Onset occurs in infancy or early childhood, usually before three years of age. Progression is slow until the teenage years at which point it may accelerate, resulting in severe disability.[1]
Symptoms are more severe and rapidly progressive than in the other more common Charcot–Marie–Tooth diseases. Some patients may never walk and will be reliant on wheelchair use by the end of their first decade, while others may need only a cane, crutches, or similar support through most of their lives, but this is rare.[1]
Dejerine–Sottas disease is characterized by moderate to severe lower and upper extremity weakness and loss of sensation, mainly in the lower legs, forearms, feet, and hands. Loss of muscle mass and reduced muscle tone usually occur as the disease progresses. Other symptoms may include pain in the extremities, curvature of the spine, clawed hands, foot deformities, ataxia, peripheral areflexia, and slow acquisition of motor skills in childhood. Symptoms that are less common can include limitation of eye movements, other eye problems such as nystagmus or anisocoria, or moderate to severe hearing loss.[2]
On medical imaging, the peripheral and cranial nerves are enlarged by redundant connective tissue. On histology, this enlargement gives the nerves the appearance of an onion-bulb. Nerve excitability and conduction speed are reduced.[1]
^ abcdeBissonnette, Bruno; Luginbuehl, Igor; Engelhardt, Thomas (2019). Dejerine-Sottas Syndrome. New York, NY: McGraw-Hill Education – via Access Medicine.
^Hayasaka K, Himoro M, Sawaishi Y, et al. (November 1993). "De novo mutation of the myelin P0 gene in Dejerine-Sottas disease (hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy type III)". Nat. Genet. 5 (3): 266–8. doi:10.1038/ng1193-266. PMID7506095. S2CID2512684.
^Roa BB, Dyck PJ, Marks HG, Chance PF, Lupski JR (November 1993). "Dejerine-Sottas syndrome associated with point mutation in the peripheral myelin protein 22 (PMP22) gene". Nat. Genet. 5 (3): 269–73. doi:10.1038/ng1193-269. PMID8275092. S2CID6407166.