A Case of Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis Presenting Hypersomnia With Decreased Hypocretin Level in Cerebrospinal Fluid

Abstract

A 12-year-old girl was diagnosed as having acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and manifested hypersomnia as the main clinical feature. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed lesions in the bilateral hypothalamus in addition to other multifocal brain lesions involving the cerebral white matter, brain stem, and basal ganglia. The level of hypocretin in cerebrospinal fluid was decreased in this patient. Corticosteroid treatment resulted in improvement of the hypersomnia and resolution of MRI lesions in the hypothalamus and other regions. This case suggests that the arousal state control mechanism related to the hypocretin peptide/receptor system may be impaired in some patients with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. (J Child Neurol 2002;17:537-539).

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