A 60-year-old man recently admitted for bipedal oedema, endocarditis and a persistently positive COVID-19 swab with a history of anticoagulation on rivaroxaban for atrial fibrillation, transitional cell carcinoma, cerebral amyloid angiopathy, diabetes and hypertension presented with sudden onset diplopia and vertical gaze palsy. Vestibulo-ocular reflex was preserved. Simultaneously, he developed a scotoma and sudden visual loss, and was found to have a right branch retinal artery occlusion. MRI head demonstrated a unilateral midbrain infarct. This case demonstrates a rare unilateral cause of bilateral supranuclear palsy which spares the posterior commisure. The case also raises a question about the contribution of COVID-19 to the procoagulant status of the patient which already includes atrial fibrillation and endocarditis, and presents a complex treatment dilemma regarding anticoagulation.
The police brought a 65-year-old female patient to the EADU after being found 'roaming the streets' in an apparent state of confusion. This was her third admission under the same circumstances during the last 3 years. Neurological examination revealed (1) cognitive impairment, (2) oculomotor apraxia, (3) abnormal cancellation of vestibular ocular reflex, (4) mild ataxia and (5) mild hypotonia. Renal function was abnormal and liver function was normal. No retinal disturbance was found. The head CT on admission was normal for stroke and the lumbar puncture was negative for encephalitis. Her brain MRI showed 'molar tooth sign', suggestive of Joubert syndrome, which was confirmed by genetic testing showing anomalous gene.
A 44-year-old woman with no medical history presented with a 1-year history of horizontal diplopia, bilateral exophthalmos and progressive asymmetrical ophthalmoparesis, with no pupillary dysfunction or ptosis. Within 3 months of her initial presentation, she noticed paresis of right eye abduction, followed after 1 month with paresis of left eye abduction. Initial investigations revealed positive antiperoxidase antibodies for Graves' disease and positive AChR for myasthenia gravis. MRI of the brain showed increased intensity in bilateral inferior rectus muscles and CT of the chest showed thymic hyperplasia. Treatment with carbimazole and pyridostigmine was started, with complete resolution after 1 month.
A 53-year-old man with a 35-year history of excessive alcohol intake presents to our neurology department with 4-year history of progressive neurocognitive deterioration and disconnection syndrome. MRI head demonstrates extensive demyelination of the corpus callosum (and of extracallosal sites as well), leading to a diagnosis of Marchiafava-Bignami disease. He was given treatment with vitamin B complex (including folate) and was assessed and managed by psychology, occupational therapy and physiotherapy with initial signs of improvement.
A 37-year-old woman with a history of poorly controlled type 1 diabetes presented acutely with a decreased Glasgow Coma Scale and a diagnosis of hypoglycaemic brain injury. Her MRI highlighted bilateral hippocampi diffusion restriction and T2 hyperintensity. Clinically, she had a marked cognitive deficit, particularly of short-term, anterograde amnesia. She was managed conservatively and with intensive rehabilitation.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.