Postherpetic Pseudohernia: Lesion Localization using Thoracic Spine Magnetic Resonance Imaging

No abstract available.

Two Cases of Radiologically Isolated Syndrome: First Case Report in Korea

With increasing sensitivity, availability, and use of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the past three decades, there is also an increase in incidental abnormal findings. The most common findings of these incidental abnormalities are white matter lesions that are interpreted as demyelinating based on radiological criteria. MRI findings suggestive of multiple sclerosis (MS) in patients without typical MS symptoms and with normal neurologic findings are now defined as a radiologically isolated syndrome (RIS) which reported relatively low incidence, especially hard to find case report in Korea. The natural history and pathophysiologic processes of RIS remain largely unknown. The nature, prevalence, and long-term prognosis of RIS, as well as the role of disease-modifying therapy should be established in the future.

Japanese Encephalitis Presenting with Unilateral Medial Temporal Lobe Lesion

No abstract available.

Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Predicts Poststroke Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Patients without Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Heart Disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES@#It is controversial that decreased left ventricular function could predict poststroke outcomes. The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can predict cardiovascular events and mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) without atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary heart disease (CHD).@*METHODS@#Transthoracic echocardiography was conducted consecutively in patients with AIS or transient ischemic attack at Soonchunhyang University Hospital between January 2008 and July 2016. The clinical data and echocardiographic LVEF of 1,465 patients were reviewed after excluding AF and CHD. Poststroke disability, major adverse cardiac events (MACE; nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death) and all-cause mortality during 1 year after index stroke were prospectively captured. Cox proportional hazards regressions analysis were applied adjusting traditional risk factors and potential determinants.@*RESULTS@#The mean follow-up time was 259.9±148.8 days with a total of 29 non-fatal strokes, 3 myocardial infarctions, 33 cardiovascular deaths, and 53 all-cause mortality. The cumulative incidence of MACE and all-cause mortality were significantly higher in the lowest LVEF ( < 55) group compared with the others (p=0.022 and 0.009). In prediction models, LVEF (per 10%) had hazards ratios of 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–0.80, p=0.002) for MACE and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.39–0.97, p=0.037) for all-cause mortality.@*CONCLUSIONS@#LVEF could be an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality after AIS in the absence of AF and CHD.

Left Ventricular Ejection Fraction Predicts Poststroke Cardiovascular Events and Mortality in Patients without Atrial Fibrillation and Coronary Heart Disease

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: It is controversial that decreased left ventricular function could predict poststroke outcomes. The purpose of this study is to elucidate whether left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) can predict cardiovascular events and mortality in acute ischemic stroke (AIS) without atrial fibrillation (AF) and coronary heart disease (CHD). METHODS: Transthoracic echocardiography was conducted consecutively in patients with AIS or transient ischemic attack at Soonchunhyang University Hospital between January 2008 and July 2016. The clinical data and echocardiographic LVEF of 1,465 patients were reviewed after excluding AF and CHD. Poststroke disability, major adverse cardiac events (MACE; nonfatal stroke, nonfatal myocardial infarction, and cardiovascular death) and all-cause mortality during 1 year after index stroke were prospectively captured. Cox proportional hazards regressions analysis were applied adjusting traditional risk factors and potential determinants. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 259.9±148.8 days with a total of 29 non-fatal strokes, 3 myocardial infarctions, 33 cardiovascular deaths, and 53 all-cause mortality. The cumulative incidence of MACE and all-cause mortality were significantly higher in the lowest LVEF ( < 55) group compared with the others (p=0.022 and 0.009). In prediction models, LVEF (per 10%) had hazards ratios of 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.36–0.80, p=0.002) for MACE and 0.61 (95% CI, 0.39–0.97, p=0.037) for all-cause mortality. CONCLUSIONS: LVEF could be an independent predictor of cardiovascular events and mortality after AIS in the absence of AF and CHD.

Hyponatremia during Acyclovir Treatment of Bell's Palsy

A 61-year-old woman with chronic kidney disease presented with general weakness and a confused mentality. Two days before admission she had been diagnosed as Bell's palsy at an outpatient clinic, and started to take oral prednisolone and acyclovir. A blood test at admission revealed hyponatremia (128 mmol/L). After withdrawing acyclovir, her plasma sodium levels began to increase, returning to normal 2 weeks later. This case could provide further evidence for a causal relationship between acyclovir and hyponatremia.

