Neurogenic involvement in a case of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy

We report the case of a 65-year-old man with a 15-year history of oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) harboring a (GCG) 11 mutation of the poly(A)-binding protein 2 (PABP2) gene. He developed, early in the course of the disease, a severe chronic axonal neuropathy. Although the primary myopathic origin of the disease appears to be established, a small number of cases of OPMD with neuropathic features have been described. This case raises the question of a possible neurogenic component to this disease and the role of the length of the mutation in phenotype severity. (C) 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.