SPASTIC PARAPARESIS AND SENSORY NEUROPATHY

A 12-year-old boy developed a slowly progressive spastic gait at the a ge of 3. A marked loss of pain and temperature sensations led to a mut ilating acropathy starting at age 5. Electrodiagnostic studies reveale d a symmetric, axonal, predominantly sensory neuropathy, and magnetic resonance imaging ruled out compression of spinal cord. Sural nerve bi opsy disclosed a predominant involvement of unmyelinated and a global loss of myelinated fibers, particularly larger ones. Clinical, electro diagnostic and pathologic findings of this case most likely represent an example of the ''Cavanagh's variant,'' an unusual but distinct enti ty within the hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathies. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.