A 64-year-old man with parkinsonism as an initial symptom followed by dementia associated with marked abnormal behaviours]

We report a 64-year-old man with parkinsonism as an initial symptom, which was followed by dementia and abnormal behaviours. He was well until 1985, when he was 49 years old, when he noted rest tremor in his right hand. Soon tremor appeared in his left hand as well. He was seen in our clinic and levodopa was prescribed. He was doing well with this medication, however, in 1993, he started to suffer from on-off phenomenon. He also noted visual hallucination. In 1994, he stole a watermelon and ate it in the shop. He repeated such abnormal behaviours. In 1995, he was admitted to the neurology service of Hatsuishi Hospital. On admission, he was alert and oriented. He did not seem to be demented; however, he admitted stealing and hypersexual behaviours. No aphasia, apraxia, or agnosia was noted. In the cranial nerves, downward gaze was markedly restricted. He showed masked and seborrhoic face, and small voice. No motor palsy was noted, but he walked in small steps with freezing and start hesitation. Marked neck and axial rigidity was noted. Tremor was absent except for in the tongue. No cerebellar ataxia was noted. Deep tendon reflexes were diminished. Plantar response was extensor bilaterally. Forced grasp was noted also bilaterally. He was treated with levodopa and pergolide, but he continued to show on-off phenomenon. His balance problem and akinesia became progressively worse; still he showed hypersexual behaviour problems. He also showed progressive decline in cognitive functions. In 1997, he started to show dysphagia. He developed aspiration pneumonia in July of 1998. In 1999, he developed emotional incontinence and became unable to walk. He also developed repeated aspiration pneumonia. He died on March 1, 2000. He was discussed in a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at a conclusion that the patient had corticobasal degeneration. Other diagnoses entertained included dementia with Lewy bodies, diffuse Lewy body disease, and frontotemporal dementia. Majority of the participants thought that diffuse Lewy body disease was most likely. Post-mortem examination revealed marked nigral neuronal loss, gliosis and Lewy bodies in the remaining neurons. Abundant Lewy bodies of cortical type were seen wide spread in the cortical areas, but particularly many in the amygdaloid nucleus. Lewy bodies were also seen in the subcortical structures such as the dorsal motor nucleus, oculomotor nucleus, Meynert nucleus, putamen, and thalamus. What was interesting was marked neuronal loss of the pontine nuclei, demyelination of the pontocerebellar fiber, and moderate neuronal loss of the cerebellar Purkinje neurons, a reminiscent of pontocerebellar atrophy. However, the inferior olivary nucleus was intact.     

A 60-year-old man with intention tremor as an initial symptom followed by cerebellar ataxia, peripheral neuropathy and dementia]

We report a 60-year-old man with a 6-year history of tremor in his hands. He noted the onset of short of breath and gait disturbance in 1994; both of these symptoms were slowly progressive. Then recently he developed fever two months prior to the present admission. He was admitted to the rheumatology department of our hospital and neurological consultation was asked on December 13, 2000. On neurologic examination, he showed Gottron sign and fine crackle in both lungs. Pertinent neurological findings were bilateral dysmetria in finger-to-nose and heel-to-knee tests and a broad-based gait. In addition, he showed intention tremor in upper extremities more on the left. Romberg sign was positive. Deep tendon reflexes were decreased. Vibratory sensation was reduced at the wrists. The patient's hemoglobin was 11.1 g/dl, with a mean corpuscular volume of 92.0 fl. Vitamin B12 level was 190 (reference range, >230 pg/ml). Serum lactic acid, pyruvic acid and ceruloplasmin were slightly elevated. Chest X-ray showed interstitial pneumonia. Muscle biopsy showed grouping of small angular fiber. Brain MRI showed diffuse atrophy of the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum hemisphere. Thalamotomy did not improve his tremor. He was admitted again in November 2001. General worsening of his neurological findings was observed. IL2-receptor was markedly elevated. Serum anti-Hu, Yo and Ri antibodies were negative. An anaplastic carcinoma was found in his jejunum. He died from respiratory failure in February 2002. He was discussed in a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at a conclusion that the patient had paraneoplastic syndrome. Other diagnosis entertained included MERRF, GSS, Ramsay Hunt syndrome, subacute combined degeneration, spinocerebellar degeneration. Majority of the participants thought that paraneoplastic syndrome was most likely. Post-mortem examination revealed poorly differentiated carcinoma in the small intestine. Myeline pallor was noted in the posterior and the lateral columns in the thoracic spine. Neuronal cell loss was observed in the Purkinje cell and granular cell layer in the cerebellum. Sural nerve demonstrated loss of myelinated fibers and grouping of small fibers. Neuropathological findings were consistent with Friedreich ataxia; nevertheless, no mutation was reported in frataxin in Japan. The neuropathologist concluded that neuropathological diagnosis was a spinocerebellar ataxia with neuropathological similarities to Friedreich ataxia.     

