Hepatic encephalopathy coexists with acquired chronic hepatocerebral degeneration

Hyperkinetic extrapyramidal syndrome is the typical clinical characteristic of acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD), but is usually not observed with hepatic encephalopathy (HE). We present a case of AHD coexisting with HE. Both conditions were secondary to liver cirrhosis and hepatitis C virus infection. The brain MRI showed bilateral and symmetric high T1 signal-intensity in the globus pallidus, and diffuse high signal-intensity of the hemispheric white matter on T2-FLAIR images. As we usually neglect the existence of AHD, the diagnosis is often ignored, especially when it coexists with HE. This case highlights the need to distinguish irreversible AHD from HE.Progressive chronic liver disease often causes neurological manifestation, including hepatic encephalopathy (HE), acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD), and hepatic myelopathy (HM). Among these dysfunctions, HE is the most common and reversible disorder, while AHD is a rare and irreversible syndrome. Hepatic encephalopathy is a serious complication of liver disease and is characterized by neuropsychiatric symptoms, which range from subtle neurocognitive alterations to severe life-threatening neurological impairment.1,2 Hepatic encephalopathy presents in as many as 28% of patients with liver cirrhosis, and can be alleviated by lowering the blood ammonia levels.1,2 However, AHD is rare and the best result among the possible treatments is orthotopic liver transplantation.3 The prevalence of this disease is between 0.8-2% of cirrhotic patients. Of note, the more relevant risk factors are the presence of portosystemic shunts and the multiple bouts of hepatic coma seen in some patients with HE.4,5 Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration is a progressive, irreversible neurological syndrome caused by persistent and decompensated liver disease, and characterized by abnormal movements, dysarthria, rigidity, intention tremor, ataxia, and impairment of intellectual functions.6 In AHD physiopathology, manganese accumulation in the basal nuclei appears to be a key factor. This metal concentration is responsible for the MRI T1 hyperintensity mainly involving the basal ganglia, which can be considered a biomarker of manganese overload.3,6 Hepatic encephalopathy and AHD are 2 different CNS disorders secondary to hepatic dysfunction. Hyperkinetic extrapyramidal syndrome is the typical clinical characteristic of AHD, but usually not observed in HE. Here, we describe a case coexisting with HE and AHD in the presence of symmetrical basal ganglia high signal intensity on T1-weighted images and widespread T2 high signal intensity of the hemispheric white matter. Our objective in presenting this particular case is to highlight the presence of AHD that is considered rare as the diagnosis tends to be ignored.     

26例肝豆状核变性合并肝性脑病患者的脑电图观察

目的：探讨肝豆状核变性（HD）合并肝性脑病（HE）患者脑电图检查的临床意义。方法：对26例 HE合并 HD患者的脑电图检查结果进行分析。结果：脑电图的异常程度与 HE的临床分期有明显关系,临床症状越重,脑电图改变越明显。结论：脑电图可以作为 HE患者的一项诊断参考指标及监测病情变化的重要手段,值得临床推广应用。     

Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration: clinical characteristics and MRI findings

Objective: To determine the prevalence of acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD), its clinical and neuroimaging characteristics and response to treatments. Background: Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration is a chronic encephalopathy with predominant motor signs in the context of severe liver disease. Its clinical picture is not well defined, and its prevalence and risk factors are not well known. Methods: Review of a database of 1000 patients with cirrhosis to identify cases of AHD. Clinical and neuroimaging data, follow‐up and response to treatments, including liver transplantation, were recorded. Results: Eight patients with AHD were identified. Its prevalence was 0.8% of patients with cirrhosis. The main risk factor for AHD was the presence of portosystemic shunts. Movement disorders, especially a combination of parkinsonism and cerebellar signs were observed in all patients. All AHD cases showed on MRI T1‐weighted images hyperintensities in the globus pallidus, and 75% had extrapallidal involvement as well. Antiparkisonian drugs and treatments to prevent acute encephalopathies were ineffective. Three patients who underwent liver transplantation did not experience neurological improvement. Persistence of portosystemic shunts was demonstrated in two cases. Conclusions: Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration is a chronic encephalopathy which occurs in ～1% of patients with liver cirrhosis and seems related to portosystemic shunts. Its is characterized by a combination of parkinsonism and cerebellar signs. MRI pallidal and extrapallidal lesions are seen in most patients, probably reflecting intracerebral deposits of manganese. Liver transplant did not improve the neurological signs in our patients, perhaps because of the persistence of portosystemic shunts.     

