Cerebellar mutism (CM) is a rare neurological condition characterized by lack of speech due to cerebellar lesions. CM is often reported in children. We describe a rare case of CM after spontaneous cerebellar hemorrhage. The patient showed mutism, irritability, decreased spontaneous movements and oropharyngeal apraxia. Diffusion tensor imaging revealed significant volume reduction of medial frontal projection fibers from the corpus callosum. In Tracts Constrained by UnderLying Anatomy (TRACULA) analysis, forceps major and minor and bilateral cingulum-angular bundles were not visualized. Cerebello-frontal pathway reconstructed from the FMRIB Software Library showed continuity of fibers, with decreased number of fibers on qualitative analysis. These results suggest that cerebello-frontal disconnection may be a neuroanatomical mechanism of CM. Damage of brain network between occipital lobe, cingulate and cerebellum caused by hemorrhage may also have role in the mechanism of CM in our case.
Akinetic Mutism ; Apraxias ; Brain ; Cerebellum ; Child ; Corpus Callosum ; Diffusion Tensor Imaging ; Hemorrhage ; Humans ; Mutism* ; Occipital Lobe ; Stroke* ; Surgical Instruments

PURPOSE: To report a case of keratitis caused by Acinetobacter baumannii and Candida parapsilosis in a patient using 0.5% levofloxacin and 0.1% fluorometholone for an extended period of time. CASE SUMMARY: A 55-year-old male patient in the neurosurgery department with conjunctival injection and discharge in his left eye was consulted for ophthalmic evaluation and treatment. He was hospitalized in the state of akinetic mutism and given 0.5% levofloxacin and 0.1% fluorometholone for 2 years. On slit-lamp examination, a 3.5 x 4.5-mm dense stromal infiltrate with an overlying epithelial defect was observed. Corneal scraping culture revealed multidrug-resistant A. baumannii and C. parapsilosis. According to the susceptibility result, the patient was treated with topical 10% piperacillin/tazobactam and 0.125% amphotericin B hourly. The corneal ulcer healed gradually with corneal opacity remaining after 8 weeks of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: The authors of the present study report a case of treated multidrug-resistant A. baumannii and C. parapsilosis keratitis in a patient using topical antibiotics and steroid for an extended period of time.
Acinetobacter ; Acinetobacter baumannii ; Akinetic Mutism ; Amphotericin B ; Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Candida ; Corneal Opacity ; Corneal Ulcer ; Eye ; Fluorometholone ; Humans ; Keratitis ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Neurosurgery ; Ofloxacin

We report an unusual case of probable Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD) in hemodialysis patient. A woman 59 years of age with a past history of hypertension and end-stage renal disease presented with a stuporous state preceded by rapidly progressive cognitive dysfunction, myoclonus, and akinetic mutism. At first, the cause of the altered mental status was assumed to be uremic or hypertensive encephalopathy combined with fever. Proper managements, however, did not improve the neurologic symptoms. Diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilaterally asymmetric high signal intensity in both basal ganglia and cerebral cortices. Electroencephalography showed diffuse generalized theta-to-delta range slow wave and intermittent medium-to-high voltage complexes with a characteristic triphasic pattern on both hemispheres. Cerebrospinal fluid assay for the 14-3-3 protein was positive and diagnostic of CJD.
14-3-3 Proteins ; Akinetic Mutism ; Basal Ganglia ; Cerebral Cortex ; Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome ; Dialysis ; Electroencephalography ; Female ; Fever ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Hypertensive Encephalopathy ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Myoclonus ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Renal Dialysis ; Stupor

BACKGROUND: Oriental medicines have been associated with severe psychiatric, neurological, and other adverse medical events. These medicines occasionally cause a typical reversible toxic encephalopathy, but most such cases are not recognized because these adverse events are complex and are associated with other systemic signs and symptoms. CASE REPORT: We describe a married couple with rapid progressive cognitive impairment and akinetic mutism after taking the same oriental medicines on the same day. Brain magnetic resonance images of the couple showed typical leukoencephalopathy in the periventricular white matter and basal ganglia regions, bilaterally. CONCLUSIONS: The development of neurobehavioral symptoms and toxic leukoencephalopathy in both patients following the ingestion of oriental medicines is suggestive of a cause-and-effect association, although such a relationship needs to be verified.
Akinetic Mutism ; Basal Ganglia ; Brain ; Eating ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Medicine, East Asian Traditional ; Neurotoxicity Syndromes