The Association between Motor Laterality and Cognitive Impairment in Parkinson's Disease

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The relationship between the side of motor symptoms and cognitive impairment has rarely been reported in Parkinson’s disease (PD). We aimed to estimate the influence of motor laterality on cognition in PD patients. METHODS: We enrolled 67 patients with PD, and they were divided into two groups according to side of symptom onset or predominant motor symptom presentation (right and left). Right-sided PD (RPD, 40) and left-sided PD (LPD, 27) patients underwent a neuropsychological battery exploring memory, attention/working memory, frontal/executive, visuospatial, and language functions. Student's t-test and Chi-square test have been carried out to compare the clinical and neuropsychological data between two groups. RESULTS: There were no significant differences in any neuropsychological test between the RPD and LPD groups, except for digit forward span test. RPD patients scored lower on the digit forward span test than LPD patients (5.43±9.49 vs. 6.15±1.38, p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: RPD patients seem to experience more difficulties in attention and working memory than did LPD patients. The laterality of motor symptoms is not a major determinant for cognitive impairment in PD patients but, we should consider differences of cognitive deficits depending on the side of motor symptoms to treat patients with PD.

Numbers of Stroke Patients and Stroke Subtypes According to Highest and Lowest Daily Temperatures in Seoul

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: There is conflicting evidence for whether or not the incidence of stroke is influenced by the daily temperature. The association between daily temperature and incidence of stroke is largely unknown in Korea. This study attempted to evaluate whether the maximum or minimum daily temperature is associated with increased numbers of strokes and stroke subtypes among Seoul residents. METHODS: We obtained the maximum and minimum daily temperatures in Seoul from the Korean Meteorological Administration between January 2005 and December 2014. Consecutive patients with acute stroke were registered who visited the emergency room or outpatient clinic in Soonchunhyang University Hospital, Seoul. The residential addresses of cases were restricted to within a 2-kilometer radius of this hospital. The stroke events were prospectively recorded with onset time, and were classified by subtypes. The categories of daily temperature were divided by 10℃ from the mean temperature. The mean daily number of strokes was calculated during the study period. One-way analysis of variance and Duncan's post-hoc test were applied to compare the number of strokes among the temperature groups. RESULTS: In total, 2,313 acute strokes were identified during the period: 1,643 ischemic strokes and 670 hemorrhagic strokes. The number of cases was significantly higher when the maximum daily temperature was >32℃ or ≤3℃ (p=0.048) or the minimum daily temperature was ≤-11.0℃ (p=0.020). The lowest maximum daily temperature was associated with increased instances of intracerebral hemorrhage (p=0.029) and small-vessel occlusion (p=0.013), while the highest maximum daily temperature was associated with an increased instance of large-artery atherosclerosis (p=0.045). CONCLUSIONS: The daily temperature had measurable and different associations with the number of strokes and strokes subtypes in Seoul, Korea.

Hashimoto's Encephalopathy with Positive 14-3-3 Protein in the Cerebrospinal Fluid and Atypical Course Mimicking Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease

BACKGROUND: Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) shares common clinical features with Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE). The 14-3-3 protein is a relatively sensitive and specific marker of CJD but is not commonly detected in HE. We report the case of a patient with HE with unusual features including positive 14-3-3 protein in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and an atypical course mimicking that of CJD. CASE REPORT: A 64-year-old male was admitted due to acute-onset cognitive dysfunction. HE was suspected based on increased titers of anti-thyroid microsomal antibody and an excellent response to steroid. However, 14-3-3 protein was detected in the CSF and a recurrent attack with progressive cognitive decline, pyramidal symptoms and myoclonus mimicking CJD occurred. Cognitive dysfunction showed progressive worsening and the response to steroid treatment was decreased. CONCLUSIONS: 14-3-3 protein could be considered a general marker of neuronal destruction and not specific to CJD. The clinical manifestations of HE are variable and its diagnosis is difficult due to the lack of a specific phenotype and reliable diagnostic criteria. We recommend that patients with clinical features of CJD and antithyroid antibodies should be considered for empirical steroid treatment for HE, despite a positive result for 14-3-3 protein.

Association between Left Atrial Enlargement on Echocardiography and In-hospital Detection of Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Acute Ischemic Stroke

OBJECTIVE: Longstanding hypertension lead to left ventricular diastolic dysfunction with a development of a left atrial enlargement (LAE) which may result in vulnerability to atrial fibrillation (AF). Paroxysmal AF is usually unrevealed in the acute period of ischemic stroke, but is crucial for anticoagulation to prevent recurrent stroke. This study was aimed to investigate the frequency of LAE and the predictors of paroxysmal AF during the hospitalization of acute ischemic stroke. METHODS: A total 1,643 consecutive patients with acute ischemic stroke were registered in between January 2005 and December 2014. The subjects who had AF before index stroke or at admission were excluded. The clinical and echocardiographic findings of all patients were reviewed. Paroxysmal AF were detected on electrocardiography of Holter monitoring during hospitalization. LAE were defined as LA diameter larger than 44 mm in echocardiography. We compared the frequency of LAE between the patients with or without AF. Logistic regression analysis were performed to determine the echocardiographic parameters for prediction of paroxysmal AF. RESULTS: The mean age was 67.3 and the male was 55.6%. AF were detected in 123 (11.4%) of LAE(-) group but were detected in 102 (49.0%) in LAE(+) group. In logistic regression analysis, LAE significantly predicted for newly detected AF during hospitalization after adjusting covariates (odds ratio, 5.698; 95% confidence interval, 3.799-8.546; P<0.001). CONCLUSION: LAE was an independent predictor for AF during hospitalization in patients with acute ischemic stroke. Prolonged electrocardiography monitoring should be meticulously indicated for acute ischemic stroke with LAE to detect paroxysmal AF.

