Greenfield’s disease [Joseph G. Greenfield, British pathologist, 1884–1958] , a disorder of the white matter of the brain tissue, characterized by an accumulation of sphingolipid in both parenchymal and supportive tissues and a diffuse loss of myelination. An infantile form usually begins by the third year of life, with symptoms that include loss of vision, rigidity, motor disorders, and mental deterioration. A juvenile form usually begins before 10 years of age and an adult form after 16 years of age; the adult form is marked by psychiatric symptoms that progress to dementia. See also leukodystrophy.
