The diagnostic journey for patients with late-onset GM2 Gangliosidoses.
Mol Genet Metab Rep
; 37: 101014, 2023 Dec.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-38053937
ABSTRACT
Late-onset forms of GM2 gangliosidosis-mainly, Tay-Sachs disease and Sandhoff disease-are under-recognized in clinical practice. In these rare lysosomal storage disorders, deficiency of ß-hexosaminidase A results in excessive accumulation of GM2 ganglioside primarily within neurons, leading to cell death and progressive neurodegenerative symptoms, including ataxia, dysarthria, muscle weakness, tremors, atrophy, and psychosis. Presentation is variable and often mimics more common neurodegenerative disorders. We conducted semi-structured interviews on GM2 gangliosidoses diagnosis and treatment with five experts, 30 neurologists, and 28 patients and caregivers. Symptom onset occurred during adolescence/early adulthood in 92% of patients (median age 14 years). Patients first visited a healthcare provider at a median age of 20 years and received a GM2 diagnosis at a median age of 26 years. Nearly all patients reported problems with their legs and balance starting from symptom onset. Problems with memory, attention span, speech and fatigue were reported more after diagnosis. Patients visited an average of eight healthcare providers before receiving a diagnosis; 64% were diagnosed by a neurologist. Four neurologists (13%) in our sample were aware that there are late-onset forms of GM2 gangliosidosis. The path to diagnosis is long for this late-onset form of a classically fatal infantile disease.
Texto completo:
1
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Mol Genet Metab Rep
Año:
2023
Tipo del documento:
Article
País de afiliación:
Estados Unidos