Hemiballismus-hemichorea syndrome in an acute rehabilitation setting: two case reports.

BACKGROUND: We report two similar cases of patients diagnosed with hemiballismus-hemichorea syndrome secondary to uncontrolled hyperglycemia. Both patients were treated at an inpatient rehabilitation center and made a significant recovery in both function and activities of daily living. Although hemiballismus-hemichorea syndrome has known pharmacological treatments, little has been reported on the effectiveness of acute rehabilitation on managing and treating this syndrome. CASE PRESENTATION: The first case involves a 44-year-old Hispanic male with past medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, anxiety, and depression who presented with continuous, uncontrollable, unilateral movements 1 month following a hospital admission for hyperglycemia. Magnetic resonance imaging findings showed lesions in the basal ganglia, confirming the diagnosis of hemiballismus-hemichorea syndrome. The patient was started on antipsychotic medications and antihyperglycemic medications controlling glucose levels, but continued to have hemiballismus symptoms. The second case involves a 78-year-old Haitian female with past medical history of type 2 diabetes mellitus and hypertension who presented with weakness and continuous, involuntary movements in her upper and lower extremities 1 month following a hospital admission for hyperglycemia and encephalopathy. Magnetic resonance imaging findings were positive for bilateral lesions in the basal ganglia, establishing a diagnosis of hemiballismus-hemichorea syndrome. After a 2-week stay at an acute rehabilitation center, both patients made a significant recovery in function and activities of daily living. CONCLUSION: The aim in presenting these cases is to elucidate the etiology and progression of a rare disease process known as hemiballismus-hemichorea syndrome and to provide evidence for the potential positive impact of acute rehabilitation on patients with unresolved hemiballismus-hemichorea following an episode of hyperglycemia.

Extensive adhesion formation in a total knee replacement in the setting of a gastrointestinal stromal tumor: A case report.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) are rare primary neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract, accounting for 1% to 2% of all gastrointestinal neoplasms worldwide. GISTs are frequently discovered incidentally during workup for other diagnosis or intestinal obstruction, as they can present with few or no symptoms. Simultaneously, GISTs confer a high degree of malignant transformation, with a progression in about 10% to 30% of cases. CASE SUMMARY: A 63-year-old healthy female presented to our institution with complaints of right knee pain and limited passive and active motion in the setting of a previous right total knee arthroplasty (TKA). One year after TKA, the patient was incidentally diagnosed with a GIST, which was successfully removed. After removal, the patient continued to have limited range of motion of the right knee and subsequently underwent revision TKA. Intraoperatively significant fibrotic adhesions were found encapsulating the femoral and tibial components. The patient's pain improved postoperatively, however, she continued to have decreased range of motion with difficulty ambulating. CONCLUSION: We propose that this case may demonstrate a proinflammatory milieu arising from a GIST, which had a direct influence on the outcome of recent total knee arthroplasty. This proposed mechanism between neoplastic cytokinetic activity and adhesion formation could have implications on preoperative and postoperative orthopedic management of total knee arthroplasty.