Hemichorea Associated with Hyperglycemia: A Case Showing Increased Blood Flow in the Contralateral Striatum

ABSTRACT

We report a diabetic woman who developed paroxysmal hemichorea during an episode of non-ketotic hyper-glycemia. A MRI showed a high signal intensity on T1-weighted images and a low signal intensity on T2-weighted images in the contralateral putamen. SPECT on the 30th day after the onset revealed an increased blood flow in the contralateral striatum. Although these abnormalities in the left putamen are considered to be the cause of her involuntary movement, the exact pathophysiological mechanisms of these abnormalities are not yet clear and further investigations are needed.