A 68-year-old woman with dementia and parkinsonism]

We report a 68-year-old woman who developed progressive dementia and parkinsonism. She was well until 1990 when she was 58 years of age. She started to show memory loss. Four years later, she developed difficulty in dressing and behavioral problems such as eating rice with her hands, going out of her house without purposes, and difficulty in finding the rest room in her house. She was admitted to the neurology service of Hatsuishi Hospital on January 19, 1996, when she was 64 years of the age. On admission, she was alert but markedly demented. The score of Hansegawa Dementia Scale was 0/30. She was unable to make any coherent conversation. She appeared to have dressing apraxia but did not appear to have aphasia. Cranial nerves were intact. She walked in small steps with stooped posture. She did not have motor weakness but she showed plastic rigidity in all four limbs. No tremor or ataxia was noted. Deep tendon reflexes were within normal limits but the plantar response was extensor bilaterally. She continued to deteriorate after admission. In May of 1998, she started to fall. In June of 1998, she had a generalized convulsion. In January of 1999, she became unable to take foods orally and a gastrostomy was placed. She expired on May 29, 1990. She was discussed in a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had Alzheimer's disease. The question was whether her parkinsonism was a part of her Alzheimer's disease or she had an additional disease to explain her parkinsonism. Post-mortem examination revealed moderate to marked atrophy of the frontal and the temporal lobes as well as in the limbic areas with dilatation of the lateral ventricles. Marked neuronal loss was noted in the CA 1 to the subiculum region with gliosis. Neurofibrillary tangles were seen in the remaining neurons. Neuropil threads were seen by Gallyas-Braak staining. Similar changes were seen in the parahippocampal gyrus and in the entorhinal cortex. Senile plaques were seen in the insular cortex and in other cortical areas. Cortical type Lewy bodies were seen in the cingulate cortex. The Meynert nucleus showed marked neuronal loss and gliosis. The substantia nigra and the locus coeruleus showed moderate loss of pigmented neurons. Lewy bodies were seen in these regions. The dorsal motor nucleus of the vagal nerve was retained, however, one Lewy body was observed. Pathologic diagnosis was Alzheimer's disease plus Parkinson's disease. It is an interesting question whether or not her parkinsonism was due to nigral lesion or frontal lesions. It is known that parkinsonism may complicate in advanced Alzheimer's disease not necessarily due to nigral lesion. On the other hand, in incidental Lewy body disease, the substantia nigra shows mild Parkinson's disease-like change without clinical parkinsonism. This patient appeared to have been a true complication of Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.     

A 77-year-old man with gait and gaze disturbance]

