[Sural nerve phospholipids in some genetically determined nervous system diseases]

Phospholipid fraction pattern was determined in sural nerve in cases of suspected storage diseases. The material was obtained by means fo biopsy from 22 patients. In some patients features of polyneuropathy were found. Normal values of phospholipids were determined in 22 dying patients who had to neurological diseases. The most frequently observed change concerning the biochemical composition of the sural nerve in this material was a fall in the total amount of phosphatidyl ethanolamine (cephalin) and appearance of lysolecithins which are normally absent. In attempted correlation of histological and biochemical findings in the sural nerve with clinical signs of polyneuropathy it was observed that biochemical changes were present in cases without clinical evidence of polyneuropathy. Biochemical as well as histological investigations of sural nerve may help in intravital diagnosis of diseases belonging to the group of thesauroses.