Beobachtungen über die adulte Form der recessiv-erblichen spastischen Spinalparalyse

Summary This report deals with two patients, brother and sister, suffering from spastic paraplegia. Onset of the disease was at 46 and 51 years of age, respectively. The outstanding clinical features were a slowly progressive course of the disease and an overall slight to moderate impairment of motility in spite of the long duration of the disease of more than 8 to 10 years. The family history failed to reveal any other affected members and we therefore concluded that the disease was inherited by recessive mode. Our cases belong to the adult form of spastic paraplegia of Strümpell and Haldane. We agree on Becker's suggestion stating that this adult form represents a genetically independent type.