Hello doctor, My mother is provisionally diagnosed with SCA (spinocerebellar ataxia). Is this disease treatable or her conditon will worsen? Please help.
Hi. I have read your question with care and understand that your mother is provisionally diagnosed with Spino Cerebellar Ataxia. For SCA Type 1 to 28  1. Idebenone, a free-radical scavenger,  2. Glutamate antagonist riluzole may offer modest benefit.  3. Acetazolamid,  can be used for treatment. For other Ataxias, The most important step in management is to identify treatable disease entities.  1. Mass lesions: Diagnosed by Imaging, Treated by Removal or Decompression. 2. Paraneoplastic disorders: Diagnosed by 1. clinical patterns 2. specific autoantibodies 3. primary cancer. Treated by 1. removal of the tutor 2. immunotherapy.  3. Ataxia with anti-gliadin antibodies and gluten-sensitive enteropathy: Treated by gluten-free diet.  4. Malabsorption syndromes leading to vitamin E deficiency may lead to ataxia. Treated by Vitamin E Supplementation  5. Vitamin E deficiency form of Friedrich’s ataxia: Treated by Vitamin E.  6. Vitamin B1 Deficiency: Treated with Vitamin B1.  7. Vitamin B12 Deficiency: Treated with Vitamin B12.  8. Hypothyroidism: Treated with Thyroxine.