Dement Neurocogn Disord.  2016 Dec;15(4):165-169. 10.12779/dnd.2016.15.4.165.

Frontotemporal Dementia with Motor Neuron Disease in a Patient with Antiphospholipid Syndrome: A Case Report

Affiliations
  • 1Department of Neurology, Hanyang University College of Medicine, Seoul, Korea. chj@hanyang.ac.kr

Abstract

BACKGROUND
Frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with motor neuron disease (MND) is a syndrome of progressive changes in behavior, language, muscle weakness and atrophy due to loss of function of neurons in the frontal and temporal lobes and in motor neurons. Etiology and pathogenesis of FTD with MND are still uncertain.
CASE REPORT
A 71-year-old man presented with a 2-year history of progressive muscle weakness and cognitive deficits. We diagnosed this patient as FTD with MND by neurological examination, electromyography, brain imaging and neuro-psychological evaluation. We also confirmed antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) in this patient as a way to rule out secondary causes of MND.
CONCLUSIONS
This was a very rare case of FTD with MND in APS. We should focus study on the possible role of autoimmune pathogenesis in FTD with MND.

Keyword

frontotemporal dementia; motor neuron disease; antiphospholipid syndrome

MeSH Terms

Aged
Antiphospholipid Syndrome*
Atrophy
Cognition Disorders
Electromyography
Frontotemporal Dementia*
Humans
Motor Neuron Disease*
Motor Neurons*
Muscle Weakness
Neuroimaging
Neurologic Examination
Neurons
Temporal Lobe

Figure

  • Fig. 1 Axial & sagittal T1-weighted brain MR images of the patient. Cortical atrophy was seen in both parietal and anterior temporal lobe.

  • Fig. 2 Fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomopraphy imaging of the patient. Hypometabolism was observed in bilateral fronto-temporo-parietal cortex.


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