Encephalitis lethargica (EL) is an acute or subacute central nervous system (CNS) infectious disorder presenting with pharyngitis followed by sleep disorder, basal ganglia signs (particularly parkinsonism), and neuropsychiatric sequelae. We report a 67-year-old man who had hypersomnolence, oculogyric crisis, akinetic mutism, parkinsonism, and malignant catatonia, which represented the stereotypic movement disorder with additional features of hyperthermia. His symptoms dramatically improved after steroid pulse therapy, indicating that EL syndrome could be a postinfectious neurological autoimmune CNS disorder.
Aged ; Akinetic Mutism ; Basal Ganglia ; Catatonia ; Central Nervous System ; Disorders of Excessive Somnolence ; Encephalitis ; Fever ; Humans ; Parkinsonian Disorders ; Pharyngitis ; Stereotypic Movement Disorder

Akinetic mutism (AM) is a rare complication of spontaneous subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). It is characterized by mutism and general hypokinesis in a patient superficially fully awake in that the eyes remain open and follow objects. Most common cause of AM in patients with SAH is secondary infarction in the distal anterior cerebral artery (DACA) territory. Sometimes post-SAH hydrocephalus has also been implicated in a delayed form of AM because of disruption of dopaminergic pathway. We report a case of 64-year-old woman who presented with sudden bursting headache without neurologic deficit. She was referred from the other hospital with a diagnosis of spontaneous SAH on head computed tomography (CT) which showed high density on sylvian, interhemispheric fissures and basal cistern. We performed computed tomographic cerebral angiography (CTA) and trans-femoral catheter cerebral angiography (TFCA), that revealed no definitive intracranial aneurysm, arterial dissection, or other vascular abnormality of the SAH. During admission period, she developed mutism and motor weakness of all limbs without spontaneous movement. We performed brain magnetic resonance (MR) image and RI cisternography. Also we prescribed levodopa. On the 33th hospital day, she had neurological recovery with drowsy mentality and grade 4 weakness of all limbs, but she was observed to suddenly develop general weakness and became cardiac arrest on the 55th hospital day. Efforts to resuscitate her failed, no more treatment could not be applied. In our case, we couldn't find infarction in the DACA terriority, midbrain or cerebellum except communicating hydrocephalus. This case may alert neurosurgeon to recognize the possibility of such rare complication after spontaneous SAH.
Akinetic Mutism ; Anterior Cerebral Artery ; Brain ; Catheters ; Cerebellum ; Cerebral Angiography ; Extremities ; Eye ; Female ; Head ; Headache ; Heart Arrest ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Infarction ; Intracranial Aneurysm ; Levodopa ; Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy ; Mesencephalon ; Middle Aged ; Mutism ; Neurologic Manifestations ; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage

A 42-year-old man with left posterior inferior cerebellar artery (PICA) infarction presented with akinetic mutism and cognitive impairment. Initially he suffered from akinetic mutism and MRI-documented infarction in the distribution of the left PICA. Twelve days later he developed cognitive impairment. Neuropsychological tests were performed, with the results corrected for age and education being compared with published Korean norms. Impaired performances were evident on executive function testing, with difficulties in planning, abstract reasoning, set-shifting, and perseveration. Akinetic mutism and cognitive-affective syndrome may be a manifestation of unilateral PICA infarction.
Adult ; Akinetic Mutism* ; Arteries ; Education ; Executive Function ; Humans ; Infarction* ; Neuropsychological Tests ; Pica*

Akinetic mutism is a clinical syndrome in which the patient is unable to speak (mutism) or move (akinesia). Various brain lesions can induce akinetic mutism. We attended a 71-year-old woman who presented with akinetic mutism caused by bilateral anterior cerebral artery infarction. The patient improved after the administration of levodopa com-bined with carbidopa, in response to visual and verbal stimuli. Increased verbal output and spontaneous motor activities were also noted. Levodopa may be helpful to the treatment of akinetic mutism.
Aged ; Akinetic Mutism* ; Anterior Cerebral Artery* ; Brain ; Carbidopa ; Female ; Humans ; Infarction, Anterior Cerebral Artery* ; Levodopa* ; Motor Activity

Akinetic mutism is a syndrome caused by various etiologies, and characterized by silent immobility and preserved alertness. The repetitive ventriculoperitoneal shunt for the recurrent hydrocephalus can be a forerunner of that. We present a man with akinetic mutism following two times of ventriculoperitoneal shunt revision. Akinetic mutism of the patient may be caused by the damage on the ascending dopaminergic projections. Symptoms were not alleviated by the normalization of ventricular size but by a large dose of bromocriptine.
Akinetic Mutism* ; Bromocriptine ; Cerebral Ventricles* ; Humans ; Hydrocephalus ; Ventriculoperitoneal Shunt

A patient who had akinetic mutism was mistaken for a psychologic disorder or true coma. We experienced a case of reversible akinetic mutism and paraplegia for 5 hours after general anesthesia in a 28-year-old female who underwent debridement of chemical burn-induced skin necrosis on the left leg.
Adult ; Akinetic Mutism* ; Anesthesia, General* ; Coma ; Debridement ; Female ; Humans ; Leg ; Necrosis ; Paraplegia ; Skin