Prevalence and Risk Factors of Dementia and MCI in Community-dwelling Elderly Koreans

BACKGROUND: We investigated the prevalence of dementia and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and their risk factors in an urban community-dwelling elderly people over 65 years old. METHODS: A two-phase investigation was performed from January 2010 to December 2011. In Phase I, all subjects (n=9,485) responded to the Korean version of the Mini-Mental State Examination (K-MMSE). Based on the K-MMSE score the subjects were classified into two groups ('Normal' and 'Cognitive decline'). In Phase II, cognitive decline subjects were diagnosed as dementia or MCI according to the neuropsychological tests and doctor's interview. We also surveyed the socioeconomic and medical factors in Normal, Dementia and MCI groups. And we compared and analyzed the socioeconomic and medical risk factors by multiple logistic regressions in Dementia and MCI group. RESULTS: The prevalence of dementia and MCI was obtained 5.4% and 4.3%, respectively. Old age, alcohol intake, living together, low economic status, jobless in the past, diabetes mellitus, previous stroke, lower BMI and family history of dementia were associated with the increased dementia risk. Higher education, hypertension and physical activity were associated with the decreased dementia risk. And old age, alcohol intake, higher education, previous stroke, lower BMI and physical activity were common risk factors in MCI group. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of dementia and MCI was obtained much lower than previous reports. Dementia and MCI patients had common socioeconomic and medical risk factors. It is also important to control the risk factors earlier to prevent the increase of patients in dementia. And in order to prove the hypothesis that early control of the risk factors can decrease the occurrence of dementia, the further prospective studies are needed.

Acute Ischemic Stroke in Moyamoya Disease Associated With Thyrotoxic Crisis

There are several documented cases of coexistence of Graves' disease and Moyamoya disease, but an association between thyrotoxicosis and Moyamoya disease is largely unknown. A 32-year-old woman presented with impaired consciousness and left hemiparesis. Brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed acute infarction in the territory of the bilateral anterior cerebral arteries and occlusion of both internal carotid arteries. Antithyroid medication improved the patient's consciousness. Thyrotoxicosis could be a cause of acute infarction in patients with Moyamoya disease.

Clinical Manifestations in Paroxysmal Kinesigenic Dyskinesia Patients with Proline-Rich Transmembrane Protein 2 Gene Mutation

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Given the diverse phenotypes including combined non-dyskinetic symptoms in patients harboring mutations of the gene encoding proline-rich transmembrane protein 2 (PRRT2), the clinical significance of these mutations in paroxysmal kinesigenic dyskinesia (PKD) is questionable. In this study, we investigated the clinical characteristics of PKD patients with PRRT2 mutations. METHODS: Familial and sporadic PKD patients were enrolled and PRRT2 gene sequencing was performed. Demographic and clinical data were compared between PKD patients with and without a PRRT2 mutation. RESULTS: Among the enrolled PKD patients (8 patients from 5 PKD families and 19 sporadic patients), PRRT2 mutations were detected in 3 PKD families (60%) and 2 sporadic cases (10.5%). All familial patients with a PRRT2 gene mutation had the c.649dupC mutation, which is the most commonly reported mutation. Two uncommon mutations (c.649delC and c.629dupC) were detected only in the sporadic cases. PKD patients with PRRT2 mutation were younger at symptom onset and had more non-dyskinetic symptoms than those without PRRT2 mutation. However, the characteristics of dyskinetic movement did not differ between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first study of PRRT2 mutations in Korea. The presence of a PRRT2 mutation was more strongly related to familial PKD, and was clinically related with earlier age of onset and common non-dyskinetic symptoms in PKD patients.

Fahr's Disease Presenting With Orofacial Dyskinesia

No abstract available.

Multiple Territory Ischemic Stroke Aggravated by Severe Anemia

While acute anemia is regarded as a precipitating factor of ischemic stroke, there have been few reports on the evolution of infarction in the acute period of ischemic stroke by anemia. We describe a 71-year-old man with acute multiple territory infarction who had progressive neurologic deficits of paraparesis and dysarthria. This case suggests that sustained severe anemia due to intractable intestinal bleeding is an important cause of aggravation of ischemic stroke.

