[Drachman's "ophthalmoplegia plus" or Kearns and Shy syndrome. Apropos of 2 cases with mitochondrial abnormality ultrastructurally demonstrated in the muscle].

Two typical cases of the Kearns and Shy syndrome are reported. Some of the authors have previously published observations on simple ocular myopathy and oculo-pharyngeal dystrophy associated with abnormalities of the mitochrondria in skeletal muscle cells. This disease, which is still called "ophthalmoplegia plus", combines a progressive external ophthalmoplegia, muscular defects and varied neurological signs with other symptoms particularly retinal, endocrine and cardiac. Histo-enzymological and ultra-structural studied of a fragment of skeletal muscle confirm the presence of mitochondrial anomalies.