[A case of spongiform encephalopathy mimicking cortico-basal degeneration].
BACKGROUND
The presentation of subacute spongiform encephalopathies is varied and includes various movement disorders such as parkinsonism, myoclonus, or dystonia. These signs, especially when asymmetrical, can lead to the diagnostic of corticobasal degeneration.


METHODS
We report the case of a 75-Year-old woman who developed clinical signs suggestive of corticobasal degeneration: asymmetric rigidity and apraxia, limb dystonia, and postural instability. The final diagnosis of spongiform encephalopathy was suspected because of rapid decline and confirmed by post-mortem examination.


CONCLUSIONS
This case highlights the importance of considering subacute spongiform encephalopathy in patients with a clinical presentation compatible with corticobasal degeneration.
Service de Neurologie, Centre Hospitalier de Valenciennes, Valenciennes.
V
V
Deramecourt
I
I
Girard-Buttaz
A
A
Verier
D000368:Aged; D001480:Basal Ganglia Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000473:pathology*; D007562:Creutzfeldt-Jakob Syndrome / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D009410:Nerve Degeneration / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*