[Clinical features of 63 patients with ataxia].

BACKGROUND

Ataxia can be classified as genetic, sporadic or acquired.

AIM

To report the clinical features of a group of patients with ataxia.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

Review of medical records of patients consulting in a specialized center in movement disorders. Those records in which the diagnosis of "ataxia" or "ataxic syndrome" appeared, were selected for the review.

RESULTS

Of 4,282 records surveyed, the diagnosis of ataxia appeared in 95. After eliminating repeated or incomplete records, 63 were reviewed.

RESULTS

Ataxia was sporadic, genetic and acquired in 27, 22 and 14 patients, respectively. The mean age at presentation for genetic, acquired and sporadic ataxia was 24, 46 and 53 years respectively. All autosomal dominant ataxias were type 3 spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Friedrich's ataxia was the most common recessive form. Most sporadic forms of ataxia were multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia (MSA-C) subtype.

CONCLUSIONS

Considering the heterogeneity of patients with ataxia, we propose a method to approach them.