Tangier disease: central nervous system impairment in a case of syringomyelia-like syndrome.

A neuroradiological investigation of the central nervous system (CNS) in a case of Tangier disease presenting as a syringomyelia-like syndrome is reported. No syringomyelinic cavities were found. However, MRI showed cervical spinal cord atrophy and scattered foci of greater density with T2 weighted images in the white matter of the frontal, parietal and occipital lobes. Cerebral and cervical spinal cord involvement in the course of Tangier disease is now shown for the first time. The authors postulate that the MRI detected alterations are related to the underlying illness.