[Canavan's disease: apropos of a case].

One case of spongy degeneration of CNS in infancy is presented. Main clinical features were, complete failure of motor and mental development, sudden hypotonia and hyperreflexia, blindness and optic atrophy. Computed tomography demonstrated a decrease in white matter density of cerebral hemispheres. Histopathological studies confirmed clinical diagnosis of Canavan's disease and indicated presence of abnormal mitochondria in accordance with those reported in the literature.