We report a 77-year-old Japanese man with progressive gait disturbance. He was well until his 71 years of the age (1992), when he noted an onset of disturbance in his speech, which was followed by difficulty in using his left hand. He did not attempt to use his left hand afterwards. He started to fall down in the spring of 1994. He was admitted to our service on October 6, 1994. Neurologic examination revealed an alert and oriented man. He showed limb-kinetic apraxia in his left hand with anosognosia for his apraxia. Vertical gaze was impaired. He walked in small steps. He had moderate axial and limb rigidity. He had no weakness, ataxia, or tremor. Deep tendon reflexes were normal. Plantar response was flexor. Sensation was intact. His gait had progressively become worse and he was admitted to another hospital in April of 1996. At that time he was disoriented to time. He was only able to walk a few steps with support. He continued to show limb-kinetic apraxia in his left hand. He developed dementia and dysphagia and he expired on October 27, 1998. He was discussed in a neurological CPC, and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had corticobasal degeneration. Most of the participants agreed with this diagnosis, but a few of them thought that progressive supranuclear palsy would be more likely. Post-mortem examination revealed no gross cortical atrophy. The right hemisphere was kept frozen for future biochemical analysis. The left precentral gyrus showed spongy changes, neuronal loss and gliosis. The pallidum, putamen, and the subthalamic nucleus were unremarkable, however, neurofibrillary tangles were seen in the subthalamic nucleus. The substantia nigra showed only slight neuronal loss; neuronal pigments were well retained. A few neurofibrillary tangles were seen in the remaining neurons. The cerebellar dentate nucleus showed grumose degeneration. Gallyas-Braak staining revealed many tuft-shaped astrocytes in the precentral gyrus. Pathologic diagnosis was progressive supranuclear palsy. Some participants thought that this diagnosis was unacceptable, because the pathologic changes in the substantia nigra, globus pallidus, and the subthalamic nucleus, which were usually severely involved in PSP, did not show typical changes of PSP. In addition, the predominant clinical feature was limb-kinetic apraxia, although he showed vertical gaze paresis and parkinsonian gait, which could also be seen in corticobasal degeneration. There was a big discussion among participants with regard to the diagnosis.     

Language disturbance. An initial symptom of cortical degenerations and dementia

Six patients manifested progressive language disturbance, resembling aphasia secondary to a focal dominant hemisphere lesion, as either an isolated initial symptom or a prominent early feature of a more generalized dementing illness. None had a history of transient ischemic attacks or stroke, and in all cases an extensive clinical and laboratory investigation failed to show either a focal brain lesion or a definable etiology of dementia. This article discusses the relationship of isolated or early aphasia to known dementing syndromes. Patients who consult physicians for language disturbance should be evaluated and followed up both for evidence of progressive language deterioration and for the development of a generalized dementia.     

A 67-year-old man with progressive disturbance of gait]

We report a 67-year-old man with progressive disturbance of gait. He was well until the spring of 1993 (62 years of the age), when he noted an onset of unsteady gait. He also noted that he started to have a difficulty in playing tennis, in which he became unable to hit the ball with his racket. He also noted parkinsonian features such as bradykinesia and loss of hand dexterity. He was treated with levodopa, which did not improve his symptoms. His MRI revealed marked atrophy of the cerebellum and the pons. The criss-cross high signal lesion was seen in the center of the pons. The third ventricle was dilated. The putamen was unremarkable. His subsequent course was complicated by easy to fall, difficulty in swallowing with episodes of aspiration pneumonia. He also developed nocturnal apneustic episodes. He was admitted to our hospital on November 15, 1998, when he was 67 years of the age. He had low grade fever and low blood pressure (98/70). He was anemic but not icteric. Tumors were palpated in his jaw, anterior chest, and in the left arm. He was alert but unable to convey his desire because of dyspnea and tracheostomy. His gaze was slightly restricted in the horizontal direction and markedly so in the vertical direction. Motor functions were difficult to evaluate. His clinical course was complicated by atelectasis of the right lung and pleural effusion. He developed marked edema and oliguria. He developed sudden bradycardia and expired on December 26, 1998. He was discussed in a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had multiple system atrophy. Majority of the audience agreed with this diagnosis. Post-mortem examination revealed a lung cancer in the right lung (undifferentiated adenocarcinoma) with metastases to the liver, kidneys, lymph nodes, pericardium, pleura, skin, bone marrow, and the brain. Neuropathologic examination revealed marked atrophy of the pons and the cerebellum. The putamen showed brownish discoloration and atrophic changes. The substantia nigra showed marked neuronal loss and gliosis. Oligodendrocytic inclusion bodies (alpha-synuclein positive) were seen in the putamen, globus pallidus, substantia nigra, pontine nucleus, cerebellar white matter, internal capsule, cerebral peduncle, and the spinal cord. These findings are consistent with the pathologic diagnosis of multiple system atrophy. What was interesting to us was the presence of neurofibrillary tangles in the substantia nigra, nucleus ruber, globus pallidus, and subthalamic nucleus. Tuft-shaped astrocytes were also seen. This patient appears to be a rare example of combination of MSA and PSP.     

