Hospital Virtual Tour

Canavan disease - Treatment

Alternative Names

Spongy degeneration of the brain; Aspartoacylase deficiency

Treatment:

Treatment aims to ease the symptoms of the disease. There is no specific treatment.

Support Groups:

Additional information and resources are available from:

Canavan Foundation

www.canavanfoundation.org

877-4-CANAVAN

Expectations (prognosis):

With Canavan disease, the central nervous system breaks down. Patients are likely to become disabled.

Death often occurs before 18 months of age. However, some patients live until they are teenagers or, rarely, young adults.

Complications:

This is often a fatal disorder. It includes severe disabilities such as:

Blindness
Inability to walk
Mental retardation

Calling your health care provider:

Call your health care provider if your child has any symptoms of Canavan disease.

Reviewed last on: 5/15/2008
Chad Haldeman- Englert, MD, Division of Human Genetics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Rezvani I. Defects in Metabolism of Amino Acids. In: Kliegman RM, Behrman RE, Jenson HB, Stanton BF. Kliegman: Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 18th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 85.

The information provided herein should not be used during any medical emergency or for the diagnosis or treatment of any medical condition. A licensed medical professional 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. © 1997- A.D.A.M., Inc. Any duplication or distribution of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited.

Home > Medical Reference > Encyclopedia (English)