Pelizaeus-Merzbacher Disease

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease (PMD) is a rare X-linked genetic disorder affecting the central nervous system that is associated with abnormalities of the white matter of the brain and spinal cord. It is one of the leukodystrophies in which disease is due to abnormal development of one or more components (predominantly fats or proteins) that make up the white matter (myelin sheath) of the brain. The myelin sheath is the protective covering of the nerve and nerves cannot function normally without it.