A case of carbon monoxide intoxication presenting subacute dementia as the initial symptom]

We reported a 67-year-old woman who had developed abnormal behavior and dementia from January 21, 2001 and deteriorated to akinetic mutism on February 15. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging showed high intensity in bilateral globus pallidus and a rapid spreading of diffuse high intensity in bilateral deep white matter. Later on, we got an important information that she had used a little coal stove three times about three weeks before presenting the initial symptom. She was diagnosed as carbon monoxide intoxication and treated with hyperbaric oxygen from March 1. A remarkable improvement on dementia and motor disability was observed. We conclude that this case is the first reported example of a case of intermittent carbon monoxide intoxication presenting subacute dementia as an initial symptom.     

A 59-year-old woman with personality change and abnormal behavior followed by amyotrophy and dementia]

We report a 59-year-old woman with generalized amyotrophy and dementia. She showed personality change at 53 years of age. When she was 56 years old, she began to show abnormal and violent behaviors. At age 58, she developed dysphagia and amyotrophy of upper limbs. She was admitted to a hospital for the treatment of aspiration pneumonia. She was severely demented and showed pseudobulbar palsy, amyotrophy of tongues, weakness of upper limbs, and pyramidal signs. She was still able to walk by herself. Dementia, pseudobulbar palsy, and amyotrophy progressed rapidly. At age 59, she became bed ridden and required tube feeding. She died by aspiration pneumonia at age 59. The patient was discussed at a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had ALS dementia. Other possibility discussed was Pick's disease with amyotrophy. Post-mortem examination revealed severe lower motor neuron degeneration. The upper motor neurons were unaffected. Neuronal loss was not observed in the cerebral cortex, but moderate gliosis was seen in the cerebral white matter. In addition, the substantia nigra was moderately degenerated. There were ubiquitin positive neuronal inclusions in the granular cells of the dentate gyrus. Also, Bunina bodies were seen in the neurons of spinal anterior horns. These findings were characteristic pathology for ALS with dementia.     

A case of motor neuron disease with dementia, presenting motor aphasia as an initial symptom]

We report a case of motor neuron disease (MND) with dementia, presenting motor aphasia as an initial symptom. A 67-year-old man was admitted to our hospital because of speech disturbance slowly progressing for 2 years. On physical examination, he showed no neurological abnormalities except for non-fluent aphasia and increased deep tendon reflexes without laterality. MRI demonstrated bilateral fronto-temporal atrophy, dominating the left hemisphere. This finding was confirmed by surface anatomy scanning (SAS), showing an obvious atrophy in the left inferior frontal gyrus, compared with the right one. SPECT with 123I-IMP revealed some irregular defects in the bilateral frontotemporal region. Because he showed dementia, bulbar palsy with tongue atrophy, weakness of upper extremities and facial muscles, snout reflex, and the atrophy and fasciculation in limbs in addition to motor aphasia soon after the discharge from our hospital, he was diagnosed as having MND with dementia. At age 68, he died of a respiratory failure 3 years after the onset of the disease. MND with dementia seldom shows motor aphasia as an initial symptom. We must include, however, the MND with dementia as an differential diagnosis when we see the patients with progressive aphasia.     

