SLC35A2-congenital disorder of glycosylation

SLC35A2-congenital disorder of glycosylation (SLC35A2-CDG, formerly known as congenital disorder of glycosylation type IIm) is an inherited condition that causes neurological problems and other abnormalities. This disorder's signs and symptoms and their severity vary among affected individuals.

Individuals with SLC35A2-CDG typically develop signs and symptoms of the condition early in infancy. Seizures develop within the first months of life, usually involving uncontrollable muscle stiffening (infantile spasms) that can switch to shorter episodes of muscle jerks (epileptic spasms) later in childhood. In some individuals, the seizures do not improve with anti-epileptic medications. Individuals with SLC35A2-CDG often have abnormal brain function (encephalopathy), unusual facial features, skeletal abnormalities, and weak muscle tone (hypotonia) with poor head control. They also have severe intellectual disability and delayed development, often only being able to sit or crawl and never developing meaningful speech. Affected children may have feeding difficulties and fail to grow or gain weight at the expected rate. Some have vision or hearing problems.

In SLC35A2-CDG, medical imaging shows loss of tissue (atrophy) in parts of the brain called the cerebrum and cerebellum. These brain regions are necessary for thinking ability, hearing, vision, emotion, and coordinated movement. There can also be thinning of the tissue that connects the left and right halves of the brain (the corpus callosum) or a fluid-filled sac (cyst) on the membrane that surrounds the brain (arachnoid pouch).