Clinical Reasoning: A 21-year-old Man Presenting with Thunderclap Headache

No abstract available.

Dynamic Foot Pressure Measurement in Parkinson's Disease with Foot Scan System

BACKGROUND: Foot Scan System (RS scan international cooperation) measuring the plantar pressure distribution is simple and inexpensive tool for gait analysis. The analysis of plantar pressure distribution of the feet during gait maybe helps the assessment of motor symptoms or gait stability of Idiopathic Parkinson's disease (IPD). METHODS: We compared the parameters of foot scan system between 34 normal controls and 23 IPD patients before and after levodopa administration. Data of plantar force distribution and time of stance phase were collected using pressure-sensitive insoles as parts of the Foot Scan System. RESULTS:There were significant difference between normal controls and IPD patients in fore foot peak pressure/rear foot peak pressure ratio, time percentage of heel strike phase, mid stance phase, propulsion phase in stance phase. But in these parameters there were no significant difference between IPD patients before dopamine with after dopamine medication. CONCLUSIONS: Using the Foot Scan System (RS scan international cooperation) measuring the plantar pressure distribution, we showed that F/R ratio and time percentage of propulsion phase are reduced significantly in patients with IPD, which enables us to understand the features of gait in IPD patients more easily.

Cerebrovascular Complication in Tuberculous Meningitis

BACKGROUND: Cerebral infarction as a complication of tuberculous meningitis (TBM) is not uncommon, but has been rarely reported. The purposes of this study were to evaluate the clinical characteristics of cerebral infarction secondary to TBM and investigate the predictive values for cerebral infarction in patients with TBM. METHODS: We prospectively collected patients with TBM for 24 months. Patients were divided into two groups, either patients with stroke or without stroke. We compared the demographic features, clinical, laboratory, and neuroradiologic findings between the two groups. We classified the stroke subtype with neuroimaging findings. RESULTS: The 26 patients were diagnosed as TBM, and 6 patients had complications with cerebral infarction. The neutrophil percentage in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leukocyte were significantly higher in patients with stroke than in patients without stroke (p=0.0098). On initial CT scan, meningeal enhancement was found in 9 patients, and 4 of them complicated with stroke. However, there were no significant differences in the other clinical and laboratory features such as demographic features, interval between meningitis onset time and treatment initiation time, peripheral white blood cell count, and CSF findings. In six patients with stroke, lacunar infarctions and non-lacunar territorial infarctions were found in 3 patients, respectively. In territorial non-lacunar infarction patients, one patient died due to herniation. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that the possibility of cerebral infarction under the treatment of TBM should be considered, when the patient shows focal neurologic signs, meningeal enhancement on the CT scan and sustained polymorphic CSF pleocytosis.

A Case of Behcet's Disease Presenting with Transient Global Amnesia and Perimesencephalic Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

A 55-year-old man was admitted due to transient global amnesia. A similar episode recurred. He also presented with uveitis and oral ulcers. Brain MRI showed lesions in the brainstem and medial thalamus. One year later he was readmit-ted due to subarachnoid hemorrhage. Cerebral angiography revealed normal. The last two episodes were treated with a high dose of prednisolone and resolved completely. Vasculitis related to neuro-Behcet's disease is presumed to play a role in the development of transient global amnesia and subarachnoid hemorrhage. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):396~399, 2001)

A Case of Painful Legs and Moving ToesSyndrome Responsive to Gabapentin

The syndrome of painful legs and moving toes (PLMT) is a rare movement disorder characterized by severe burning pain in legs associated with peculiar involuntary movements of toes and is difficult to treat. A 70-year-old woman presented with severe lancinating pain in the area below both knees and involuntary movements of both toes for 18 months. The pain in her legs was not relieved by motion. The involuntary movements comprised flexion, extension, adduction, and abduction of toes with occasional rotatory movements of both feet continuing while awake. She had a history of laminectomy of the lower lumbar spine about 15 years ago. Electromyography findings were consistent with chronic lumbosacral polyradiculopathy. Benzodiazepines, carbamazepine, baclofen, and anti-depressants were not effective in reducing her symptoms. However, gabapentin relieved the sensory and motor symptoms significantly. This is the first case of PLMT syndrome reported in Korea which showed a dramatic response to gabapentin.

A Case of Diffuse Leukoencephalopathy Following Low Dose Intravenous Methotrexate Therapy

Diffuse leukoencephalopathy is a well-known complication of methotrexate in intrathecal or high dose intravenous administration, especially when it is combined with cranial radiation therapy. However, low dose intravenous methotrexate induced leukoencephalopathy has not been reported previously. A 46-year-old female was administered intravenous methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil with oral cyclophosphamide after a modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer. After six cycles of chemotherapy, she developed rapidly progressing dementia and upper motor neuron signs. Brain MRI showed bilaterally symmetric white matter lesion without gadolinium enhancement. Laboratory investiga-tion showed no evidence of brain metastasis. This case suggests that low dose intravenous methotrexate can induce dif-fuse leukoencephalopathy.

