Cranial nerves palsy as an initial feature of an early onset distal hereditary motor neuropathy--a new distal hereditary motor neuropathy phenotype.

Distal hereditary motor neuropathy is a heterogeneous group of disorders characterised by a pure motor axonal neuropathy. It is occasionally associated with additional signs such as facial weakness, vocal cord paralysis, weakness of the diaphragm, and pyramidal signs. Although predominantly the inheritance is autosomal dominant, all types of inheritance have been described. Here we report a Czech family with cranial nerves palsy as an initial feature of a non progressive infantile onset dominant distal hereditary motor neuropathy. This family may represent a new subtype of distal hereditary motor neuropathy.