Hypermetabolism of Olivary Nuclei in a Patient with Progressive Ataxia and Palatal Tremor.
BACKGROUND
The pathophysiology of the movement disorder progressive ataxia with palatal tremor (PAPT) is unclear.


METHODS
A 77-year-old male presented with dysarthria, ataxia, and 1-2 Hz palatal tremor. A diagnosis of probable sporadic PAPT was established. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal at the presymptomatic phase but later showed olivary hypertrophy. Brain [(18)F]-fludeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) showed bilateral hypermetabolism in the olivary nuclei.


CONCLUSIONS
This second reported patient with PAPT and FDG-PET shows that olivary hypertrophy is paralleled with hypermetabolism. The olivary nuclei pathology also appears to be temporally associated with symptom onset.
Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Jaana
J
Korpela
Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland ; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland ; Department of Clinical Neurophysiology, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Juho
J
Joutsa
Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland ; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Juha O
JO
Rinne
Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Jörgen
J
Bergman
Division of Clinical Neurosciences, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland ; Turku PET Centre, Turku University Hospital and University of Turku, Turku, Finland.
Valtteri
V
Kaasinen
Palatal tremor; ataxia; olivary nuclei; positron emission tomography