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Neurology (Expert Forum)
hearing loss, unsteady gait, slurred speech, lympocites rising
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hearing loss, unsteady gait, slurred speech, lympocites rising
by connie, May 30, 2000 12:00AM
Hello,
My father is 62 and until two months ago he was very active and healthy. Two months ago he began having what we thought was restless leg syndrome. When he went to bed his right leg would twitch and he was unable to sleep. Then three weeks after this started his hearing started to go. His first trip to an ENT said there was no hearing loss. But, Dad's hearing continued to get worse and he could not hear us. His speech started to slur and at times he began to have episodes where his gait was unsteady. We had a CT head scan and numerous trips to a general physcician but nothing was found.
Two weeks ago Dad was hospitalized at what is one of the top hospitals in Indiana. He has undergone two weeks of testing and the doctors tell us they are stumped. ENT says there is no ear problem to account for this.
He has had two MRIs within the two weeks of hospitalization. The first one was fine, the second one four days later showed a small spot on the left side of his brain. Opthamological tests indicate there is a problem in the cerebellum/pons area of the brain, but the MRI has not picked up anything.
In doing routine blood work it was discovered that Dad's lympocites in his blood are high as if they are fighting an infection or disease. Dad has now had numerous scans and probes, but so far no tumors or cancers have been located. Tests for heavy metal poisoning have also turned up negative as has a lyme disease test. Since being hospitaized, all of Dad's symptoms have worsened. He is now unable to articulate more than one or two syllable words and long sentences are extremely difficult. He can barely hear anyone speaking to him, his gait is extremely unsteady, his speech is at times so slurred that you can't make it out and his vision started to go last week. He now sees double. While he can't hear, he said noises bother him terribly and he keeps cotton in his ears or puts a pillow over his head. Loud noises such as a vaccum cleaner drive him crazy.
There are times when all of these symptoms lessen and he is able to read and to even walk around the halls and at these times his speech and hearing are somewhat better.
He also has episodes which may or may not be seizures. While hooked up to a machine that measures seizures no such activity was noted, but he has episodes where he says it feels as if someone is taping up his right legs and feet and his arm and noises start to bother him tremendously right before these episodes. He just kind of fades away for awhile and after maybe 20 minutes he comes back and says the feelings are lessening. He was started on an anti seizure medicine, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. He had slight high blood pressure which is now under control with medication. Blood sugers are fine.
We are wondering if we should try another hosptial and if the Cleveland Clinic would have any ideas? Unfortunately, my parents are self employed and we are not sure if their insurance will pick up a second hospital.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Connie
My father is 62 and until two months ago he was very active and healthy. Two months ago he began having what we thought was restless leg syndrome. When he went to bed his right leg would twitch and he was unable to sleep. Then three weeks after this started his hearing started to go. His first trip to an ENT said there was no hearing loss. But, Dad's hearing continued to get worse and he could not hear us. His speech started to slur and at times he began to have episodes where his gait was unsteady. We had a CT head scan and numerous trips to a general physcician but nothing was found.
Two weeks ago Dad was hospitalized at what is one of the top hospitals in Indiana. He has undergone two weeks of testing and the doctors tell us they are stumped. ENT says there is no ear problem to account for this.
He has had two MRIs within the two weeks of hospitalization. The first one was fine, the second one four days later showed a small spot on the left side of his brain. Opthamological tests indicate there is a problem in the cerebellum/pons area of the brain, but the MRI has not picked up anything.
In doing routine blood work it was discovered that Dad's lympocites in his blood are high as if they are fighting an infection or disease. Dad has now had numerous scans and probes, but so far no tumors or cancers have been located. Tests for heavy metal poisoning have also turned up negative as has a lyme disease test. Since being hospitaized, all of Dad's symptoms have worsened. He is now unable to articulate more than one or two syllable words and long sentences are extremely difficult. He can barely hear anyone speaking to him, his gait is extremely unsteady, his speech is at times so slurred that you can't make it out and his vision started to go last week. He now sees double. While he can't hear, he said noises bother him terribly and he keeps cotton in his ears or puts a pillow over his head. Loud noises such as a vaccum cleaner drive him crazy.
There are times when all of these symptoms lessen and he is able to read and to even walk around the halls and at these times his speech and hearing are somewhat better.
He also has episodes which may or may not be seizures. While hooked up to a machine that measures seizures no such activity was noted, but he has episodes where he says it feels as if someone is taping up his right legs and feet and his arm and noises start to bother him tremendously right before these episodes. He just kind of fades away for awhile and after maybe 20 minutes he comes back and says the feelings are lessening. He was started on an anti seizure medicine, but it doesn't seem to be doing anything. He had slight high blood pressure which is now under control with medication. Blood sugers are fine.
We are wondering if we should try another hosptial and if the Cleveland Clinic would have any ideas? Unfortunately, my parents are self employed and we are not sure if their insurance will pick up a second hospital.
Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Connie
Doctor's Answer
by CCF Neuro[P] MD, RPS, May 30, 2000 12:00AM
Dear Connie:
It is difficult to give you direction over the internet. The neurological exam is so important in neurology and without one there are often gaps in the etiologies. The acute nature of the symptoms would lead me to think of infection etiology. What did the CSF show? Was there a prion protein sent (CSF)? What did the EEG show? Was the EEG completely normal? Is he taking medication? Was the paraneoplastic workup done? His age almost precludes this diagnosis but what did the opthalmology work-up show..any optic atrophy. A mitochondrial disease is possible but would be very, very unusual in this age group.
Sorry, I am not much help.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
It is difficult to give you direction over the internet. The neurological exam is so important in neurology and without one there are often gaps in the etiologies. The acute nature of the symptoms would lead me to think of infection etiology. What did the CSF show? Was there a prion protein sent (CSF)? What did the EEG show? Was the EEG completely normal? Is he taking medication? Was the paraneoplastic workup done? His age almost precludes this diagnosis but what did the opthalmology work-up show..any optic atrophy. A mitochondrial disease is possible but would be very, very unusual in this age group.
Sorry, I am not much help.
Sincerely,
CCF Neuro MD
Connie