Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 7, 2026

An In Vitro Model for the Study of Cellular Pathophysiology in Globoid Cell Leukodystrophy
Published on: October 21, 2014
Perinatal lethal form of Gaucher's disease presenting with hemosiderosis
R Sharma1, M L Hudak, A A Perszyk
1Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida Health Science Center, Jacksonville 32209-6511, USA.
Abstract:
A term infant with hydrops fetalis presented with hypotonia, massive splenomegaly, renal failure, and severe hyperferritinemia. Multiple organ failure, myoclonus, and opisthotonus ensued and she died at 15 days of age. High rounded forehead, large open fontanel, and a small recessed chin led to initial premortem diagnosis of Zellweger syndrome, but her plasma profile of long chain fatty acid was normal. Her subsequent clinical course and findings of postmortem examinations were consistent with perinatal lethal form of Gaucher's disease (PLGD). The diagnosis was confirmed by deficiency of enzyme beta-glucocerebrosidase in white blood cells and in cultured fibroblasts. In addition to the crossover features of Zellweger phenotype, this infant exhibited a number of unusual features including, severe hyperferritinemia, rapid progression of splenomegaly, and absence of icthyosis.
Related Concept Videos
Lysosomal Hydrolases
Lethal Alleles
Lucien Cuénot discovered lethal alleles in 1905 while studying the inheritance of coat color in mice. The agouti gene is responsible for the color of the coat in mice. This gene codes for an agouti-signaling protein, which is responsible for melanin distribution in mammals. The wild-type allele gives rise to gray-brown coat color in mice, while the mutant allele gives rise to yellow coat color. In addition to coat color, the agouti gene is associated with the yellow...
Necrosis
Morphological Manifestations of Necrosis
Necrotic cells show different types of morphological appearance depending on the type of tissue and infection. In coagulative necrosis, cells become anucleated and die, but their...
Inborn Errors of Metabolism
Hepatic Encephalopathy
Jaundice