获得性肝脑变性的临床与影像学特点

目的分析获得性肝脑变性的临床和影像学特征，探讨其规律性。方法分析9例获得性肝脑变性病例的临床表现、实验室检查和影像学改变的数据。结果5例既往有明确的肝硬化病史，4例没有明确的肝病病史，发病后检查分别发现肝血管病、肝胰脾等弥漫钙化或者肝硬化。主要临床表现为：精神异常、认知能力下降、帕金森病样综合征、构音障碍、共济失调、睡眠障碍。肝酶学轻中度异常，而血氨均升高。脑电图提示脑电活动呈弥漫性减慢，4例出现三相波节律。影像学改变为苍白球、大脑脚、小脑和大脑皮层下对称性短T1加权像信号，以及基底节、中脑、脑桥、延髓橄榄核对称性长T2加权像信号。结论获得性肝脑变性是肝细胞和肝血管病变引起的神经功能损害综合征，肝酶改变、血氮升高和脑电图符合代谢性疾病改变，结合特征性影像学改变，对疾病的诊断具有重要意义。     

Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration

Cirrhosis and its co-morbidities may cause a variety of neurological complications, the most common being bouts of toxic metabolic encephalopathy. A proportion of patients with chronic liver disease develop acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD), a chronic progressive neurological syndrome characterized by parkinsonism, ataxia and other movement disorders. This article reviews the clinical spectrum, pathophysiology, neuroimaging features and differential diagnosis of AHD along with emerging treatment options.     

50例肝豆状核变性临床分析

目的探索肝豆状核变性的临床特点,为早期诊断提供依据。方法我院1988～2008年收治的50例肝豆状核变性患者,对其临床表现,实验室检查及CT和MRI检查进行分析。结果铜代谢异常损害以肝脑为主。结论青少年患者以肝硬化、贫血、骨骼畸形、锥体外系损伤临床表现为首发症状,无常见病因可寻,应考虑到本病的可能,尽早进行检查,以便能早期确诊及时治疗。     

Features of cell death in brain and liver,the target tissues of progressive neuronal degeneration of childhood with liver disease (Alpers-Huttenlocher disease)

Alpers-Huttenlocher disease (AHD) is a rare encephalopathy of infancy and childhood characterized by myoclonic seizures and progressive neurological deterioration, usually associated with signs and symptoms of liver dysfunction. There is no biological marker of the disease, and ultimate diagnosis still relies on pathological examination. Features of clinical progression and pathological findings suggest AHD to be secondary to a genetically determined disorder of mitochondrial function. We report on four AHD patients and focus on their pathological features in brain, liver and muscle. Liver and muscle biopsy specimens were examined using histochemical markers of the oxidative pathways, probes to immunodetect molecules of the apoptotic cascades and electron microscopy. In liver (but not in muscle) biopsy samples, activated caspases were detected by immunohistochemistry: foci of caspase-9-positive cells were seen in a child affected with chronic, progressive fibrosis. In an 18-year-old boy, who suffered from valproic acid-associated acute hepatitis, caspase-3 cells were clustered among the necrotic foci and the foamy cells. In both patients electron microscopy revealed apoptotic nuclei. Normal muscle biopsy specimens were observed in two children, 2 and 8 years-old respectively; in the 18-year-old patient cytochrome oxidase-negative fibers as well as ultrastructural findings of mitochondrial abnormalities were observed. In no patient was there biochemical evidence of impaired oxidative metabolism. Neuropathological examination of the brains of two patients (13 months and 19 years old, respectively) showed focal distribution of the lesions affecting the telencephalic cortex and, to a lesser extent, subcortical gray nuclei. Along with the necrotizing lesions, characterized by neuronal loss, neuropil microcysts and newly formed vessels, we also observed acutely shrunken neurons and features of apoptotic cell death in the cerebral cortex only. Severe neuronal loss without necrotizing features was observed in the cerebellar cortex. The presence of both anoxic and apoptotic nuclei in brain and liver, the target tissues of the disease, is consistent with the hypothesis that abnormal activation of mitochondrion-related cell death pathways might be involved in the pathogenesis of AHD.     

Corticobasal degeneration and frontotemporal dementia presentations in a kindred with nonspecific histopathology

We report the clinical, neuropsychological, electroencephalographic and radiologic findings in a kindred with varying clinical presentations of a neurodegenerative disorder. Postmortem examination of one member with clinically suspected corticobasal degeneration (CBD) revealed nonspecific histopathology maximally involving the frontoparietal cortex with negligible degenerative changes in the basal ganglia and substantia nigra. The findings in this and other kindreds demonstrate that (1) similar findings on ancillary testing can occur in relatives presumably suffering from the same pathophysiologic process despite dissimilar clinical presentations, (2) the 'CBD syndrome' is not specific for CBD, (3) extrapyramidal dysfunction can exist in the absence of appreciable basal ganglia and nigral degeneration, (4) nonspecific histopathology can underlie familial focal/asymmetric cortical degeneration syndromes and (5) many of the findings in CBD are comparable to those reported in frontotemporal dementia.     

