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Baló's concentric sclerosis presenting as a stroke-like syndrome

Nature Clinical Practice Neurology volume 3, pages 349–354 (2007)Cite this article

Abstract

Background A 37-year-old woman without important previous medical history presented to an emergency room with acute onset of left-sided weakness and numbness. Examination revealed left-sided hemiparesis (in the arm greater than in the leg) and hypoesthesia.

Investigations Routine laboratory testing, lumbar puncture, dynamic susceptibility contrast perfusion study, longitudinal brain MRI, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy were performed.

Diagnosis Balós concentric sclerosis.

Management Intravenous methylprednisolone followed by oral steroid taper.

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Figure 1: MRI scan of a patient with Baló's concentric sclerosis
Figure 2: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging of a patient with Baló's concentric sclerosis, 12 days after onset of symptoms
Figure 3: MRI scan of a patient with Baló's concentric sclerosis, 3 months after initial presentation

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Acknowledgements

The patient and her family are thanked for their full cooperation at all stages of the assessment and treatment. The authors would like to thank Dr Steven Galetta and Dr Dina Jacobs for their helpful comments and suggestions. This work was supported by a University-wide AIDS Research Program Grant (CF05-SD-301) and an American Foundation for AIDS Research Grant (106729-40-RFRL), both awarded to BM Ances.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. EM Mowry is a Neurology Resident in the Department of Neurology and JH Woo is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Radiology, both at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA,

    Ellen M Mowry & John H Woo

  2. BM Ances is a Clinical Instructor in the Departments of Neuroscience and Radiology and a NeuroAIDS Fellow at the University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA.,

    Beau M Ances

Authors
  1. Ellen M Mowry
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  2. John H Woo
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  3. Beau M Ances
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Beau M Ances.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

Supplementary information

Supplementary Table 1

Existing literature of radiological findings associated with Baló's concentric sclerosis. (DOC 150 kb)

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Mowry, E., Woo, J. & Ances, B. Baló's concentric sclerosis presenting as a stroke-like syndrome. Nat Rev Neurol 3, 349–354 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0522

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ncpneuro0522

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