Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration: a case report.
OBJECTIVE
Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) is an exceptional type of hepatic encephalopathies (HE). It is characterized by neuropsychiatric and extrapyramidal symptomatology similar to that seen in hepatolenticular degeneration (Wilson's disease). In this paper, we report a case of AHD with unusual presenting features.


METHODS
A 28-year-old man with AHD was described and the literature was reviewed.


RESULTS
The man had a history of HBV-related liver cirrhosis. He was admitted to our hospital with apathy, dysarthria, mild consciousness impairment and extrapyramidal symptoms after hematemesis. By review of the literature, cases with AHD often did not present consciousness impairment. So our case was once diagnosed incorrectly as Wilson's disease.


CONCLUSIONS
AHD is a rare syndrome and its variable clinical manifestations make it difficult to be diagnosed. But we believe that extensive examination and thorough understanding of the disease are beneficial to a correct diagnosis. Moreover, biocoene is effective in treating the case.
Chen
Wei-Xing
WX
Department of Gastroenterology, First Affiliated Hospital, College of Medicine, Zhejiang University, 261 Qingchun Road, Hangzhou 310003, Zhejiang Province, China.
Wang
Ping
P
Yan
Sen-Xiang
SX
Li
You-Ming
YM
Yu
Chao-Hui
CH
Jiang
Ling-Ling
LL
D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography; D006527:Hepatolenticular Degeneration / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000150:complications*; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male