Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) is a group of inherited genetic conditions that affect the peripheral nerves, which connect the brain and spinal cord to muscles and sensory organs. It is the most common inherited neuropathy, causing progressive muscle weakness, loss of sensation, numbness, tingling, pain, and foot deformities. The disease can also affect nerves controlling automatic body functions such as sweating and balance. CMT symptoms usually start in childhood or adolescence and worsen gradually over time, affecting walking, hand use, and daily activities. There are multiple types of CMT, caused by mutations in more than 100 different genes that impact the nerve axons or the myelin sheath (the protective covering around nerves). The disease is named after the three doctors who first described it in 1886: Charcot, Marie, and Tooth.