Movement disorders in alcoholism: a review

A wide variety of movement disorders are associated with alcohol abuse. Some idiopathic movement disorders are markedly improved by small amounts of alcohol and this response occasionally may lead to alcoholism. Alcohol abuse alone or combined with hepatic encephalopathy can cause various types of tremor, asterixis, and cerebellar dysfunction. Alcohol withdrawal is occasionally complicated by transient basal ganglia dysfunction manifested by parkinsonism or chorea. These syndromes are distinct from the movement disorders complicating acquired hepatolenticular degeneration occurring in some chronic alcoholics. This review discusses the clinical and pathophysiologic aspects of the movement disorder syndromes that complicate alcohol abuse.     

Sporadic and familial dementia with ubiquitin-positive tau-negative inclusions: clinical features of one histopathological abnormality underlying frontotemporal lobar degeneration

BACKGROUND: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration comprises a group of diseases with clinical presentations and underlying histopathologies that overlap. Familial disease occurs in up to 50% of frontotemporal lobar degeneration cases. One of several underlying histopathological abnormalities is of ubiquitin-positive tau-negative inclusions, similar to those in motor neuron disease. OBJECTIVE: To compare clinical features of familial and sporadic cases in this pathological subgroup. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Case note review of dementia patients with ubiquitin-positive tau-negative inclusion pathological abnormalities proven by autopsy. SETTING: United Kingdom tertiary referral center. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Analysis of clinical features. RESULTS: Eleven familial cases (autosomal dominant) and 18 sporadic cases were identified. Most familial case patients presented with behavioral disturbances similar to those seen in sporadic behavioral cases. Semantic dementia was only seen in sporadic cases. Atypical features occurred in a minority. Sporadic and familial behavioral cases showed no differences in age at onset or disease duration. Neuropsychological test results revealed frontal or temporal deficits in most, but unexpected early parietal deficits in 1. CONCLUSIONS: Behavioral features in familial and sporadic cases were similar, but semantic dementia only occurred in sporadic cases. Diagnostic confusion with Alzheimer disease and corticobasal degeneration occurred in some cases.     

Clinically undetected motor neuron disease in pathologically proven frontotemporal lobar degeneration with motor neuron disease

BACKGROUND: Frontotemporal lobar degeneration with motor neuron disease (FTLD-MND) is a pathological entity characterized by motor neuron degeneration and frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The ability to detect the clinical signs of dementia and motor neuron disease in pathologically confirmed FTLD-MND has not been assessed. OBJECTIVES: To determine if all cases of pathologically confirmed FTLD-MND have clinical evidence of frontotemporal dementia and motor neuron disease, and to determine the possible reasons for misdiagnosis. METHOD: Review of historical records and semiquantitative analysis of the motor and extramotor pathological findings of all cases of pathologically confirmed FTLD-MND. RESULTS: From a total of 17 cases of pathologically confirmed FTLD-MND, all had clinical evidence of frontotemporal dementia, while only 10 (59%) had clinical evidence of motor neuron disease. Semiquantitative analysis of motor and extramotor pathological findings revealed a spectrum of pathological changes underlying FTLD-MND. Hippocampal sclerosis, predominantly of the subiculum, was a significantly more frequent occurrence in the cases without clinical evidence of motor neuron disease (P<.01). In addition, neuronal loss, gliosis, and corticospinal tract degeneration were less severe in the other 3 cases without clinical evidence of motor neuron disease. CONCLUSIONS: Clinical diagnostic sensitivity for the elements of FTLD-MND is modest and may be affected by the fact that FTLD-MND represents a spectrum of pathological findings, rather than a single homogeneous entity. Detection of signs of clinical motor neuron disease is also difficult when motor neuron degeneration is mild and in patients with hippocampal sclerosis.     

A study of 3H-PK 11,195 binding to "peripheral-type" benzodiazepine receptors on human lymphocytes. Evidence of decreased binding in hepatic encephalopathy.

