Leukoencephalopathy in mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy-like syndrome with polymerase-gamma mutations

Mitochondrial neurogastrointestinal encephalomyopathy (MNGIE) syndrome, caused by mutations in the thymidine phosphorylase gene, manifests as a multisystemic disorder characterized by severe gastrointestinal dysmotility, cachexia, ptosis and ophthalmoparesis, peripheral neuropathy, and leukoencephalopathy. These clinical manifestations, with the exception of leukoencephalopathy, are mimicked by MNGIE-like syndrome, linked to polymerase-gamma (POLG) gene. Here, we report a 49-year-old Chinese man with MNGIE-like syndrome involved leukoencephalopathy and was associated with novel POLG mutations. This case expands the clinical spectrum of MNGIE-like syndrome.