant autonomic features, are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of disorders associated with sensory dysfunction. For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of HSAN, see HSAN1A (162400).

Hemochromatosis type 4 (HFE4) is a dominantly inherited iron overload disorder with heterogeneous phenotypic manifestations that can be classified into 2 groups. One group is characterized by an early rise in ferritin (see 134790) levels with low to normal transferrin (190000) saturation and iron accumulation predominantly in macrophages. The other group is similar to classical hemochromatosis, with high transferrin saturation and prominent parenchymal iron loading (summary by De Domenico et al., 2005). For general background information and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of hereditary hemochromatosis, see 235200.

TFR2-related hemochromatosis (TFR2-HC) is characterized by increased intestinal iron absorption resulting in iron accumulation in the liver, heart, pancreas, and endocrine organs. Age of onset is earlier than in HFE-related hemochromatosis. The majority of individuals present with signs and symptoms of iron overload in the third decade (e.g., weakness, fatigue, abdominal pain, hepatomegaly, arthritis, arthralgia, and progressive increase in skin pigmentation). Others present as young adults with nonspecific symptoms and abnormal serum iron studies or as adults with abnormal serum iron studies and signs of organ involvement including cirrhosis, diabetes mellitus, arthropathy, hypogonadism, cardiomyopathy, and increase in skin pigmentation.

LMNB1-related autosomal dominant leukodystrophy (ADLD) is a slowly progressive disorder of central nervous system white matter characterized by onset of autonomic dysfunction in the fourth to fifth decade, followed by pyramidal and cerebellar abnormalities resulting in spasticity, ataxia, and tremor. Autonomic dysfunction can include bladder dysfunction, constipation, postural hypotension, erectile dysfunction, and (less often) impaired sweating. Pyramidal signs are often more prominent in the lower extremities (e.g., spastic weakness, hypertonia, clonus, brisk deep tendon reflexes, and bilateral Babinski signs). Cerebellar signs typically appear at the same time as the pyramidal signs and include gait ataxia, dysdiadochokinesia, intention tremor, dysmetria, and nystagmus. Many individuals have sensory deficits starting in the lower limbs. Pseudobulbar palsy with dysarthria, dysphagia, and forced crying and laughing may appear in the seventh or eighth decade. Although cognitive function is usually preserved or only mildly impaired early in the disease course, dementia and psychiatric manifestations can occur as late manifestations. Affected individuals may survive for decades after onset.

Hereditary transthyretin amyloidosis (ATTRv amyloidosis) is characterized by a slowly progressive peripheral sensorimotor and/or autonomic neuropathy. Amyloidosis can involve the heart, central nervous system (CNS), eyes, and kidneys. The disease usually begins in the third to fifth decade in persons from endemic foci in Portugal and Japan; onset is later in persons from other areas. Typically, sensory neuropathy starts in the lower extremities with paresthesia and hypesthesia of the feet, followed within a few years by motor neuropathy. In some persons, particularly those with early-onset disease, autonomic neuropathy is the first manifestation of the condition; findings can include orthostatic hypotension, constipation alternating with diarrhea, attacks of nausea and vomiting, delayed gastric emptying, sexual impotence, anhidrosis, and urinary retention or incontinence. Cardiac amyloidosis is mainly characterized by progressive restrictive cardiomyopathy. Individuals with leptomeningeal amyloidosis may have the following CNS findings: dementia, psychosis, visual impairment, headache, seizures, motor paresis, ataxia, myelopathy, hydrocephalus, or intracranial hemorrhage. Ocular involvement includes vitreous opacity, glaucoma, dry eye, and ocular amyloid angiopathy. Mild-to-severe kidney disease can develop.

HFE-related hemochromatosis (HFE HC) is characterized by increased intestinal iron absorption and increased recycling of iron derived from senescent red blood cells. The phenotypic spectrum of HFE HC includes clinical HFE HC (increased serum ferritin and transferrin saturation and end-organ damage secondary to iron overload), biochemical HFE HC (increased serum ferritin and transferrin saturation without end-organ damage), and non-penetrant HFE HC (neither clinical manifestations of HFE HC nor iron overload are present, although elevated transferrin saturation may occur). Clinical HFE HC is characterized by excessive iron in the liver, pancreas, heart, skin, joints, and anterior pituitary gland. In untreated individuals, early manifestations include weakness, chronic fatigue, abdominal pain, weight loss, arthralgias, and diabetes mellitus. Individuals with HFE HC have an increased risk of cirrhosis when their serum ferritin is higher than 1,000 µg/L. Other findings of severe iron overload include hypogonadism, congestive heart failure, arrhythmias, and progressive increase in skin pigmentation. Clinical HFE HC is more common in males than females.

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a distinct clinicopathologic entity that manifests as a progressive adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder causing parkinsonism, cerebellar ataxia, and autonomic, urogenital, and pyramidal dysfunction in various combinations. Two main subtypes are recognized: 'subtype C,' characterized predominantly by cerebellar ataxia, and 'subtype P,' characterized predominantly by parkinsonism. MSA is characterized pathologically by the degeneration of striatonigral and olivopontocerebellar structures and glial cytoplasmic inclusions (GCIs) that consist of abnormally phosphorylated alpha-synuclein (SNCA; 163890) or tau (MAPT; 157140) (Gilman et al., 1998; Gilman et al., 2008; Scholz et al., 2009). 'Subtype C' of MSA has been reported to be more prevalent than 'subtype P' in the Japanese population (65-67% vs 33-35%), whereas 'subtype P' has been reported to be more prevalent than 'subtype C' in Europe (63% vs 34%) and North America (60% vs 13%, with 27% of cases unclassified) (summary by The Multiple-System Atrophy Research Collaboration, 2013). MSA is similar clinically and pathologically to Parkinson disease (PD; 168600) and Lewy body dementia (127750). See also PARK1 (168601), which is specifically caused by mutation in the SNCA gene. Pure autonomic failure manifests as orthostatic hypotension and other autonomic abnormalities without other neurologic involvement. Although there is some phenotypic overlap, the relationship of pure autonomic failure to MSA is unclear (Vanderhaeghen et al., 1970; Schatz, 1996).

Moyamoya disease-6 (MYMY6) is a progressive vasculopathy characterized by occlusion of the terminal portion of the internal carotid arteries and its branches, and the formation of compensatory neovascularization and the moyamoya, or 'puff of smoke,' appearance of these vessels on angiogram. Affected individuals may present with ischemic strokes, intracerebral hemorrhage, or transient ischemic attacks. Patients with MYMY6 usually present early in life with achalasia. Hypertension and Raynaud phenomenon may be associated features (summary by Wallace et al., 2016; Herve et al., 2014). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of moyamoya disease, see MYMY1 (252350).