The clinical characteristics and MRI findings of acquired hepatocerebral degeneration

Abstract

Acquired hepatocerebral degeneration (AHD) is a rare chronic encephalopathy, and its etiology is usually correlated with cirrhosis and portal hypertension. In this study, clinical and radiological data of 326 patients with cirrhosis of the liver were retrospectively analyzed, among whom 11 patients were diagnosed as AHD, with the incidence of 3.37% . The most common neurological symptoms were static tremor (9 cases) and ataxia (7 cases). Cerebral MRI showed T₁WI hyperintensity in bilateral globus pallidus of all 11 patients. The lesions were also involved in bilateral thalamus (one case), tegment of midbrain (one case), bilateral posterior crus of internal capsule (one case) and bilateral putamen (one case). Anti-Parkinson's disease drugs, such as levodopa and benserazide, had not presented satisfactory clinical effect.

DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2015.02.014