ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the imaging diagnosis of chorea associated with nonketotic hyperglycemia by describing its CT and MR findings and correlating those findings with the clinical manifestations. Methods The imaging findings and clinical data from 6 patients with chorea associated with nonketotic hyperglycemia were retrospectively analyzed. All 6 patients had unenhanced CT scans, 1 also had MR imaging examination. Three of 6 patients had follow-up CT scans and 1 of 3 patients had follow-up MRimaging studies. Results CT studies of all 6 patients showed unilateral or bilateral hyperdense striatum.The putamen was involved in all 6 patients, the caudate nucleus or lateral portion of the globus pallidus were involved in 5 of all 6 patients. All 3 follow-up CT studies depicted a decreased or resolved hyperdensity of the abnormal striatum. T1-weighted MR images in 1 patient showed the hyperintense lesions of bilateral lentiform nuclei, T2-weighted MR images of the patient showed the hypointense lesions of the corresponding lentiform nuclei, and its follow-up MR images depicted invariable signal intensity of T1-weighted and T2-weighted images. In all patients, the chorea resolved within 2 to 6 days after treatment of the hyperglycemia. Conclusion The characteristic imaging findings of chorea associated with nonketotic hyperglycemia can suggest an accurate diagnosis.