Origin of an oligodendroglial disorder

Correct answer: B. Autoimmune

• A. Hereditary leukodystrophies affect myelin but present in childhood with progressive neurological decline, not as an adult comorbidity.
• B. Correct. Oligodendrocytes produce the MYELIN of the central nervous system. The prototypical oligodendroglial disorder is MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS — a T-cell-mediated AUTOIMMUNE demyelinating disease in which the immune system attacks CNS myelin, producing plaques disseminated in space and time. Dental relevance: trigeminal neuralgia may be its first presenting sign, especially in a young patient.
• C. Infectious demyelination exists (e.g. progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy from JC virus) but is far rarer and is not the intended answer in a general medical-history case.
• D. Oligodendroglioma is a neoplasm of oligodendrocytes, but a tumour would not be described as a systemic 'disorder' alongside other medical conditions in a patient box.