A 54-year-old man with familial parkinsonism, gaze palsy, and dementia]

We report a Japanese man with familial parkinsonism who died at age 54. His younger brother, his mother, the mother's 4 brothers, and their mother were also affected with similar parkinsonism. The patient had had nystagmus since adolescence. He noticed difficulty in walking and micrographia at age 42. Neurological examination at age 45 in our hospital revealed pendular nystagmus, moderate rigidity in his neck and upper limbs, postural tremor in hands and shuffling gait. He received L-dopa/benzerazide 200 mg and his movement was mildly improved. Then he developed forced closing of eyelids suggesting either blepharospasms or apraxia of eye lid opening. He became apathetic at age 48. He was admitted to our hospital at age 49. On admission, he showed mild dementia and sexually disinhibited behaviours. Moderate downward gaze palsy and rigidity were seen. Increase of L-dopa/benzerazide and pergolide did not improve his parkinsonism and his disinhibited behaviors became worse. L-dopa/benzerazide and pergolide were decreased and he received electroconvulsive therapy at a psychiatric hospital with temporally improvement in his movement. He became unable to walk at age 52 and he was mutic and bedridden. He died of pneumonia at age 54. The patient was discussed in a neurological CPC, and a chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had a familial form of dementia with Lewy bodies. Many participants thought that he had frontotemporal dementia and parkinsonism linked to chromosome 17. The pathological examination of his brain showed severe neuronal loss in the substantia nigra, subthalamus, and pallidum. Ballooned neurons were observed in the cerebral cortex. Immunohistochemistry using anti-tau antibodies revealed tau-positive neurons, glial cells and threads in the cerebral cortex, white matter and subcortical nuclei; these tau deposition reacted with an anti-4-repeat tau antibody, but not reacted to an anti-3-repeat tau antibody. Sequencing of genomic DNA of the patient showed a missense mutation in exon 10 of tau that caused a substitution at codon N279K. These neuropathological and molecular studies revealed the diagnosis of the patient was FTDP-17 with N279K mutation.     

An 81-year-old man with personality change, dementia, and gait disturbance with diffuse leukoaraiosis of the cerebral white matter]

We report an 81-year-old patient with progressive dementia, disinhibition, and gait disturbance. He showed visuospacial disorientation, apathy, and gait disturbance at 76 years of age. When he was 77 years old, he was diagnosed Parkinson's disease and treated with the 1-dopa, the dopamine agonist, the amantadin, and the anti-cholinergic drug. These treatments didn't improve his motor disturbances. His motor disturbances, apathy, and abnormal behavior progressed gradually. He was admitted to the hospital at the age of 77. He was severely demented and akinetic. Sometime, violent behavior and hallucination were seen. The brain MRI showed frontotemporal lobe atrophy and severe leukoaraiosis of the frontal white matter. At 79 years of age, he became mute and bedridden. When he was 80 years old, large infarction occurred in his occipital lobe. He died due to renal failure and respiratory suppression at 81 years of age. His brain was examined pathologically. At the neurological CPC, the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that his diagnosis was Binswanger's disease. Other possibilities discussed were FTD, CBD, and progressive subcortical gliosis. The post-mortem examination revealed diffuse white matter degeneration due to atherosclerotic change of the small artery, many lacunar infarctions, and severe infarction of the occipital lobe. These findings led the diagnosis of Binswanger's disease and cerebral infarction.     

A case of craniopharyngioma with chemical meningitis as an initial symptom]

We reported a rare case of craniopharyngioma with chemical meningitis due to spontaneous rupture of the tumor. A 50-year-old woman was admitted with high fever, headache, and nausea. On physical examination, she had nuchal rigidity. The examination of her cerebral spinal fluid(CSF) revealed pleocytosis(mononuclear cell dominant), low value of glucose level and high content of protein. The feature of her CSF findings suggested tuberculosis or fungal meningitis, but bacteriologic culture of the CSF was negative. The CT scan showed an isodensity mass in the suprasellar region and a spotty calcification in the third ventricle. The MRI with gadolinium enhancement suggested that the tumor must be craniopharyngioma and that meningitis was a type of chemical meningitis due to spontaneous rupture of craniopharyngioma. The corticosteroid therapy was rather effective to the symptoms of fever and headache. Then the operation was performed by neurosurgeons, and the diagnosis of craniopharyngioma was pathologically confirmed. Spontaneous rupture of craniopharyngioma rarely occurred and was followed by chemical meningitis. This case was an extremely rare condition that presented with chemical meningitis as an initial symptom.     

