Refsum disease

Refsum disease is an autosomal recessive neurological disease that results in the over-accumulation of phytanic acid in cells and tissues. It is one of several disorders named after Norwegian neurologist Sigvald Bernhard Refsum (1907–1991). Refsum disease typically begins to show symptoms during adolescence, although symptoms may first appear anywhere between infancy and old age. Refsum disease is definitively diagnosed by lab tests showing above average serum levels of phytanic acid, or through genetic testing.