Early-onset Hirayama disease in a female

Hirayama disease is a rare myelopathy, occurring predominantly in males with onset in the teens.

Here, we report a young female patient who developed the first signs of Hirayama disease at 10.5 years of age. Prior to onset, she had experienced a growth spurt and grew about 8 cm. The disease progressed over 3 years and the typical clinical, electrophysiological, and neuroimaging signs of Hirayama disease were found. After this period and achievement of her final height, no further progression was noticed.

This case highlights that pediatric neurologists should be aware of Hirayama disease, which can also occur in girls in early adolescence.