Abstract
Increased amounts of urinary N-acetyl-aspartic acid was found in two infants with biopsy proven Canavan disease. The aspartoacylase assay is a new tool for determining both the prenatal and antenatal diagnosis of Canavan disease. This assay should be screened in patients with early onset of psychomotor deterioration, macrocephaly, spasticity/hypotonia and white matter hyperleucency at CT scan.
MeSH terms
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Amidohydrolases / deficiency*
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Aspartic Acid / analogs & derivatives*
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Aspartic Acid / urine
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Biopsy
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Brain Diseases, Metabolic / genetics*
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Brain Diseases, Metabolic / pathology
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Diffuse Cerebral Sclerosis of Schilder / genetics*
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Diffuse Cerebral Sclerosis of Schilder / pathology
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Frontal Lobe / pathology
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Humans
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Infant
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Male
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Muscle Hypotonia / genetics*
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Muscle Hypotonia / pathology
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Nerve Degeneration / physiology
Substances
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Aspartic Acid
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N-acetylaspartate
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Amidohydrolases
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aspartoacylase