Niemann-Pick disease type A
Other Names for this Disease
- Sphingomyelin lipidosis
- Sphingomyelinase deficiency
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hepatosplenomegaly), failure to gain weight and grow at the expected rate (failure to thrive), and progressive deterioration of the nervous system. Due to the involvement of the nervous system, Niemann-Pick disease type A is also known as the neurological type. There is currently no effective treatment for this condition and those who are affected generally do not survive past early childhood. Niemann-Pick disease type A is caused by mutations in the SMPD1 gene. It is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern.Niemann-Pick disease is an inherited condition involving lipid metabolism, which is the breakdown, transport, and use of fats and cholesterol in the body. In people with this condition, abnormal lipid metabolism causes harmful amounts of lipids to accumulate in the spleen, liver, lungs, bone marrow, and brain. Niemann-Pick disease type A appears during infancy and is characterized by an enlarged liver and spleen (
Last updated: 4/17/2014
- Niemann-Pick disease. Genetics Home Reference (GHR). January 2008; http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/niemann-pick-disease. Accessed 4/17/2014.
- NINDS Niemann-Pick Disease Information Page. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). October 6, 2011; http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/niemann/niemann.htm. Accessed 4/17/2014.
- The American Society of Gene & Cell Therapy provides information on the treatment of lysosomal storage diseases.
- Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains information on Niemann-Pick disease type A. This website is maintained by the National Library of Medicine.
- MedlinePlus was designed by the National Library of Medicine to help you research your health questions, and it provides more information about this topic.
- The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) collects and disseminates research information related to neurological disorders. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
- The National Organization for Rare Disorders (NORD) has a report for patients and families about this condition. NORD is a patient advocacy organization for individuals with rare diseases and the organizations that serve them.
- Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
- The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
- Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
- Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.
- PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Niemann-Pick disease type A. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.