Juvenile-onset Mitochondrial-membrane Protein-associated Neurodegeneration with Late Diagnosis

Abstract

Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA) encompasses a number of heritable disorders affecting children and adults characterized by diverse clinical manifestations and brain iron deposition detected on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The most frequent NBIA subtypes are pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration, phospholipase A2-associated neurodegeneration, fatty acid-2 hydroxylase-associated neurodegeneration and mitochondrial-membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (MPAN). Here, we report a male patient presenting with optic atrophy, progressive cognitive and movement impairment, bilateral hypointensity of the basal ganglia on T2-weighted MRI and proven mutation for MPAN. The NBIA disorders can remain undiagnosed for 3 to 30 years. In children developing optic atrophy, NBIA should be taken into consideration.