CANVAS Syndrome
CANVAS Syndrome is named with an easy-to-remember acronym for cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy, and vestibular areflexia. There are only a very few patients reported who have the requisite combination of two rare clinical findings (cerebellar ataxia and vestibular areflexia), and the very common peripheral neuropathy. Patients with CANVAS combine cerebellar ataxia (i.e. coordination problems — the CA), peripheral nerve damage (neuropathy – N), and loss of vestibular function (vestibular areflexia — the VA). This combination causes major disturbances to balance as each of these systems alone contributes to balance. Of course, when all are out at the same time, balance is much worse than when only one or two happens to be malfunctioning.