Hypertensive Brainstem Encephalopathy with Atypical Supratentorial Involvement / 대한뇌졸중학회지

Hypertensive brainstem encephalopathy (HBE) is a variant of hypertensive encephalopathy characterized by brainstem and cerebellar involvement. Simultaneous supratentorial involvement in HBE is rarely reported as a vasogenic edema in subcortex and/or periventricular white matter. A 36-year-old woman visited hospital due to headache lasting 7 days before admission. Initial blood pressure was 270/170mmHg. T2-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery magnetic resonance imaging revealed multifocal high signal intensity lesions in upper medulla, pons, midbrain and cerebellar hemisphere. Especially, atypical periventricular lesions were shown as perpendicular fingers to the lateral ventricle like multiple sclerosis. Her clinical symptoms and radiological lesions were subsided with lowering blood pressure. We herein report a HBE with unusual supratentorial involvement mimicking multiple sclerosis.

Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus as the First Manifestation of Hashimoto's Encephalopathy

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is an uncommon syndrome accompanied by Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It is an immune-mediated disorder characterized by subacute onset of confusion, altered consciousness, seizures and myoclonus. However, the diagnosis is often difficult because clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and nonspecific. Several reports of Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with focal or generalized seizures are described, but only few have focused on status epilepticus as the first clinical manifestation. We report a 60-year-old female patient who developed decreased consciousness with nonconvulsive status epilepticus due to Hashimoto's encephalopathy and was successfully treated with high doses of intravenous steroid.

Nonconvulsive Status Epilepticus as the First Manifestation of Hashimoto's Encephalopathy / 대한간질학회지

Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE) is an uncommon syndrome accompanied by Hashimoto's thyroiditis. It is an immune-mediated disorder characterized by subacute onset of confusion, altered consciousness, seizures and myoclonus. However, the diagnosis is often difficult because clinical manifestations are heterogeneous and nonspecific. Several reports of Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with focal or generalized seizures are described, but only few have focused on status epilepticus as the first clinical manifestation. We report a 60-year-old female patient who developed decreased consciousness with nonconvulsive status epilepticus due to Hashimoto's encephalopathy and was successfully treated with high doses of intravenous steroid.

The Characteristics of Capgras Syndrome in Patients Diagnosed as Probable Alzheimer Disease

OBJECTIVE: We assessed the characteristics of Capgras syndrome in patients diagnosed as probable Alzheimer disease, and compared the clinical and imaging findings with other previous reports. METHODS: We obtained medical records of patients with Capgras syndrome diagnosed as probable Alzheimer disease in three hospitals from March 2009 to March 2010. The basic characteristics, neuropsychologic tests, brain imaging data were investigated. RESULTS: The mean age of the patients was 74.7 years old and all of the patients experienced this syndrome in relation to a spouse. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed mild-to-moderate global atrophy, variable hippocampal atrophy in this study. The Mini-Mental State Examination mean scores were 18.78 and clinical dementia rating scores were from 1 to 2. All of the patients took medicine of acetycholine esterase inhibitors and two patients recovered with antipsychotic medication. Five patients had showed continuous Capgras syndrome, at the last follow-up day, for a year. CONCLUSION: Capgras syndrome patients in this study who were diagnosed as probable Alzheimer disease showed similar results to the individuals from other reports. More study is needed to estimate the numbers and characteristics of patients with this syndrome.

Gender Differences in the Functional Recovery after Acute Stroke

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: PurposezzInterest in gender differences in the effects of acute stroke is growing worldwide. However, gender differences in functional recovery after acute stroke in the Korean population have yet to be evaluated. The aim of this investigation was to compare long-term functional outcomes between male and female after acute stroke. METHODS: Patients with acute stroke were enrolled prospectively between January 2005 and January 2009. Baseline characteristics, risk factors, stroke subtypes, time delay from onset to arrival at a hospital, active treatment, and stroke severity were compared between male and female. Differences in mortality and disability at discharge, and at 3 months and 1 year after stroke onset were also investigated. Functional disabilities were categorized into two groups: good outcome (score on modified Rankin scale 2). RESULTS: Among 1,055 patients with acute stroke, 575 were male (aged 64.83+/-11.98 years, mean+/-SD) and 480 were female (aged 70.09+/-13.02 years). There were no gender differences in mortality at 3 months and 1 year after stroke. The frequency of poor outcomes was higher in female patients than in male patients at discharge (39.8% versus 30.9%, respectively; p=0.003), the 3 months follow-up (32.3% versus 20.8%, respectively; p<0.001), and the 1 year follow-up (31.1% versus 18.7%, respectively; p=0.001). After adjusting for multiple confounding factors including age and stroke severity, the female gender persisted as a predictor of poor functional outcome at 3 months and 1 year after stroke. CONCLUSIONS: Female patients have greater difficulty than male patients in recovering from a disabled state after acute stroke. Future studies should investigate the causes of this gender difference.