Hunter Syndrome (Mucopolysaccharidosis II) – The Signs and Symptoms a Neurologist Needs to Know

Abstract

Hunter syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis II) is a rare X-linked lysosomal storage disease caused by deficiency of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase. The condition is one of a group of disorders, the mucopolysaccharidoses, which all result in accumulation of glycosaminoglycans. Hunter syndrome is a chronic progressive disorder whose clinical manifestations vary widely in severity and involve multiple organs and tissues. In addition to developing somatic symptoms, patients having the neuronopathic form of the disease also display developmental delay and cognitive impairment in early childhood that progressively worsens and that is severely life-limiting. Patients are at risk of developing secondary neurological manifestations, including hydrocephalus, vision and hearing loss, carpal tunnel syndrome and spinal cord compression. Common findings from brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans and at autopsy include neurodegenerative changes in white matter, the corpus callosum and basal ganglia; enlargement of periventricular spaces; ventriculomegaly; closed cephaloceles; and tissue atrophy. Though at present there is no specific treatment for the neurodegenerative aspects of the disease, hydrocephalus, carpal tunnel syndrome and spinal cord compression can be managed surgically. Patients who have Hunter syndrome should receive coordinated care from a multidisciplinary team: in light of the extensive neurological symptoms of the disease, neurologists play an important role in the diagnosis and management of this condition.