Sensory ataxic neuropathy with dysarthria and ophthalmoparesis (SANDO) in late life due to compound heterozygous POLG mutations

Muscle Nerve. 2010 Jun;41(6):882-5. doi: 10.1002/mus.21636.

Abstract

Missense mutations in the gene for polymerase gamma 1 (POLG1) cause a number of phenotypically heterogeneous mitochondrial diseases, most commonly progressive external ophthalmoplegia, and are characterized by the accumulation of multiple, large-scale deletions of mitochondrial DNA. The triad of sensory ataxic neuropathy, dysarthria, and ophthalmoparesis (SANDO) has been demonstrated in a small subset of patients with POLG1 mutations. We report a sporadic case of an 80-year-old compound heterozygote man who presented with SANDO and was found to have three known pathogenic mutations in the POLG1 gene (p.T251I/p.P587L/p.G848S). To our knowledge, none of these mutations have been demonstrated previously in SANDO. This patient's late presentation illustrates that a mitochondrial disorder should be considered regardless of age if the clinical symptoms warrant.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Aged, 80 and over
  • Ataxia / genetics*
  • Ataxia / pathology
  • DNA Polymerase gamma
  • DNA, Mitochondrial / genetics*
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase / genetics*
  • Diplopia / genetics
  • Dysarthria / genetics*
  • Dysarthria / pathology
  • Eyelid Diseases / genetics
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Muscle, Skeletal / pathology
  • Muscular Atrophy / genetics
  • Muscular Atrophy / pathology
  • Mutation, Missense
  • Ophthalmoplegia / genetics*
  • Ophthalmoplegia / pathology
  • Ophthalmoplegia, Chronic Progressive External / genetics*
  • Ophthalmoplegia, Chronic Progressive External / pathology
  • Sequence Deletion
  • Voice Disorders / genetics

Substances

  • DNA, Mitochondrial
  • DNA Polymerase gamma
  • DNA-Directed DNA Polymerase
  • POLG protein, human