Clinical and Neuroimaging Features in a Patient with Non-Ketotic Hyperglycemia

Yonghua Zhang1, Aasheeta Parikh1

  • 1Edward Neuroscience Institute in Affiliation with Northwestern Medicine, 801 S. Washington Street, Naperville, IL 60540, USA.

Neurology International
|December 17, 2020
PubMed

Hemichorea-hemiballism (HC-HB) is a spectrum of involuntary flinging and flailing, non-patterned, irregular movements involving one side of the body. A rare dysfunction of glucose metabolism leading to a state of non-ketotic hyperglycemia (NKH) is thought to be a cause of these symptoms. In previous case studies, imaging findings have been in the basal ganglia as hyperintense lesions on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) or hyperdensities on computerized tomography (CT). This case is unique due to abnormal findings in the MRI T2/fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequence in areas not previously reported-the thalamus and midbrain/pons. As in other NKH cases, the patient improved both clinically and radiologically. In patients with uncontrolled diabetes and abnormal movements, monitoring of blood glucose is imperative as it can lead to recognition of HC-HB. Other etiologies, including stroke, neoplasm, demyelination, and inflammatory processes, have uncertain prognoses with unfavorable outcomes. The prognosis for NKH is usually favorable, and thus important to identify.

Related Concept Videos

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications01:15

Diabetes: Symptoms, Diagnosis, and Complications

For most patients, experiencing several weeks of polyuria, polydipsia, fatigue, and significant weight loss may indicate the presence of diabetes. Furthermore, adults displaying the phenotypic appearance of type 2 diabetes (particularly those who are obese and not initially insulin-requiring), may have islet cell autoantibodies, suggesting autoimmune-mediated β cell destruction and a diagnosis of latent autoimmune diabetes of adults (LADA). The categorization of glucose homeostasis is...
1.6K
Pathophysiology of Diabetes01:20

Pathophysiology of Diabetes

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by hyperglycemia. The four categories of diabetes are type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, other specific types of diabetes, and gestational diabetes.
Type 1 diabetes is characterized by autoimmune-mediated destruction of pancreatic β cells, with environmental factors potentially triggering this process in genetically susceptible individuals. Despite many not having a family history, certain genes increase susceptibility,...
2.5K
Hypoglycemia and Glucagon01:15

Hypoglycemia and Glucagon

Without prolonged fasting, healthy individuals maintain blood glucose levels above 3.5 mM due to a well-adapted neuroendocrine counterregulatory system that effectively prevents acute hypoglycemia, a potentially life-threatening condition. The primary clinical scenarios for hypoglycemia encompass diabetes treatment, inappropriate production of endogenous insulin or insulin-like substances by tumors, and the use of glucose-lowering agents in non-diabetic individuals. Notably, hypoglycemia in the...
601
Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Overview and Type I Subtype

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder characterized by high blood glucose levels due to inadequate insulin production, insulin resistance, or both. The condition affects millions worldwide and can significantly impact their health and quality of life.
Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune disease in which the immune system mistakenly attacks and destroys the insulin-producing beta cells in the pancreas. As a result, the body is unable to produce sufficient insulin, and individuals with...
4.4K
Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational01:22

Diabetes Mellitus: Type 2 and Gestational

Type 2 diabetes, characterized by insulin resistance, arises when the insulin receptors on cells lose responsiveness to insulin, diminishing the cell's capacity to take up glucose, resulting in elevated blood glucose levels. To receive a diagnosis of Type 2 diabetes, a series of blood glucose tests are necessary to assess whether the blood glucose falls within normal parameters. If the result is out of the normal range, a patient may be diagnosed as prediabetic or diabetic, depending on the...
3.9K
Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism01:19

Overview of Carbohydrate Metabolism

Carbohydrate metabolism is a fundamental biochemical process that ensures a constant supply of energy to living cells. The most important carbohydrate is glucose, which can be broken down via glycolysis to enter into the Krebs cycle and eventually lead to the production of ATP through oxidative phosphorylation.
Glucose transport into cells is facilitated by a family of transport proteins called GLUT (Glucose Transporters). GLUT4 is the primary glucose transporter for insulin-stimulated glucose...
2.7K