Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter disease: a case report study

Vanishing white matter (VWM) is a neurological disorder that has an autosomal recessive mode of inheritance. VWM is caused due to a mutation in in any of the five genes of eukaryotic translation initiation factor 2B (eIF2B). The etiology is unknown. CASE PRESENTATION: The authors report two cases of VWM disease. In the first case, an 8-month-old female child, brought to the pediatric clinic with seizure and loss of consciousness. The second case was a 24-month-old girl, presented with weakness, a disability to walk and swallow, and poor feeding. Her brain MRI demonstrated cystic changes (white matter rarefaction) in supratentorial peri-ventricular white matter and genetic testing result showed an EIF2B3 gene mutation. CLINICAL DISCUSSION: Leukoencephalopathy with VWM, also known as Cree encephalopathy is caused by mutations in the EIF2B gene. The disease is inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion. There are various agents leading to symptoms and signs of VWM disease. Physical stress like head trauma even in a mild degree, infections, and febrile diseases can be mentioned as causes of VWM. The eIF2B complex, plays a role as an important factor in the regulation of protein synthesis in cells under different conditions. CONCLUSION: As a conclusion, genetic counseling could be recommended to all individuals with VWM disease and their family members for next pregnancies and possible precautions for consanguineous marriages.