In VWM, the cells never produce the normal amounts, whereas with diseases like MS, the cells normal amounts are deteriorated. Also, with MS, the demyelination occurs due to inflammation, which is not the case in VWM. Cell differences include a lower penetration of the macrophages and microglia, as well as the lack of T cells and B cells in VWM. Finally, patients with MS have widespread demyelination, but those with VWM only express demyelination in a localized area.Some atypical forms of multiple sclerosis (multiple sclerosis with cavitary lesions) can be specially difficult to differentiate but there are some clues in MRI imaging that can help. Treatment
There are no treatments, only precautions which can be taken, mainly to reduce trauma to the head and avoiding physiological stress. Melatonin has been shown to provide cytoprotective traits to glial cells exposed to stressors such as excitotoxicity and oxidative stress. These stressors would be detrimental to cells with a genetically reduced activity of protein eIF2B. However, research connecting these ideas have not been conducted yet. Epidemiology
Extensive pathological and biochemical tests were performed, however the cause was found by studying a small population in which mutations in the eIF2B gene were found. No effective systemic studies have been conducted to determine the incidence around the world, but through the studies conducted thus far, it appears to be more prevalent in the white populations. VWM appears to have a lower number of cases in the Middle East, and Turkey has not yet had a reported case.
Dr. van der Knaap used MRI as well as magnetic-resonance spectroscopy and determined that ongoing cystic degeneration of the cerebral white matter and matter rarefaction was more descriptive of the disease rather than hypomyelination and proposed the name vanishing white matter. The name proposed by Dr. Schiffmann in 1994, childhood ataxia with central hypomyelination (CACH) is another commonly accepted name. See also
The Stennis Foundation
CADASIL (Cerebral Autosomal Dominant Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy)
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy
Metachromatic leukodystrophy
General leukoencephalopathies

References
External links
"Leukoencephalopathy with vanishing white matter". Neurographics. 2 (1). March 2012.