Clinical manifestations and gene mutation in a case of Machado-Joseph disease

摘要

This study reports a case of a 75-year-old female Machado-Joseph disease patient exhibiting unstable walking and inaccurate hand holding for 8 months, which progressively worsened. Physical examination on admission showed cerebellar ataxia and a history of hypertension. Cranial MRI demonstrated cerebellar and brain stem atrophy. Gene analysis showed abnormal amplification of the CAG trinucleotide repeat in exon 10 of the ataxin-3 (ATXN3) gene, resulting in 70-81 CAG repeats in the patient, with a significant positive family history.