In an attempt to assess the involvement of the "peripheral-type" benzodiazepine receptors (pBDZR) in hepatic encephalopathy (HE), we examined the binding of the isoquinoline carboxamide derivative 3H-PK 11,195 to lymphocyte membranes from a group of patients with liver cirrhosis with or without clinical signs of HE and normal controls. Lymphocyte 3H-PK 11,195 binding is saturable, with high affinity and presents the pharmacological specificity corresponding to pBDZR. A significant 40% decrease in the number of 3H-PK 11,195 binding sites, without a concomitant change in the apparent affinity, is observed in the group with HE as compared to the controls, but not in that with liver diseases without HE. The decrease in binding capacity correlates significantly with the clinical grading of HE, but not with age, sex, aetiology of cirrhosis or presence of surgical shunt. In contrast to the reduction of pBDZR, 3H-N-methylscopolamine binding to lymphocyte muscarinic receptors is not affected in HE. These findings are consistent with a role for pBDZR in HE and may stimulate studies of endogenous modulators and pharmacological agents for these receptors in the disease.     

Psychiatric features and disturbance of circadian rhythm of temperature,pulse, and blood pressure in Wilson's disease

Wilson's disease (hepatolenticular degeneration), a disease of genetic origin, is due to abnormal copper metabolism affecting many organs and systems, especially the liver and the nervous system. The initial symptoms can be exclusively or predominantly psychiatric, including psychotic features. Three cases are reported in which the clinical picture at the beginning was compatible with a psychiatric diagnosis. During hospitalization, before treatment, there were abnormal and spontaneous changes in the circadian rhythm of temperature, pulse, and blood pressure, recorded every 6 hours, with febrile peaks in the absence of infectious focus. Because the hypothalamus is important in the regulation of these autonomic functions, the hypothesis of a possible hypothalamic dysfunction was made, justifying a wide clinical and laboratory investigation that allowed the diagnosis of Wilson's disease. Alertness to circadian rhythm abnormalities in such cases may help the psychiatrist avoid an erroneous diagnosis.     

What wires together dies together: verbs, actions and neurodegeneration in motor neuron disease

For more than a century the research on Motor Neuron Disease (MND) has been dominated by a tension between the concept of a selective, purely motor degeneration and a growing realisation of the high frequency and importance of cognitive symptoms that can culminate in dementia. The present paper aims at integrating these two, seemingly mutually exclusive interpretations of the disease. It is proposed that the cognitive and motor symptoms in MND are due to the same selective neurodegenerative process, spreading along the lines of functional connections in the nervous system. Accordingly, the most impaired aspects of cognitive function are those with the closest functional links to the motor system, a pattern explaining a disproportionate impairment of verb and action processing in this disease. The dementia associated with MND can be interpreted as the fifth major clinical presentation of MND, alongside bulbar, thoracic, upper and lower limb presentation. It follows the same rules of disease progression as other presentations, spreading contiguously from region to region, with a predominantly caudal direction. Accordingly, dementia tends to precede other presentations and is often followed by bulbar symptoms. We believe that the presented model contributes to a more accurate concept of MND, integrating cognitive and motor features within the same disease mechanism. At the same time it highlights the importance of MND for cognitive neuroscience and, in particular, for theories of embodied cognition.     

Extraocular muscle dystonia due to acquired (non‐Wilsonian) hepatocerebral degeneration

We present a video report of a patient with advanced non‐Wilsonian cirrhotic liver disease who developed extraocular muscle dystonia (oculogyric crisis) and severe orofaciolingual dyskinesias. Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration causes choreic movements, especially of cranial muscles, but dystonic ocular spasm is an infrequent manifestation of this disorder. This case illustrates that AHD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of extraocular muscle dystonia. © 2008 Movement Disorder Society     

The EEG assessment of low-grade hepatic encephalopathy: comparison of an artificial neural network-expert system (ANNES) based evaluation with visual EEG readings and EEG spectral analysis.

OBJECTIVE: The EEG provides an objective staging of hepatic encephalopathy (HE), but its interpretation may be biased by inter-observer variability. This study aims at comparing an entirely automatic EEG classification of HE based on an artificial neural network-expert system procedure (ANNES) with visual and spectral analysis based EEG classifications. METHODS: Two hundred and thirty-eight consecutive cirrhotic patients underwent closed-eye EEG. They were followed up for up to one-year to detect bouts of overt HE and death. The EEG was classified by ANNES, qualitative visual reading, main basic rhythm frequency and spectral analysis. The classifications were assessed on the basis of: (i) match with liver function, (ii) prognostic value and (iii) repeatability. RESULTS: All classifications were found to be related to the severity of liver failure, with cognitive findings and a history of previous bouts of HE. All of them had prognostic value on the occurrence of overt HE and on survival. The ANNES based classification was more repeatable than the qualitative visual one, and had the advantage of detecting low power EEG, but its efficiency in analyzing low-grade alterations was questionable. CONCLUSIONS: An entirely automatic - ANNES based - EEG classification of HE can improve the repeatability of EEG assessment, but further improvement of the device is required to classify mild alterations. SIGNIFICANCE: The ANNES based EEG grading of HE needs further improvements to be recommended in clinical practice, but it is already sufficient for detecting normal and clearly altered EEG tracings.     

