Slowly progressive aphasia without dementia is a rare disease, first described in 1982. Since then the existence of a nosological entity bearing that name is disputed. Case histories of two patients are described, with emphasis on clinical presentation and the importance of early diagnosis and neuropsychological evaluation. It is concluded that slowly progressive aphasia is a sign caused by a neurodegenerative cerebral disorder starting in the dominant hemisphere, ultimately accompanied by symptoms of generalised dementia.