Huntington's disease (HD) is a rare dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder characterized clinically by a combination of abnormal involuntary (choreic) movements, neuropsychiatric manifestations, and dementia. It is caused by an unstable CAG repeat expansion in the gene IT15 which encodes a Huntingtin protein. We present a case of a 9 year old boy who had developmental regression starting from the age of 8 years of age along with resistant seizures and signs of cerebellar involvement with absence of chorea and is on anticonvulsants, baclofen, and tetrabenzine. As is expected in a case of childhood-onset HD, our patient is rapidly deteriorating and is currently in the terminal phase of his illness along with resistant convulsions.
Acquired human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection in a 10-year-old child, presenting with monoparesis, progressing to triplegia over 4 weeks is an extremely rare feature. The child had left upper motor neurone facial palsy with left hemiplegia, paralyzed right lower limb, grade zero power, exaggerated deep tendon reflexes and bilateral extensor plantars. Child tested positive for HIV by ELISA. CD3+ absolute count was 431. CD3+ CD4 count was 28, and CD45 absolute count was 478. Magnetic resonance imaging of brain and spine showed multiple ill-defined foci of hyperintensity in white matter suggestive of ADEM. Acute demyelinating encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is an extremely rare presenting feature of perinatally acquired HIV infection in paediatrics. Clinically child remained same even with methylprednisolone, intravenous immunoglobulin, antituberculosis therapy, trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole prophylaxis and supportive therapy. Child had sudden clinical deterioration and death before antiretroviral therapy could be initiated. This case emphasizes that pediatricians and neurophysicians should suspect HIV as an etiology of ADEM in cases with atypical clinical presentation and social risk factors, in spite of its very rare occurrence.
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.