肝豆状核变性23例临床分析

目的 总结肝豆状核变性的临床特点,以减少误诊、漏诊.方法 回顾性分析23例肝豆状核变性患者的临床表现及诊治过程.结果 平均发病年龄21.5岁,首发症状以神经系统和肝损害症状为主,分别占69.6%(16/23)及26.1%(6/23),其中神经系统症状以肢体震颤、精神异常多见;18例患者临床分型为混合型,占78.3%(18/23),5例为脑型;所有患者均出现角膜色素环(K-F环);所有患者进行了铜代谢的实验室检查,血浆铜蓝蛋白水平降低及24 h尿铜增高常见.青霉胺与硫酸锌联合治疗对78.3%(18/23)的患者有效.结论 肝豆状核变性青少年多发,以神经系统和肝损害症状为主要表现,K-F环阳性率高.青霉胺与硫酸锌联合治疗对大部分肝豆状核变性患者有效.     

Relationship between frontotemporal dementia and corticobasal degeneration/progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and corticobasal degeneration (CBD) were described as separate entities, but prior to that an extrapyramidal variety of Pick's disease was recognized. Subsequently a pathological overlap between these conditions and clinical overlap between frontotemporal dementia, primary progressive aphasia, corticobasal degeneration syndrome and more recently PSP was recognized. Initially only the movement disorder had been emphasized, but now the behavioral and language symptoms are considered common. The syndromes of frontotemporal dementia/Pick's disease can be produced by underlying CBD, PSP or Pick pathology as well as with neural inclusions of the motor neuron disease type. The concept of this overlap has been confirmed genetically finding a similar spectrum of pathology with different tau mutations and even with tau negative pathology, which could be a deficiency of normal tau. The overlap of CBD with PSP and both with PPA and FTD allows to consider these relatively rare conditions as part of a more commonly occurring degenerative disease than previously recognized.     

Hepatolenticular degeneration: critical evaluation of the diagnostic criteria in 95 cases

Ninety-five cases of hepatolenticular degeneration have been studied, focusing particularly the clinical and laboratory characterization of the disease. On the clinical viewpoint the variability of the starting symptoms and the frequency of the Kayser-Fleischer rings were analyzed. As regards the laboratory findings the ceruloplasmin, blood and urinary copper, and aminoaciduria levels have been evaluated, as well as the radiological and scintillographic study of joints and bones, cranial computerized tomography and liver biopsy. In 54.4% of the cases the opening clinical picture was neurological, in 31.1% hepatic, in 14.4% psychiatric, in 7.8% osteoarticular, in 2.2% ophtalmologic (Kayser-Fleischer rings), in 1.1% hematologic (hemolytic anemia), and in 1.1% cardiac. Kayser-Fleischer rings were present in 84 of the 92 cases in which they have been searched for (91.3%). Concerning the laboratory findings, hypoceruloplasminemia was found in 98.8% of the cases in which it was investigated, hyperaminoaciduria in 94.7%, hypocupremia in 87.0%, increased cupruresis in 78.2%, osteoporosis in 79.4%, scintillographic changes of the joints in 67.6%; the CT-scan, performed in 11 cases, showed low attenuation areas in the basal ganglia of 2 patients. The significance of the mentioned laboratory findings and the presence of the Kayser-Fleischer rings for the diagnosis of Wilson's disease is discussed.     

肝豆状核变性56例临床分析

目的回顾分析肝豆状核变性患者临床资料,总结其临床特点。方法回顾分析1994-01～2011-01本院收治的56例肝豆状核变性患者临床资料。结果该病从发病到确诊时间中位数2.6 a;临床表现以肝损害为主26例,以神经系统损害为主16例,二者兼有14例;角膜K-F环阳性42例,血铜蓝蛋白降低52例,头颅CT或MRI阳性31例。结论该病从发病到确诊时间长。临床表现主要以肝损害为主或以神经系统损害为主或二者兼有,血铜蓝蛋白测定、K-F环检查、头颅CT和MRI检查对诊断具有重要意义。