Contralateral hemi-parkinsonism and atypical tremor after stroke (a case report)

Post-stroke Movement Disorders: The Clinical, Neuroanatomic, and Demographic Portrait of 284 Published Cases

PURPOSE

Abnormal movements are a relatively uncommon complication of strokes. Besides the known correlation between stroke location and certain movement disorders, there remain uncertainties about the collective effects of age and stroke mechanism on phenomenology, onset latency, and outcome of abnormal movements.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We systematically reviewed all published cases and case series with adequate clinical-imaging correlations. A total of 284 cases were analyzed to evaluate the distribution of different movement disorders and their association with important cofactors.

RESULTS

Posterolateral thalamus was the most common region affected (22.5%) and dystonia the most commonly reported movement disorder (23.2%). The most common disorders were parkinsonism (17.4%) and chorea (17.4%) after ischemic strokes and dystonia (45.5%) and tremor (19.7%) after hemorrhagic strokes. Strokes in the caudate and putamen were complicated by dystonia in one third of the cases; strokes in the globus pallidus were followed by parkinsonism in nearly 40%. Chorea was the earliest poststroke movement disorder, appearing within hours, whereas dystonia and tremor manifested several months after stroke. Hemorrhagic strokes were responsible for most delayed-onset movement disorders (>6 months) and were particularly overrepresented among younger individuals affected by dystonia.

CONCLUSIONS

This evidence-mapping portrait of poststroke movement disorders will require validation or correction based on a prospective epidemiologic study. We hypothesize that selective network vulnerability and resilience may explain the differences observed in movement phenomenology and outcomes after stroke.

Antiphospholipid syndrome and dystonia-parkinsonism. A case report

Background: Although clinically evident and MRI confirmed, basal ganglia involvement, is usual in primary antiphospholipid syndrome, extrapyramidal disorders such as parkinsonism and dystonia are very rare. We were unable to find any report in the literature on dystonia-parkinsonism in patients with primary antiphospholipid syndrome. Here we report an adult patient with dystonia-parkinsonism and primary antiphospholipid syndrome.Case report: A 60 year old, right-handed man came to our attention due to writer's cramp, bradykinesia and stiffness of his right hand. Neurological examination revealed constant, marked dystonic posturing, rigidity and bradykinesia of the right hand. Hyper-gammaglobulinemia was demonstrated on electrophoresis-serum IgG was increased. Anticardiolipin antibodies were examined by counterimmunoelectrophoresis (ELISA): IgG was negative, while IgM was positive. There was also slight thrombocytopenia. Magnetic resonance imaging brain scan axial T2W/UTSE revealed several hyperintense lesions in the basal ganglia and in the periventricular white matter and diffuse hyperintensity of the subcortical white matter bilaterally in the parietal regions. There was asymmetric parenchimal atrophy, more prominent in the left hemisphere. No clinical improvement was achieved by levodopa, dopamine agonists or anticholinergics. According to the criteria for primary antiphospholipid syndrome our patient had thrombocytopenia and high levels of IgG and IgM anticardiolipin antibodies so he was presumed to have a primary antiphospholipid syndrome.Conclusion: Various movement disorders may appear secondary to stroke, antiphospholipid syndrome, Behcet's disease or brain tumor. These cases may help in the understanding of pathophysiology of movement disorders. Dystonia and parkinsonism as well as other movement disorders may be associated with primary antiphospholipid syndrome.