When it comes to the rarest of diseases, the diagnosis isn't the answer – it's just the starting point
- Written by Steven Walkley, Professor of Neuroscience, Pathology and Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine
The National Institutes of Health estimates the existence of 7,000 rare diseases, with some affecting only a handful of people.Alan Phillips/E! via Getty Images“Mr. and Mrs. Smith, we finally have an answer for you.” The couple, whose real names we are protecting for privacy, looked at me anxiously. I had been evaluating their young...

