Dement Neurocogn Disord.  2017 Dec;16(4):128-131. 10.12779/dnd.2017.16.4.128.

Posterior Type of Alzheimer's Dementia Presenting with Homonymous Hemianopsia

• Park Y
• Park KW
• Lee CN

• KMID: 2442730
• DOI: http://doi.org/10.12779/dnd.2017.16.4.128

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Alzheimer's disease is a chronic neurodegenerative condition, mostly affecting the medial temporal lobe and associated neocortical structures. In this report, we present a rare clinical manifestation of this disease.
CASE REPORT
A 61-year-old female with word finding difficulty and memory disturbances was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease. Two years later, she complained of right homonymous hemianopia without optic ataxia, ocular apraxia, and simultagnosia. No findings other than parenchymal disease were apparent in magnetic resonance imaging and laboratory tests.
CONCLUSIONS
In this case, in a patient initially diagnosed with Alzheimer's dementia with progressive disease, we found only homonymous hemianopia, without signs of Balint's syndrome or Gerstmann's syndrome. After careful investigation showing that Alzheimer's dementia with visual symptom was not associated with parenchymal disease, we concluded a case of atypical variant of Alzheimer's disease.

Keyword

hemianopsia; Alzheimer's disease; posterior cortical atrophy

MeSH Terms

Alzheimer Disease
Apraxias
Ataxia
Dementia*
Female
Gerstmann Syndrome
Hemianopsia*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Memory
Middle Aged
Temporal Lobe

Figure

• 

  Fig. 1 Brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) taken in 2012, 2014. A: MRI obtained in 2012 shows mild cortical atrophy, without any evidence of parenchymal diseases. B: Brain MRI in 2014. Compared with A progressive cortical atrophy occurred without evidence of parenchymal disease.

• 

  Fig. 2 Visual field test showed right-side homonymous hemianopsia.

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