Amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling can be used to screen for the disease before birth. After birth, urine tests, along with blood tests and skin biopsies can be used to diagnose Schindler disease. Genetic testing is also always an option, since different forms of Schindler disease have been mapped to the same gene on chromosome 22; though different changes (mutations) of this gene are responsible for the infantile- and adult-onset forms of the disease.

The majority of patients is initially screened by enzyme assay, which is the most efficient method to arrive at a definitive diagnosis. In some families where the disease-causing mutations are known and in certain genetic isolates, mutation analysis may be performed. In addition, after a diagnosis is made by biochemical means, mutation analysis may be performed for certain disorders.

Infants with Schindler disease tend to die within 4 years of birth, therefore, treatment for this form of the disease is mostly palliative. However, Type II Schindler disease, with its late onset of symptoms, is not characterized by neurological degeneration. There is no known cure for Schindler disease, but bone marrow transplants have been trialed, as they have been successful in curing other glycoprotein disorders.

MSD has an autosomal recessive inheritance pattern.

The inheritance probabilities "per birth" are as follows:

- If both parents are carriers:

- 25% (1 in 4) children will have the disorder

- 50% (2 in 4) children will be carriers (but unaffected)

- 25% (1 in 4) children will be free of MSD - unaffected child that is not a carrier

- If one parent is affected and one is free of MSD:

- 0% (0) children will have the disorder - only one parent is affected, other parent always gives normal gene

- 100% (4 in 4) children will be carriers (but unaffected)

- If one parent is a carrier and the other is free of MSD:

- 50% (2 in 4) children will be carriers (but unaffected)

- 50% (2 in 4) children will be free of MSD - unaffected child that is not a carrier

The symptoms of LSD vary, depending on the particular disorder and other variables such as the age of onset, and can be mild to severe. They can include developmental delay, movement disorders, seizures, dementia, deafness, and/or blindness. Some people with LSDhave enlarged livers (hepatomegaly) and enlarged spleens (splenomegaly), pulmonary and cardiac problems, and bones that grow abnormally.

Histopathology. The skin shows hyperkeratosis, hyper-granulosis, and acanthosis. Pathognomonic findings occur in the basal and suprabasal cells of the epidermis, which demonstrate variably sized vacuoles that contain lipid accumulations

The disease may be diagnosed by its characteristic grouping of certain cells (multinucleated globoid cells), nerve demyelination and degeneration, and destruction of brain cells. Special stains for myelin (e.g.; luxol fast blue) may be used to aid diagnosis.

Multiple sulfatase deficiency (also known as "Austin disease", and "mucosulfatidosis") is a very rare autosomal recessive lysosomal storage disease caused by a deficiency in multiple sulfatase enzymes, or in formylglycine-generating enzyme, which activates sulfatases. It is similar to mucopolysaccharidosis.

Urbach–Wiethe disease is typically diagnosed by its clinical dermatological manifestations, particularly the beaded papules on the eyelids. Doctors can also test the hyaline material with a periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) staining, as the material colors strongly for this stain.

Immunohistochemical skin labeling for antibodies for the ECM1 protein as labeling has been shown to be reduced in the skin of those affected by Urbach–Wiethe disease. Staining with anti-type IV collagen antibodies or anti-type VII collagen antibodies reveals bright, thick bands at the dermoepidermal junction.

Non-contrast CT scans can image calcifications, but this is not typically used as a means of diagnosing the disease. This is partly due to the fact that not all Urbach-Wiethe patients exhibit calcifications, but also because similar lesions can be formed from other diseases such as herpes simplex and encephalitis. The discovery of mutations within the ECM1 gene has allowed the use of genetic testing to confirm initial clinical diagnoses of Urbach–Wiethe disease. It also allows doctors to better distinguish between Urbach–Wiethe disease and other similar diseases not caused by mutations in ECM1.

Since phytanic acid is not produced in the human body, individuals with Refsum disease are commonly placed on a phytanic acid-restricted diet and avoid the consumption of fats from ruminant animals and certain fish, such as tuna, cod, and haddock. Grass feeding animals and their milk are also avoided. Recent research has shown that CYP4 isoform enzymes could help reduce the over-accumulation of phytanic acid "in vivo". Plasmapheresis is another medical intervention used to treat patients. This involves the filtering of blood to ensure there is no accumulation of phytanic acid.

