Non-progressive predominantly posterior cavitating leukoencephalopathy with peripheral neuropathy

What it is

A rare mitochondrial disease characterized by a distinctive MRI pattern of cavitating leukodystrophy, predominantly in the posterior region of the cerebral hemispheres. The clinical picture varies widely between acute neurometabolic decompensation in infancy with loss of developmental milestones, seizures, and pyramidal signs rapidly evolving into spastic tetraparesis, to subtle neurological symptoms presenting in adolescence. The disease course tends to stabilize over time in most patients, and marked recovery of milestones may be observed.

Key facts

Age of onset

Childhood

Inheritance

Autosomal recessive

Classified as

Disease

Signs and symptoms

These ranges are how often a sign appears across everyone diagnosed, not a prediction for one person — most people have some of these and not others. Orphanet also records findings that are specifically absent in this disease; those are in the data but not listed here.

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