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The diagnostic criteria of the neonatal progeroid syndrome (NPS) are: intrauterine and postnatal growth failure, hydrocephalic appearance, prominent scalp veins, old-looking face, absence of subcutaneous fat and neonatal teeth. Until now altogether nine cases have been reported, which were predominant diagnosed in infant age. The NPS is in general assigned to the autosomal recessive trait. With increasing age the outward appearance stays unchanged. The in 1977 under diagnose progeria presented patient is now 16 years old. With her a considerable atactic movement disturbance developed next to a psychomotoric retardation. The change in metabolism of proteoglycane that was remarkable in infant age is now no longer provable.

This report relates the case histories of two sisters who demonstrated the typical symptoms of progeria at birth. One of these children had died previous to this study. The familial occurrence underlines the thesis that progeria is an autosomal-recessive disorder. The examination of the cultured skin fibroblasts from the younger child showed a clear decrease in cell growth. On the other hand, the immunfluorescent examination of skin biopsies and cultured skin fibroblasts revealed no atypical distribution of collagen types.