Beta-mannosidase deficiency: heterogeneous manifestation in the first female patient and her brother.

beta-Mannosidase deficiency was demonstrated in fibroblasts of a girl who showed severe psychomotor retardation, bone deformities and gargoylism and recurrent skin and respiratory infections and who died at 20 years of age from bronchopneumonia. This first demonstration of a female patient confirms the autosomal recessive inheritance of beta-mannosidosis. Further investigation of this gypsy family revealed beta-mannosidosis in an older brother with a milder manifestation of gargoyl facial dysmorphology, mental retardation, hearing impairment and recurrent infections. beta-Mannosidase activity was completely deficient in his cultured skin fibroblasts, leukocytes and plasma. In urine a characteristic disaccharide was present. Heterozygote levels of beta-mannosidase were found in fibroblasts and/or plasma of the parents and one sister.