The Leukodystrophy Service at Massachusetts General Hospital is New England’s resource for leukodystrophy patients. Neurologists specializing in leukodystrophies and related disorders provide diagnostic services, referrals and care to individuals with symptoms such as developmental delay, progressive weakness and spasticity, and gait difficulties.
The diseases we treat include adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD), metachromatic leukodystrophy (MLD), Krabbe's disease, Canavan disease, Alexander's disease, childhood ataxia with cerebral hypomyelination (vanishing white matter disease), and other undiagnosed white matter disorders.
The Leukodystrophy Clinic takes a multidisciplinary approach to the diagnosis and treatment of leukodystrophies. This means that we coordinate services and referrals to other specialists according to our patient’s symptoms and needs, improving our patient’s experience of getting services for diagnosis and treatment. Further, leukodystrophy specialists regularly consult with these other providers to get a full understanding of our patient’s challenges and concerns.