Idiopathic very late-onset cerebellar ataxia: a Brazilian case series / Ataxia cerebellar idiopática com início muito tardio: uma série de casos brasileiros

ABSTRACTThe authors present a Brazilian case series of eight patients with idiopathic very-late onset (mean 75.5 years old) cerebellar ataxia, featuring predominantly gait ataxia, associated with cerebellar atrophy.Method: 26 adult patients with a diagnosis of idiopathic late onset cerebellar ataxia were analyzed in a Brazilian ataxia outpatient clinic and followed regularly over 20 years. Among them, 8 elderly patients were diagnosed as probable very late onset cerebellar ataxia. These patients were evaluated with neurological, ophthalmologic and Mini-Mental Status examinations, brain MRI, and EMG.Results: 62.5% of patients were males, mean age was 81.9 years-old, and mean age of onset was 75.5 years. Gait cerebellar ataxia was observed in all patients, as well as, cerebellar atrophy on brain MRI. Mild cognitive impairment and visual loss, due to macular degeneration, were observed in 50% of cases. Chorea was concomitantly found in 3 patients.Conclusion: We believe that this condition is similar the one described by Marie-Foix-Alajouanine presenting with mild dysarthria, associated with gait ataxia, and some patients had cognitive dysfunction and chorea.

RESUMOOs autores apresentam uma série de casos incluindo oito pacientes com ataxia cerebellar de início muito tardio (média de 75,5 anos de idade) apresentando ataxia de marcha, associada à atrofia cerebelar.Método: 26 pacientes adultos com diagnóstico de ataxia cerebelar de início tardio idiopática foram analisados ambulatorialmente e acompanhados regularmente ao longo de 20 anos. Destes, oito pacientes idosos foram diagnosticados como provável ataxia cerebelar início muito tardio. Os pacientes foram submetidos a um exame neurológico completo, avaliação cognitive e oftalmológica assim como ressonância magnética do cérebro e eletroneuromiografia tambem foram realizados.Resultados: 62,5% dos pacientes eram do sexo masculino, com idade média de 81,9 anos, com média de idade de início aos 75,5 anos. Ataxia cerebelar predominante de marcha foi observada em todos os pacientes, bem como, a atrofia cerebelar na ressonância magnética cerebral. Comprometimento cognitivo leve e perda visual, devido à degeneração macular, foram observados em 50% dos casos. Coréia foi encontrada em 3 pacientes.Conclusão: Acreditamos que esta condição é semelhante à descrita por Marie-Foix-Alajouanine apresentando disartria leve, associada a ataxia de marcha, disfunção cognitiva e coréia.

Hemibalismo-hemicoreia em estado hiperglicêmico não cetótico: distúrbio do movimento associado ao diabetes melito / Hemiballism-hemichorea with non-ketotic hyperglycemia: movement disorder related to diabetes mellitus

O diabetes melito, especialmente quando descompensado, pode culminar em várias complicações neurológicas, sendo o desenvolvimento de movimentos involuntários uma das formas mais raras. O estado hiperglicêmico não cetótico em pacientes idosos, que se apresentam com movimentos tipo balismo-coreia associados a alterações nos exames de imagem cerebral (tomografia computadorizada e/ou ressonância magnética), constitui uma síndrome de caracterização recente e de poucos relatos na literatura. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente admitido com história de movimentos involuntários do tipo hemibalismo-hemicoreia à esquerda associado a estado hiperglicêmico com hemoglobina glicada de 14,4 por cento. O exame tomográfico de crânio revelou área hiperdensa em topografia de gânglios da base à direita. Após controle glicêmico adequado, houve melhora progressiva e recuperação do quadro neurológico, com desaparecimento completo da lesão hiperdensa inicial.

Diabetes mellitus, especially when not under control, can lead to several neurological complications being the development of involuntary movements one of the rarest presentations. Nonketotic hyperglycemia in aged patients who present with ballismus-chorea movements and cerebral image alterations in computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance constitute a syndrome of recent characterization and few cases in literature. We present a case of a 75 year-old male patient admitted with history of hemiballismus-hemichorea movements, hyperglycemia, glycated hemoglobin of 14.4 percent and CT with a hyperdense area in the topography of the right basal ganglia. After glycemic control, the neurological signs resolved completely and the initial hyperdense lesion disappeared.

Sydenham's chorea

Sydenham's chorea is a delayed complication of group AB haemolytic streptococcal infections and forms one of the major criteria of acute rheumatic fever. It is characterised by chorea, muscular weakness, and a number of neuropsychiatric symptoms. It is considered to be an autoantibody mediated disorder with the evidence suggesting that patients with Sydenham's chorea produce antibodies that cross react with streptococcal, caudate, and subthalamic nuclei. However, documented evidence of previous streptococcal infection is found in only 20%-30% of cases. It has a good prognosis for full recovery so treatment is not warranted in most cases. Following case is a high school student presented with progressive changes in his handwriting during two months before. Chief complaint of this 15-year-old boy was difficulty in writing at classroom. His physics notebook has been shown as interesting figures

A case of choreoacanthocytosis with marked weight loss: impact of orolingual dyskinesia.

Choreoacanthocytosis (ChAc) is a rare autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive onset of hyperkinetic movements and red cell acanthocytosis. The most striking clinical feature is that of the orofacial and lingual movement abnormalities leading to severe feeding difficulties. Maintenance of proper nutrition in ChAc is a challenge. We report on a case of ChAc in a 32-year-old male in whom dramatic weight loss due to orolingual dyskinesia was the major consequence of the disease. This case report warrants more attention to the impact of orolingual dyskinesia on nutritional status in patients with ChAc.