Diagnosis
If symptoms of ALD appear, a blood test can be used to check for high levels of long chain fatty acids in the blood. The next step in diganosis is an MRI brain scan to search for brain patterns typical of the disease. Other blood tests can be used to test for adrenal insufficiency. [1]
Treatments
- Hormone replacement therapy to help faulty adrenal function
- Lorenzo's Oil
- Bone marrow transplant. If performed early enough in the disease, this is the most successful treatment in stopping the progression of ALD.
Footnotes
- Orchard, Paul, and Paul Peters. "National Marrow Donor Program." Cerebral X-Linked Adrenoleukodystrophy (ALD) and Transplant. Web. 1 Nov 2009. . ▲