A Mitochondrial Disorder in a Middle Age Iranian Patient: Report of a Rare Case

Mitochondrial encephalopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes (MELAS) can involve multiple systems and cause stroke-like episodes and status epilepticus.

A 48-year-old female with history of early fatigability, migraine-type headaches, and bilateral sensory-neural hearing loss presented 3 episodes of serial seizures. On admission she was affected by Wernicke aphasia and, then, right hemiparesis. Investigations showed elevated arterial lactate and ragged red fibers on muscle biopsy.

Though more commonly diagnosed during childhood, some cases of adult-onset MELAS syndrome are reported. This syndrome should be considered in patients with stroke-like events in adults without cerebrovascular risk factors and difficult-to-treat seizures.