[A family of hereditary spastic paraplegia with dementia, ataxia, and dystonia].

We reported three siblings with complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia. The striking features in these patients were characterized by early onset of gait disturbance, mental deficiency, and dystonia. The most likely diagnosis was Mast syndrome. Patient 1: A 44 years-old woman. She first developed gait disturbances at age of 8. She was admitted in our hospital because of progressive spastic paraplegia. Neurological examination revealed mental deficiency, saccadic pursuit eye movement, speech disturbance of cerebellar type, ataxia, and spastic paraplegia. She showed also dystonia in the face, tongue, and trunk. MRI showed cerebellar atrophy. Patient 2: A 51 years-old brother of the patient 1. He had mentally retarded. Late teens he developed gait disturbance. Gradually he manifested spastic paraplegia, dysarthria, dysphasia, mental deficiency, and ataxia. He also showed incontinence of urine and feces. Then he became bedridden, apathetic, and showed forced crying. MRI showed diffuse brain atrophy. Patient 3: A 48 year-old woman. This woman, a sister of the patient 1, showed progressive gait disturbance and dysarthria. She also developed incontinence, apathy, and dystonia. She became bedridden, responding to simple questions with only occasional single-word answers. Her speech was slurred, and spastic paraplegia was noted. MRI showed diffuse brain atrophy including marked atrophy of the cerebellum.