Hashimoto's encephalopathy presenting with micrographia as a typical feature of parkinsonism.

We describe here a 63-year-old woman who presented with gait disturbance and micrographia. Laboratory tests demonstrated the presence of anti-thyroperoxidase (TPO) antibodies and vitamin B(12) deficiency accompanied by the presence of anti-parietal cell antibodies. Lymphocytosis with increased protein was detected in cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). Serum autoantibodies against the anti-NH(2) terminal of α-enolase (NAE), a specific diagnostic marker for Hashimoto's encephalopathy (HE), were also detected. Since underlying autoimmune conditions were suspected to be associated with Hashimoto's disease, steroid therapy was conducted, and the neurological symptoms improved a few days after the therapy was started. Attention should be given to the possibility that typical parkinsonism showing micrographia is caused by HE.

[Late deterioration of functional abilities in adult cerebral palsy].

Clinical characteristics of late deterioration in adult cerebral palsy were reported with detailed neurological evaluations and analyses. 10 adult cases, 9 male and 1 female, with cerebral palsy (CP) were included aged from 24 to 58 years on admission. Without marked mental retardation all had been ambulant and completely independent of ADL with residual spasticity and/or dyskinesia of minimal degree until the second or third decade. Late deterioration of functional abilities starting with numbness or pain in upper extremities at age 24-45 (mean: 36.2 y), associated with profound atrophy of the shoulder girdle and hand muscles. Dyskinesia and spasticity markedly aggravated with urinary and respiratory dysfunctions, resulting in tetraplegia in a couple of years. Mentality is generally unaffected, however, severe dementia occurred in one case. Intensive clinical examinations revealed no particular abnormalities except for mild segmental neurogenic changes by needle EMG. Neuroradiological surveys revealed a marked narrowing of upper to middle cervical spinal canal with deformity and shrinkage of the corresponding cord in most cases. Cranial CT scans and MRI were unremarkable except for diffuse cortical atrophy and ventricular dilation. These studies showed that in adult CP an unexpectedly severe deterioration of sensory, motor and/or mental functions may appear even in previously well achieved cases. These dramatic changes of the clinical features of CP after middle age might be suggestive of the degenerating process and precocious aging of the CNS.

[Urinary incontinence following total prostatectomy--evaluation by urodynamics and urethrography].

Urinary incontinence following total prostatectomy was evaluated in 10 patients by urodynamics and lateral urethrography. The pathological stage of the tumors in these patients was pT2 in 5 patients, pT3 in 3 patients and pT4 in 2 patients. Urinary incontinence was present in 8 patients, of whom 7 were stress incontinence and one was urge and stress incontinence. The severity of incontinence of these patients was mild in 5 patients, moderate in 3 and severe in 2. The incontinence was severer in the patients with the tumors of pT3 or pT4 than in the patients with the tumors of pT2. But the severity of incontinence was not related to the pathological grade or resected weight of the tumors. The bladder capacity and bladder compliance were 214.9 ml and 14.3 ml/cmH2O in average, respectively, and was not related to severity of incontinence. The statistical significant differences between continence or mild incontinence patients and moderate or severe incontinence patients were found for the mean functional profile length (2.04 versus 1.37 cm, respectively; p < 0.05) and maximum urethral closure pressure (42.3 versus 17.3 cmH2O, respectively; p < 0.05). But some patients with continence or mild incontinence demonstrated low values in either parameters. No statistical difference was found between continence and mild incontinence patients. On lateral urethrography, the posterior urethrovesical angle was not correlated with the severity of incontinence.