Clinical features of late-onset poststroke seizures.

BACKGROUND: Compared to the patients with early-onset seizures (ES), those with late-onset seizures (LS) have a high risk of epilepsy that is a feared complication after stroke. However, few studies have described detailed clinical features of LS in Japanese patients. METHODS: To elucidate the clinical features of LS, a series of 448 stroke patients (cerebral infarction n = 286; cerebral hemorrhage n = 162) in our hospital were retrospectively examined in this study. Stroke location was determined by computed tomographic and/or magnetic resonance imaging scans. Lesion size was evaluated using the Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomographic Score. We examined occurrence rate, onset time, and recurrence rate of LS. In addition, clinical features of the infarction of LS and non-LS group were compared on age, gender, laterality, location, and extent, respectively. RESULTS: LS occurred in 18 patients (4.0%). Of these, 17 experienced LS within 1.5 years after stroke. While epilepsy developed in none of the patients with ES, it developed in 33% of those with LS. Patients with cortical and a larger infarction involving the middle cerebral artery had at significantly greater risk of LS (P < .05). CONCLUSIONS: Patients with cortical and a larger infarction involving the middle cerebral artery should be carefully observed because of a high risk of LS.

[A case of adult-onset Huntington disease presenting with spasticity and cerebellar ataxia, mimicking spinocerebellar degeneration].

We report an adult-onset case of Huntington disease presenting with spasticity and cerebellar ataxia. The patient, a 47-year old woman, was admitted to our clinic because of progressive involuntary movements. Her elder brother suffered from the similar symptoms. Neurologically, she had quick temper, dementia, generalized chorea, spasticity and truncal ataxia. MRI demonstrated atrophy of caudate, midbrain, pons and cerebellum. From these clinical and MRI findings, she was suspected to have a form of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), particularly DRPLA. However, DNA analysis showed CAG repeats in huntington gene was expanded (47/20). Accordingly she was diagnosed as having adult-onset Huntington disease, mimicking SCD. This case indicates Huntington disease may present atypical clinical features and it is crucial to determine CAG repeat size in huntington gene for the patient with dementia and/or movement disorders, etiology of which is unknown. The relationships between clinical phenotypic variations and huntington gene expression are not determined.

[Delayed posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy: case reports].

Delayed posthypoxic leukoencephalopathy (DPL) is a rare and less well known complication of hypoxic brain injury. Although it is well known that anoxic or hypoxic injury produces acute neurologic deficits, DPL typically manifests days to weeks after apparent recovery from an obtunded state, and patients with DPL demonstrate cognitive impairment, high brain dysfunction, parkinsonism, or psychosis. MRI findings of the brain demonstrate deep white matter abnormalities. We report 2 cases of DPL after hypoxia due to benzodiazepine overdose. Both of our patients had normal arylsulfatase A activity. Although DPL is seen in carbon monoxide poisoning, pseudodeficiency of arylsulfatase A activity, or drug overdose with heroin or morphine, there are only some previous studies of DPL caused by an overdose with benzodiazepine. It is unclear whether neurotoxicity from the drug in addition to hypoxia alone is involved, however, it is important to note that overdose of common drugs as sleeping medicine can cause DPL. Since DPL may often be misdiagnosed and be subjected to unnecessary treatments, it is also important to understand its unique clinical course and MRI findings. With prompt recognition of DPL, we expect that more cases of DPL caused by overdose with benzodiazepine will be diagnosed, because benzodiazepine overdoses are common.