[Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis presented with alexia of kanji and word meaning aphasia]

We report a 63-year-old right-handed Japanese man with progressive bulbar dysfunction and alexia of kanji (Japanese morphograms). He was well until his 62 years of age, when he noted difficulty of reading kanji, which was followed by disturbances in his speech. Reading of kana (Japanese phonograms) was preserved. He also showed naming difficulties with semantic memory loss for words, which were characterized for word meaning aphasia or semantic dementia. He showed dysarthria and mild dysphagia with atrophy and fasciculations of the tongue. The electromyographic studies disclosed diffuse neurogenic pattern. He was diagnosed as having bulbar type amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Cranial magnetic resonance imaging and single-photon emission computed tomography revealed bilateral involvements of the temporal lobes. Our patient appeared to meet the clinical criteria for frontotemporal degeneration of motor neuron disease type, and is the first case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis showing alexia of kanji and word meaning aphasia.