[Psychiatric disturbances in five patients with MELAS syndrome]

Mitochondrial disorders of energetic metabolism (MD) represent a heterogeneous group of diseases manifesting at any age with a broad spectrum of clinical symptoms, including psychiatric disorders.

The aim of the study was to characterize psychiatric symptoms and diagnoses in five patients with MELAS syndrome between the ages of 17 and 53 years.

Four of MELAS patients them harbored the prevalent mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation 3243A>G, and one patient had the mtDNA mutation 12706T>C. Three patients had positive family histories for MELAS syndrome. In one patient, depression was diagnosedas the first symptom ofMELAS syndrome. Depression also preceded a stroke-like episode in one patient. Four patients had disturbed cognitive functions, confusional states occurred in three patients. One patient manifested psychotic (schizophrenia-like) symptoms.

Mitochondrial disorders deserve consideration as part of the differential diagnosis, especially, if there is suspected involvement of other organ groups or positive family history of MD.