Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)

Toggle: English / Spanish

Ask Our Experts

Get answers to your specific medical questions from UM Medical Center experts.

Note: This is for informational purposes only. Doctors cannot provide a diagnosis via e-mail.

 

Related Content

Our Doctors

Patient Success Stories

Speciality Services

Podcasts

Krabbe disease

Alternative Names:

Globoid cell leukodystrophy; Galactosylcerebrosidase deficiency; Galactosylceramidase deficiency

Treatment:

There is no specific treatment for Krabbe disease.

Some people have had a bone marrow transplant in the early stages of the disease, but this treatment has risks.

Support Groups:

United Leukodystrophy Foundation -- www.ulf.org

Expectations (prognosis):

The outcome is likely to be poor. On average, infants with early-onset cases die before age 2. People who develop the disease at a later age have survived into adulthood with nervous system disease.

Complications:

This disease leads to progressive damage to the central nervous system . It can cause blindness, deafness, and severe problems with muscle tone. The disease is usually deadly.

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if your child develops symptoms of this disorder. Seizures, loss of consciousness , or abnormal posturing may be emergency symptoms.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org). URAC's accreditation program is the first of its kind, requiring compliance with 53 standards of quality and accountability, verified by independent audit. A.D.A.M. is among the first to achieve this important distinction for online health information and services. Learn more about A.D.A.M.'s editorial process . A.D.A.M. is also a founding member of Hi-Ethics (www.hiethics.com) and subscribes to the principles of the Health on the Net Foundation (www.hon.ch).

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed physician should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions. Call 911 for all medical emergencies. Links to other sites are provided for information only -- they do not constitute endorsements of those other sites. Copyright 1997-2007 A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

adam.com