Fabry disease is suspected based on the individual's clinical presentation, and can be diagnosed by an enzyme assay (usually done on leukocytes) to measure the level of alpha-galactosidase activity. An enzyme assay is not reliable for the diagnosis of disease in females due to the random nature of X-inactivation. Molecular genetic analysis of the "GLA" gene is the most accurate method of diagnosis in females, particularly if the mutations have already been identified in male family members. Many disease-causing mutations have been noted. Kidney biopsy may also be suggestive of Fabry disease if excessive lipid buildup is noted. Pediatricians, as well as internists, commonly misdiagnose Fabry disease.

There is no specific treatment for Farber disease. Corticosteroids may be prescribed to relieve pain. Bone marrow transplants may improve granulomas (small masses of inflamed tissue) on patients with little or no lung or nervous system complications. Older patients may have granulomas surgically reduced or removed.

Batten disease is rare, so may result in misdiagnosis, which in turn causes increased medical expenses, family stress, and the chance of using incorrect forms of treatment. Nevertheless, Batten disease can be diagnosed if properly detected. Vision impairment is the most common observable symptom to detect the disease. Children are more prevalent, and should be suspected more for juvenile Batten disease. Children or someone suspected to have Batten disease should initially be seen by an optometrist or ophthalmologist. A fundus eye examination that aids in the detection of common vision impairment abnormalities, such as granularity of the retinal pigment epithelium in the central macula will be performed. Though it is also seen in a variety of other diseases, a loss of ocular cells should be a warning sign of Batten disease. If Batten disease is the suspected diagnosis, a variety of tests is conducted to help accurately confirm the diagnosis, including:

- Blood or urine tests can help detect abnormalities that may indicate Batten disease. For example, elevated levels of dolichol in urine have been found in many individuals with NCL. The presence of vacuolated lymphocytes—white blood cells that contain holes or cavities (observed by microscopic analysis of blood smears)—when combined with other findings that indicate NCL, is suggestive for the juvenile form caused by "CLN3" mutations.

- Skin or tissue sampling is performed by extracting a small piece of tissue, which then is examined under an electron microscope. This can allow physicians to detect typical NCL deposits. These deposits are common in tissues such as skin, muscle, conjunctiva, and rectum. This diagnostic technique is useful, but other invasive tests are more reliable for diagnosing Batten disease.

- Electroencephalogram (EEG) is a technique that uses special probes attached on to the individual's scalp. It records electrical currents/signals, which allow medical experts to analylze electrical pattern activity in the brain. EEG assists in observing if the patient has seizures.

- Electrical studies of the eyes are used, because as mentioned, vision loss is the most common characteristic of Batten disease. Visual-evoked responses and electroretinograms are effective tests for detecting various eye conditions common in childhood NCLs.

- Computed tomography (CT) or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are diagnostic imaging tests which allow physicians to better visualize the appearance of the brain. MRI imaging test uses magnetic fields and radio waves to help create images of the brain. CT scan uses x-rays and computers to create a detailed image of the brain's tissues and structures. Both diagnostic imaging test can help reveal brain areas that are decaying, or atrophic, in persons with NCL.

- Measurement of enzyme activity specific to Batten disease may help confirm certain diagnoses caused by different mutations. Elevated levels of palmitoyl-protein thioesterase is involved in "CLN1". Acid protease is involved in "CLN2". Cathepsin D is involved in "CLN10".

- DNA analysis can be used to help confirm the diagnosis of Batten disease. When the mutation is known, DNA analysis can also be used to detect unaffected carriers of this condition for genetic counseling. If a family mutation has not previously been identified or if the common mutations are not present, recent molecular advances have made it possible to sequence all of the known NCL genes, increasing the chances of finding the responsible mutation(s).

Protein function tests that demonstrate a reduce in chorein levels and also genetic analysis can confirm the diagnosis given to a patient. For a disease like this it is often necessary to sample the blood of the patient on multiple occasions with a specific request given to the haematologist to examine the film for acanthocytes. Another point is that the diagnosis of the disease can be confirmed by the absence of chorein in the western blot of the erythrocyte membranes.

Sandhoff disease can be detected through the following procedures (before it is apparent through physical examination): a biopsy removing a sample of tissue from the liver, genetic testing, molecular analysis of cells and tissues (to determine the presence of a genetic metabolic disorder), enzyme assay, and occasionally a urinalysis to determine if the above-noted compounds are abnormally stored within the body. For a child to suffer from this disease, both parents must be carriers, and both must transmit the mutation to the child. Thus, even in the case where both parents have the mutation, there is only a 25 percent chance their child will inherit the condition. Frequently, parents are given the opportunity to have a DNA screening if they are at high risk, to determine their carrier status before they have children. However, it is also highly recommended to undergo testing even for those parents who do not have a family history of Sandhoff disease. Over 95% of the families that have children with Sandhoff disease had no known prior family history of the condition, as the mutation in the HEXB gene is "silent," or recessive, and often passed undetected from one generation to the next Naturally, if an individual carries the mutation, he or she has a risk of transmitting it to the unborn child. Genetic counseling is recommended for those who have the mutation.

