Ataxia, hyperpnoea and mental retardation: was it the molar tooth?

Joubert's syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disease, which is under-diagnosed, associated with other brain and body malformations, and carries a poor prognosis. We describe a 6-year-old boy who presented with non-progressive instability of stance and gait, mental retardation and a new onset of generalised seizures with the typical brain imaging findings of Joubert's syndrome. We believe this is the first diagnosed case of Joubert's syndrome in Iraq.