Diabetes mellitus as the presenting feature of Friedreich's ataxia

Garg M, Kulkarni SD, Shah KN, Hegde AU. J Neurosci Rural Pract 2017;8, Suppl S1:117-9 DOI: 10.4103/jnrp.jnrp_112_17

This is an unusual report of diabetes as the initial presentation in a patient with FA. This patient has also shown accelerated course of disease. However, the genetic mechanisms accounting for phenotypic variations in FA remain to be fully elucidated. In patients with diabetes who present with early sensory neuropathy or ataxia, FA should be a consideration even in the pediatric age group. A better understanding of molecular mechanisms will certainly pave the way for improved therapeutic strategies in the near future.