The most well known laboratory to perform the blood tests is through Lysosomal Diseases Testing Laboratory, Jefferson University with Dr. Wenger. Dr. Wenger’s laboratory does testing for all lysosomal diseases including Sandhoff and Tay-Sachs. They test for build-up of certain toxins in the body as well as a low count of enzymes.

It is possible for parents who are about to have a child or had a child with Sandhoff Disease can have a PGD or PEGD. PEGD is pre-embryonic genetic diagnosis for the parents that would not benefit from a pre-implantation genetic diagnosis because of their religion or negative attitude for the discarding of embryos. PEGD sequences the genome of the embryo to be produced by two parents if they were to conceive a child. If the family has a history of Sandhoff disease it is recommended they have their genome sequenced to ensure they are not carriers or to sequence the genome of their child.

Danon disease was characterized by Moris Danon in 1981. Dr. Danon first described the disease in 2 boys with heart and skeletal muscle disease (muscle weakness), and intellectual disability.

The first case of Danon disease reported in the Middle East was a family diagnosed in the eastern region of United Arab Emirates with a new "LAMP2" mutation; discovered by the Egyptian cardiologist Dr. Mahmoud Ramadan the associate professor of Cardiology in Mansoura University (Egypt) after doing genetic analysis for all the family members in Bergamo, Italy where 6 males were diagnosed as Danon disease patients and 5 female were diagnosed as carriers; as published in "Al-Bayan" newspaper in 20 February 2016 making this family the largest one with patients and carriers of Danon disease.

Danon Disease has overlapping symptoms with another rare genetic condition called 'Pompe' disease. Microscopically, muscles from Danon Disease patients appear similar to muscles from Pompe disease patients. However, intellectual disability is rarely, if ever, a symptom of Pompe disease. Negative enzymatic or molecular genetic testing for Pompe disease can help rule out this disorder as a differential diagnosis.

There are three types of Sandhoff disease: classic infantile, juvenile, and adult late onset. Each form is classified by the severity of the symptoms as well as the age at which the patient shows these symptoms.

- Classic infantile form of the disease is classified by the development of symptoms anywhere from 2 months to 9 months of age. It is the most severe of all of the forms and will lead to death before the patient reaches the age of three. This is the most common and severe form of Sandhoff disease. Infants with this disorder typically appear normal until the age of 3 to 6 months, when development slows and muscles used for movement weaken. Affected infants lose motor skills such as turning over, sitting, and crawling. As the disease progresses, infants develop seizures, vision and hearing loss, dementia, and paralysis. An eye abnormality called a cherry-red spot, which can be identified with an eye examination, is characteristic of this disorder. Some infants with Sandhoff disease may have enlarged organs (organomegaly) or bone abnormalities. Children with the severe form of this disorder usually live only into early childhood.

- Juvenile form of the disease shows symptoms starting at age 3 ranging to age 10 and, although the child usually dies by the time they are 15, it is possible for them to live longer if they are under constant care. Symptoms include autism, ataxia, motor skills regression, spacticity, and learning disorders.

- Adult onset form of the disease is classified by its occurrence in older individuals and has an effect on the motor function of these individuals. It is not yet known if Sandhoff disease will cause these individuals to have a decrease in their life span.

Juvenile and adult onset forms of Sandhoff disease are very rare. Signs and symptoms can begin in childhood, adolescence, or adulthood and are usually milder than those seen with the infantile form of Sandhoff disease. As in the infantile form, mental abilities and coordination are affected. Characteristic features include muscle weakness, loss of muscle coordination (ataxia) and other problems with movement, speech problems, and mental illness. These signs and symptoms vary widely among people with late-onset forms of Sandhoff disease.

Most children with Farber disease die by age 2, usually from lung disease. In one of the most severe forms of the disease, an enlarged liver and spleen (hepatosplenomegaly) can be diagnosed soon after birth. Children born with this form of the disease usually die within 6 months.

It is associated with LAMP2. The status of this condition as a GSD has been disputed.

In infantile Krabbe disease, death usually occurs in early childhood. A 2011 study found 1, 2, 3 year survival rates of 60%, 26%, and 14%, respectively. A few survived for longer and one was still alive at age 13. Patients with late-onset Krabbe disease tend to have a slower progression of the disease and live significantly longer.