行走不稳 四肢麻木疼痛

病历摘要患者男性,52岁。主因行走不稳约15 d,2012年8月30日入院。患者入院前约15 d无明显诱因出现行走不稳、易跌倒,但尚可感觉地面平实,曾出现穿鞋上床,伴双侧掌心刺痛及小腿中下段麻木感,无头痛、头晕、复视、饮水呛咳、吞咽困难等症状。病情呈进行性加重,逐渐进展为不能独立行走、站立,吃饭时不能准确地将勺子送入口中,言语含糊,反应稍迟钝,短时记忆减退。自发病以来精神、食欲欠佳,大小便如常,近2年来体质量下降约10 kg。     

A 96-year-old man with consciousness disturbance, convulsion, and left hemiplegia of acute onset]

We report a 96-year-old Japanese man who developed a sudden onset of left hemiplegia and coma. He was found to have diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and atrial fibrillation since 1996 with occasional episodes of congestive heart failure. He was otherwise apparently well until July 5 of 1997 when he developed a sudden onset of unresponsiveness and convulsion involving his right hand and was admitted to our hospital. On admission, his BP was 210/120 mmHg, heart rate 76/min and irregular, BT 36.5 degrees C, and Cheyne-Stokes respiration. General medical examination was otherwise unremarkable. Neurologic examination revealed semicoma, conjugated deviation to the right, loss of oculocephalic response, left facial paresis of central type, flaccid left hemiplegia, and bilateral Babinski sign. Pertinent laboratory findings are as follows: BUN 47 mg/dl, creatinine 1.46 mg/dl, GPT 69 IU/l, LDH 1,142 IU/l, and CK 385 IU/l. A chest x-ray film revealed cardiac enlargement and EKG showed left ventricular hypertrophy and atrial fibrillation. Cranial CT scan revealed low density areas involving the right anterior cerebral and the right posterior cerebral artery territories. He was treated with an intravenous osmotic agent and short course of intramuscular steroid. He remained unconscious despite these treatment and developed sudden cardiopulmonary arrest three weeks after the admission. The patient was discussed in a neurological CPC and the chief discussant arrived at the conclusion that the patient had suffered from cerebral embolism of cardiac origin. The cause of the death was ascribed to acute subendocardial myocardial infarction. Most of the participants agreed with this conclusion. Postmortem examination revealed an old subendocardial myocardial infarction involving the posterior septal region and posterolateral wall of the left ventricle. Neuropathologic examination revealed hemorrhagic infarctions involving the territories of the right anterior cerebral, right middle cerebral, right posterior cerebral, and left anterior cerebral arteries. The left A1 portion of the anterior cerebral artery was hypoplastic, and the left pericallosal artery appeared to have been receiving blood supply from the right anterior cerebral artery through the anterior communicating artery. The large arteries in the base showed marked arteriosclerosis; particularly, the initial portion of the right posterior artery showed near complete arteriosclerotic occlusions. These characteristic arterial changes appeared to be the reason why this patient suffered from an extensive infarction from what appeared to have been a single episode of cerebral embolism probably initially involving the right internal carotid artery.     

A case of Miller Fisher syndrome with pharyngeal palsy as an initial symptom]

We report herein a rare case of Miller Fisher syndrome with pharyngeal palsy as an initial symptom. A 68-year-old man admitted to our hospital with pharyngeal palsy two weeks after a respiratory infection. He subsequently developed ataxic gait, paresthesia in the upper limbs and ophthalmoplegia. Double-filtrated-plasmapheresis had been performed four times and all the symptoms subsided within two months. In the acute phase of the disease, the titers of anti-GQ1b and GT1a antibodies were elevated. The titer of anti-GT1a antibody was higher than that of anti-GQ1b antibody. Recently, the activity of serum anti-GT1a antibody has been supposed to be associated with pharyngeal palsy. In the present case, higher titer of anti-GT1a antibody compared with that of anti-GQ1b antibody could possibly cause pharyngeal palsy as an initial symptom of Miller Fisher syndrome.