Objective: To describe a large family with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies associated with central nervous system demyelination.
Design: We examined the 18 members of a pedigree. Genetic analysis was performed on 15 subjects, standard nerve conduction studies on 10 subjects, and brain magnetic resonance imaging studies on 8 subjects.
Results: Hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies was confirmed in 9 patients of the pedigree. Brain magnetic resonance imaging findings showed multiple areas of demyelination in 6 of 6 affected members and were normal in 2 of 2 healthy relatives. Magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities were predominantly located in the subcortical frontal white matter. All patients had acute and recurrent nerve palsies, while clinical features of central nervous system involvement were not a characteristic of this pedigree.
Conclusions: We demonstrate that this association, previously reported in sporadic cases, is not coincidental. Therefore, patients with hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies can present central nervous system white matter lesions, and the role of the PMP22 (peripheral myelin protein 22) gene deletion in the central nervous system should be further studied.