Urbach–Wiethe disease is typically not a life-threatening condition. The life expectancy of these patients is normal as long as the potential side effects of thickening mucosa, such as respiratory obstruction, are properly addressed. Although this may require a tracheostomy or carbon dioxide laser surgery, such steps can help ensure that individuals with Urbach–Wiethe disease are able to live a full life. Oral dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) has been shown to reduce skin lesions, helping to minimize discomfort for these individuals.

Franklin's disease (gamma heavy chain disease)

It is a very rare B-cell lymphoplasma cell proliferative disorder which may be associated with autoimmune diseases and infection is a common characteristic of the disease. It is characterized by lymphadenopathy, fever, anemia, malaise, hepatosplenomegaly, and weakness. The most distinctive symptom is palatal edema, caused by nodal involvement of Waldeyer's ring.

Diagnosis is made by the demonstration of an anomalous serum M component that reacts with anti-IgG but not anti-light chain reagents. Bone marrow examination is usually nondiagnostic.

Patients usually have a rapid downhill course and die of infection if left untreated or misdiagnosed.

Patients with Franklin disease usually have a history of progressive weakness, fatigue, intermittent fever, night sweats and weight loss and may present with lymphadenopathy (62%), splenomegaly (52%) or hepatomegaly (37%). The fever is considered secondary to impaired cellular and humoral immunity, and thus recurrent infections are the common clinical presentation in Franklin disease. Weng et al. described the first case of Penicillium sp. infection in a patient with Franklin disease and emphasized the importance of proper preparation for biopsy, complete hematologic investigation, culture preparation and early antifungal coverage to improve the outcome.

The γHCD can be divided into three categories based on the various clinical and pathological features. These categories are disseminated lymphoproliferative disease, localized proliferative disease and no apparent proliferative disease.

- Disseminated lymphoproliferative disease is found in 57-66% of patients diagnosed with γHCD. Lymphadenopathy and constitutional symptoms are the usual features.

- Localized proliferative disease is found in approximately 25% of γHCD patients. This is characterized by a localization of the mutated heavy chains in extramedullary tissue, or solely in the bone marrow.

- No apparent proliferative disease is seen in 9-17% of patients with γHCD, and there is almost always an underlying autoimmune disorder.

Sphingolipidoses (singular "sphingolipidosis") are a class of lipid storage disorders relating to sphingolipid metabolism. The main members of this group are Niemann–Pick disease, Fabry disease, Krabbe disease, Gaucher disease, Tay–Sachs disease and metachromatic leukodystrophy. They are generally inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, but notably Fabry disease is X-linked recessive. Taken together, sphingolipidoses have an incidence of approximately 1 in 10,000, but substantially more in certain populations such as Ashkenazi Jews. Enzyme replacement therapy is available to treat mainly Fabry disease and Gaucher disease, and people with these types of sphingolipidoses may live well into adulthood. The other types are generally fatal by age 1 to 5 years for infantile forms, but progression may be mild for juvenile- or adult-onset forms.

The IgM type of heavy chain disease, μHCD, is often misdiagnosed as chronic lymphoid leukemia (CLL) because the two diseases are often associated with each other and show similar symptoms.

The first treatment for Fabry's disease was approved by the US FDA on April 24, 2003. Fabrazyme (agalsidase beta, or Alpha-galactosidase) was licensed to the Genzyme Corporation. It is an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) designed to provide the enzyme the patient is missing as a result of a genetic malfunction. The drug is expensive — in 2012, Fabrazyme's annual cost was about US$200,000 per patient, which is unaffordable to many patients around the world without enough insurance. ERT is not a cure, but can allow improved metabolism and partially prevent disease progression, as well as potentially reverse some symptoms.

The pharmaceutical company Shire manufactures agalsidase alpha (which differs in the structure of its oligosaccharide side chains) under the brand name Replagal as a treatment for Fabry's disease, and was granted marketing approval in the EU in 2001. FDA approval was applied for the United States. However, Shire withdrew their application for approval in the United States in 2012, citing that the agency will require additional clinical trials before approval.

Clinically the two products are generally perceived to be similar in effectiveness. Both are available in Europe and in many other parts of the world, but treatment costs remain very high.

Besides these drugs, a gene therapy treatment is also available from the Canadian Institutes of Health. Other treatments (oral chaperone therapy -Amicus-, plant-based ERT -Protalix-, substrate reduction therapy -Sanofi-Genzyme-, bio-better ERT -Codexis-, gene editing solution -Sangamo- are currently being researched.

Pain associated with Fabry disease may be partially alleviated by ERT in some patients, but pain management regimens may also include analgesics, anticonvulsants, and nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, though the latter are usually best avoided in renal disease.