Treatment
Treatment aims to ease the symptoms of the disease. There is no specific treatment.
Prognosis (Expectations)
With Canavan disease, the central nervous system breaks down. Patients are likely to become disabled.
Death often occurs before 18 months of age. However, some patients live until they are teenagers or, rarely, young adults.
Complications
This is often a fatal disorder. It includes severe disabilities such as:
- Blindness
- Inability to walk
- Mental retardation
Calling Your Health Care Provider
Call your health care provider if your child has any symptoms of Canavan disease.
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Canavan disease : Overview, Causes, & Risk Factors
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Canavan disease : Symptoms & Signs, Diagnosis & Tests
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Canavan disease : Treatment
Review Date : 10/14/2009
Reviewed By : Luc Jasmin, MD, PhD, Departments of Anatomy and Neurological Surgery, University of California, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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