ABSTRACT
Acute aphasia is rare in multiple sclerosis. We describe 3 patients with multiple sclerosis who had acute exacerbations presenting as aphasias. One patient had a mixed transcortical aphasia, 1 had a transcortical motor aphasia, and 1 had a Broca aphasia. Magnetic resonance imaging scans of the brain with contrast enhancement revealed new white matter lesions in the left hemisphere in all 3 patients. Two of the 3 patients had a good response to treatment with methylprednisolone sodium succinate. Arch Neurol. 2000;57:1207-1209
Subject(s)
Aphasia, Broca/diagnosis , Aphasia, Broca/etiology , Multiple Sclerosis/complications , Multiple Sclerosis/diagnosis , Acute Disease , Adult , Anti-Inflammatory Agents/administration & dosage , Aphasia, Broca/drug therapy , Female , Humans , Magnetic Resonance Imaging , Male , Methylprednisolone Hemisuccinate/administration & dosage , Middle Aged , Multiple Sclerosis/drug therapyABSTRACT
Acquired supranuclear ocular motor paresis is a rare disorder characterized by impaired saccadic and smooth pursuit eye movements in one or more directions of gaze. Vestibularly induced eye movements, however, are preserved. Six adult patients developed an acquired supranuclear ocular motor paresis following cardiopulmonary bypass surgery. Neuroimaging studies were normal in two patients and were consistent with small vessel ischemia in four patients. The mean cardiopulmonary bypass time was 132.3 min, and mean circulatory arrest time was 38.7 min; these were not outside established norms for this type of surgery. Patients undergoing cardiopulmonary bypass procedures with deep hypothermia are at risk for acquired supranuclear ocular motor paresis, but the development of this syndrome may not be predictable by duration of circulatory arrest or cardiopulmonary bypass times.
