[A case of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis associated with clinical features of progressive supranuclear palsy]

A 64-year-old male patient of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with frozen gait, axial rigidity and supranuclear upper gaze palsy was reported. We have followed this patient more than four years. He was well until November 1982, when he noticed weakness of left arm. In March 1983, he noticed hypogeusia and in July, he developed dysarthria and frozen gait. On admission, he was alert and oriented. Neurological examination revealed dysarthria, dysphagia and muscular weakness and atrophy in bilateral upper extremities, dominantly in left side. He showed remarkable frozen gait, retropulsion and could not walk. Brain CT showed mild dilatation of the third ventricle. In August 1988, he showed tongue atrophy, and weakness and atrophy of the extremities progressed during these four years. He also showed axial rigidity and frozen gait. Brain CT showed severe third ventricular dilatation and atrophy of tegmentum of the midbrain and cerebellum that were compatible with progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). Six months later, he developed upper gaze palsy. From these findings, we concluded that this patient had a quite unique clinical features of both ALS and PSP.