Ictal Features Differentiating Mesial from Neocortical Temporal Lobe Epilepsies

BACKGROUND: The differentiation of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) from neocortical temporal lobe epilepsy (NTLE) is important in surgical planning of temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We tried to find clinical semiology separating one from the other. METHODS: We reviewed 136 seizures of 28 patients who had epilepsy surgery and good clinical outcome (Engel class I or II). We compared the following clinical features between MTLE and NTLE; the history of febrile convulsion, staring, automatism, head version, contralateral dystonic (CLD) and tonic (CLT) posturing, secondarily generalized tonic-clonic seizure (SGTC) frequency, the duration of partial seizures (excluding SGTC part) and time to SGTC and the type of aura (abdominl aura, vertiginous aura, visual aura, gustatory aura, and psychic aura etc.). RESULTS: Eighteen men and ten women were included. Mean age was 29.1+ 8.8 years (11-45). Abdominal aura (p = 0.04), oroalimentary (p < 0.01) and gestural automatism (p < 0.01), CLD (p < 0.01), and CLT posturing (p < 0.01) were seen significantly more often in MTLE and the duration of partial seizure (excluding SGTC) (p < 0.01) was longer in MTLE than NTLE. In NTLE, head version (p < 0.01) and SGTC (p < 0.01) occurred more frequently and the evolution time to SGTC (p = 0.04) was shorter. Duration of automatism and staring and occurrence of unilateral blinking were not different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Abdominal aura, oroalimentary and gestural automatism, CLD and CLT posturing, longer partial seizure duration were more suggesting MTLE, while rapid generalization, frequent SGTC and head version were seen more often in NTLE.

A Short form of the Samsung Dementia Questionnaire ( S-SDQ ): development and cross-validation

BACKGROUND: The Samsung Dementia Questionnaire (SDQ) has recently been developed for screening dementia. Objectives of this study are to develop a short form of SDQ (S-SDQ) and to cross-validate S-SDQ in a new sample. METHODS: Factorial analysis of SDQ items was used to develop the S-SDQ. The S-SDQ was administered to informants of 100 dementia patients (61 Alzheimer's disease, 39 vascular dementia) and to those of 100 hospital control subjects. Two groups were matched in terms of age and sex. The retest of S-SDQ was conducted in 75 informants to determine the reliability of tests and retests which were spanned average 23.9 days. RESULTS: The S-SDQ was not influenced by education, age or sex. S-SDQ scores negatively correlated with the K-MMSE (r=-0.84). The S-SDQ showed stepwise scaling with dementia severity. The area under the ROC curve for the S-SDQ was 0.974 (S.E.=0.084). With respect to a diagnosis of dementia, the SDQ (cut-off point 8) had a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 90%. The S-SDQ was found to have a high test-retest reliability (r=0.97). CONCLUSIONS: An abbreviated version of SDQ (S-SDQ) had high sensitivity, specificity and test-retest reliability which were comparable to those of original SDQ. Thus, the S-SDQ can be a useful, brief dementia screening questionnaire.

Epileptogenic Zones in Intractable Epilepsy Patients with Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor

BACKGROUNDS: A dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNT) is an important cause of the intractable epilepsy. The prognosis after epileptic surgery was excellent when the epileptogenic zones were completely excised. But, the exact epileptogenic zones in epilepsy patients with DNT are not well known. The purpose of this study was to investigate where the epileptogenic zones were in epilepsy patients with DNT. That results might be helpful in having good results of epileptic surgery of DNT. METHODS: Six patients with medically determined intractable epilepsy due to DNT were studied retrospectively. They had undergone epileptic surgery after video-EEG monitoring not only with scalp electrodes but also with invasive subdural electrodes. DNTs were located in the temporal lobe and pathologically proven in all patients. We analyzed distributions of ictal onset zones and irritative zones with non-invasive and invasive Video-EEG monitoring. Also, we reviewed the clinical features, neuroimaging features, neuropsychological tests, Wada tests and pathological findings. The operative strategy included complete resection of DNT, ictal onset and irritative zones in all patients. In two patients, modified operative strategy including amygdalohippocampectomy was done due to mesial involvement. A modified Engel's classification was used to determine surgical outcomes. RESULTS: The irritative zones (included only more than 10% of total interictal discharges during the monitoring) showed various patterns from multifocal to unobserved. Ictal onset zones were multiple in 5 patients (dual: 3 patients, triple: 2 patients). In 1 patient, contralateral hemispheric mirror focus was observed. Mesial temporal involvement was seen in 2 patients from EEG and in 1 patient from pathology. There were discrepancies between ictal onset zones and irritative zones in 4 patients. The EEG seizures without clinical events were recorded in 1 patient. Postoperatively 5 patients were free of seizure, 1 patient had rare seizures. CONCLUSION: Not only the wide or multiple distribution of epileptogenic zones around or in the lesion but also dual pathology of hippocampus are possible in epilepsy patients with DNT. The operative strategy including the epileptogenic zones can yield a good surgical outcome.

X-linked Recessive Bulbospinal Muscular Atrophy( Kennedy's Syndrome): A Case Report

We report a family of X-linked recessive bulbospinal muscular atrophy, which was confirmed by DNA analysis. A 68-year-old man had been suffered from slowly progressive general weakness and muscle wasting for 15 years. On examination, He was dysarthric with nasal voice and had facial muscle weakness with involuntary fascicular contractions. The tongue was wasted with fasciculations. All tendon reflexes were absent. He had not sensory disturbances or any signs of pyramidal involvement. He had gynecomastia and had complained of hand tremor. EMG revealed widespread chronic denervation. Nerve conduction studies and histopathological results showed a pattern of motor-sensory neuropathy. There was an abnormal expansion of CAG repeats in the androgen receptor gene. And two his daughters and two sons were performed DNA analysis, which revealed this disease was X-linked recessive inheritance pattern.