Hemiparkinsonism-hemiatrophy syndrome: clinical and neuroradiologic features

Neurology. 1990 Nov;40(11):1731-4. doi: 10.1212/wnl.40.11.1731.

Abstract

We evaluated 11 patients with hemiparkinson-hemiatrophy syndrome, 6 with body and contralateral cerebral hemispheric hemiatrophy, 4 with only body hemiatrophy, and 1 with just brain hemiatrophy. The mean age of symptom onset was 38.1 years (range, 18 to 54) with 5.2 +/- 3.1 (mean +/- SD) years of illness until the last follow-up visit. The presenting symptom was unilateral tremor in 6 patients, hand dystonia in 2, bradykinesia in 2, and abnormal gait in 1 patient. Three patients had a good response to levodopa, 4 had moderate response, and 2 patients had a poor response. During a mean follow-up period of 1.7 years (range, 4 months to 5 years), the Hoehn and Yahr score changed in only 3 patients: 2 gained 1.5 points and 1 gained 3 points over 2.5 years. We discuss the association between hemiparkinsonism-body hemiatrophy and contralateral hemispheric hemiatrophy, and raise the possibility of early childhood brain insult with delayed-onset parkinsonism.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Adult
  • Atrophy
  • Brain / diagnostic imaging
  • Brain / pathology*
  • Extremities / pathology*
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Humans
  • Levodopa / therapeutic use
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Parkinson Disease, Secondary / diagnosis*
  • Parkinson Disease, Secondary / diagnostic imaging
  • Parkinson Disease, Secondary / drug therapy
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Syndrome
  • Tomography, X-Ray Computed

Substances

  • Levodopa