Alkaline ceramidase 3 deficiency

What it is

A rare genetic leukodystrophy characterized by infantile onset of stagnation and regression of motor and language development resulting in complete lack of communication and purposeful movement. Further neurological manifestations include truncal hypotonia, appendicular spasticity, dystonia, optic disc pallor, peripheral neuropathy, and neurogenic bladder. Patients also present multiple contractures, late-onset relative macrocephaly, short stature, and facial dysmorphism (including coarse facial features, sloping forehead, thick eyebrows, low-set ears, prominent nose, flat philtrum, and prominent lower lip). Brain imaging at advanced stages shows diffuse abnormal white matter signal and severe atrophy. Sural nerve biopsy reveals decreased myelination.

Key facts

Prevalence

<1 / 1 000 000

Age of onset

Infancy

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive

Classified as

Disease

Prevalence figures describe populations, not individuals, and are often estimates from a single study. Where the figure is an incidence or a birth prevalence, it says so.

Gene

ICD-10 codes

ICD-10 has no distinct code for most rare diseases, so many are filed under the nearest available one. A shared code identifies the group, not this disease — the ORPHAcode above is what identifies it.

Related health topics

Reached through the ICD-10 categories this disease is filed under, so these describe the broader group rather than this disease specifically.

Cross-references