Which of the following lipidoses does NOT affect the brain?
A. Tay-Sachs disease
B. Gaucher’s disease
C. Niemann-Pick disease
D. Fabry’s disease
E. Krabbe’s disease
Answer is D. Fabry’s disease. The listed diseases are known as lipidoses or lysosomal storage diseases. With the exception of Fabry’s disease (X-linked recessive) they are autosomal recessive in inheritance. Tay-sachs disease, Gaucher’s disease, and Niemann-Pick disease cause severe mental retardation owing to neuronal involvement. Krabbe’s disease is rare but also causes neuromal damage. Fabry’s disease affects the skin and kidneys but NOT the brain. (Chandrasoma and Taylor, pp. 240-242)