Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is the most common type of hereditary peripheral neuropathy. It is classified into two types based on pathological and electrophysiological findings: type 1 and type 2. CMT type 1 gene loci have been mapped to chromosome 17 (CMT1A), chromosome 1 (CMT1B),1 another unknown chromosome, (CMT1C) and the X chromosome (CMTX). CMT1B is a rare form of CMT1 associated with mutations of the myelin protein zero (P₀) gene. Mutations in the P₀ gene have recently been recognised in Dejerine-Sottas disease, peripheral neuropathy with an early onset in childhood, and a more severe phenotype than CMT1. CMT1 and Dejerine-Sottas disease are characterised by thickening of peripheral nerves, and thickening of the cauda equina, nerve roots, and ganglia have often been found.2 3 Although cranial nerves are generally spared in CMT, thickening of the acoustic or optic nerve has been reported in some cases. We report here on a Japanese patient who exhibited severe polyneuropathy, bilateral trigeminal thickening on MRI, and an abnormality of the auditory brain stem response. Gene analysis disclosed a novel missense mutation (His81Arg) of P₀. The cranial nerve involvements in this patient may be associated with the novel missense mutation of P₀(His81Arg).

A 15 year old Japanese girl presented with CMT disease. She …