Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency in southeast Norway, case report

Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED) is a rare cause of hereditary ataxia in north European countries with unknown prevalence. Few cases are reported from these countries.

Through a systematic population based study of hereditary ataxia in southeast Norway subjects were classified and investigated.

To report a subject with ataxia due to vitamin E deficiency in Norway.

One patient with AVED was identified. The subject was a 45 years old woman with progressive ataxia from preschool age. When she was 12 years old Friedreich's ataxia was diagnosed after neurological examination. At the age of 45 re-evaluation and re-examination was performed and genetic analysis of the Frataxin gene was negative. At that time she had truncal and extremities ataxia, titubation of the head, pes cavus, inverted plantar response, loss of proprioceptive and vibration sense and a severe sensory neuropathy. Vitamin E in serum was undetectable and genetic analysis detected a compound heterozygous mutation, p.A120T and p.R134X, in the alpha-tocopherol transport protein gene on chromosome 8q13.

Vitamin E should always be assessed in progressive ataxia of genetic or unexplained causes and especially with a Friedreich's ataxia-like phenotype since treatment is available.

AVED is rare in Norway, but exists, and we here report the first genetically confirmed subject with ataxia due to vitamin E deficiency in Norway.