Familial hypercholesterolemia: a family who suffered cerebral infarction over three successive generations.

A certain family with a history of familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) in which several members suffered cerebral infarction (CI) for 3 successive generations is reported. The first case is a 54-year-old female who suffered from medial longitudinal fasciculus syndrome caused by a lesion on the pons. The second case is the son of the first case and is a 28-year-old male who suffered from left hemiparesis by a lesion on the corona radiata. The third case is the mother of the first case and is a 77-year-old female who suffered from dizziness as a result of cerebellar lacunae. All 3 patients showed a marked elevation of their serum cholesterol level without any apparent history of coronary heart disease (CHD). Our cases are peculiar and unique because the patients are of 3 successive generations who suffer from CI without any apparent history of CHD. Moreover, the latter generations are having CI at younger ages. The mechanism of CI was thought to be the occlusion of the arteriole by the increased viscosity associated with other risk factors rather than the apparent arteriosclerosis in our cases. Although FH is often associated with a high incidence of CHD, the information about the occurrence of CI has not always been available. The patients may suffer from CI more frequently than was previously thought. We hope to point out the need for such FH patients to be carefully monitored and to be treated as a high-risk group for CI as well as CHD.