[The stiff man syndrome]

A 41-year-old patient with the rigidity syndrome was observed. The disease was expressed in marked rigidity of the long muscles of the back forming a picture of persistent hyperlordosis which led to a considerable disablement of the patient. Another complaint was spasms of the femoral muscles. A four-year follow-up of the patient revealed periodically recurring ataxia, nystagmus, and dysarthria. The patient benefited by relanium (diazepam) administration. On the basis of the literature data and a clinical analysis of this case the authors review clinical, differential-diagnostic, pathogenetic and etiological aspects of the rigidity syndrome.