Diabetic striatopathy in type 1 diabetes mellitus: a rare conundrum

Diabetic striatopathy is a clinicoradiological syndrome characterised by acute hyperkinetic movement disorder in the form of hemichorea-hemiballism with basal ganglia abnormalities in neuroimaging. The hallmark basal ganglia abnormalities appear as hyperdensities in CT brain and hyperintensities in MRI brain, which could mislead the clinician towards an erroneous diagnosis of cerebral haemorrhage. It is classically described in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and its occurrence in type 1 diabetes is extremely rare. This case report entails the clinical details of a young man in his 20s with type 1 diabetes mellitus who had uncontrolled blood glucose levels and presented with a recent onset of abnormal movements in his left upper and lower limbs. The semiology, biochemistry and radiological investigation findings and treatment are detailed. A clear understanding of the condition could lead to an early diagnosis, spare the patient unnecessary investigations and improve treatment outcomes.