Unihemispheric acute disseminated encephalomyelitis: A case report Tek hemisferi tutan akut dissemine ensefalomiyelit: Olgu sunumu

Abstract

Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) is a rare idiopathic inflammatory demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS), which usually occurs following a viral or bacterial infection, or vaccination. Characteristically, ADEM presents with acute encephalopathy with accompanying multifocal neurological symptoms and signs. Due to unavailability of a specific biological marker, neuroimaging is very important in establishing the diagnosis of ADEM. The typical magnetic resonance imaging findings of ADEM are large, multiple and almost symmetrical white matter lesions. Herein, we report a 31-year-old woman presenting with headache, confusion, left hemiparesis and hemihypoesthesia preceded by an infection. The patient fully recovered after intravenous methylprednisolone treatment. MRI revealed white-matter lesions that were typical for ADEM, but the unihemispheric involvment broadened the spectrum of disseminated encephalomyelitis. (Archives of Neuropsychiatry 2010; 47: 166-8)