Prolonged Motor Weakness With Syringomyelia in Japanese Encephalitis: A Case Study.
10.5535/arm.2015.39.5.821
- Author:
Young Moon KIM
1
;
Youngkook KIM
;
Jeehae OH
;
Hae Rim KIM
;
Joo Hyun PARK
Author Information
1. Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, College of Medicine, The Catholic University of Korea, Seoul, Korea. drpjh@catholic.ac.kr
- Publication Type:Case Report
- Keywords:
Japanese encephalitis;
Myelitis;
Syringomyelia
- MeSH:
Adult;
Anterior Horn Cells;
Asian Continental Ancestry Group*;
Basal Ganglia;
Brain;
Encephalitis;
Encephalitis, Japanese*;
Encephalomyelitis;
Humans;
Internal Capsule;
Magnetic Resonance Imaging;
Mesencephalon;
Motor Activity;
Myelitis;
Spinal Cord;
Syringomyelia*;
Thalamus
- From:Annals of Rehabilitation Medicine
2015;39(5):821-825
- CountryRepublic of Korea
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Japanese encephalitis (JE) shows characteristic brain lesions, including bilateral thalamus, midbrain, internal capsule, basal ganglia, and occasionally involves an anterior horn cell. We encountered a case of a 44-year-old man who initially presented with encephalitis, which was finally diagnosed as Japanese encephalomyelitis with syringomyelia. The patient showed severe motor weakness followed by delayed recovery of functional motor activities. Cervical magnetic resonance imaging showed syrinx formation at the C5 level suggesting myelitis, and abnormal electromyographic findings were noted. Clinicians should consider the possibility that the spinal cord may be involved; an example would be syringomyelia due to myelitis in a case of JE presenting with severe and prolonged motor weakness.
