Somnolence Preceded the Development of a Subthalamic Lesion in Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder

• Published in: Internal Medicine Vol. 59; no. 4; pp. 577 - 579
• Main Authors: Ogaki, Kotaro, Okuma, Yasuyuki, Yokoyama, Kazumasa, Hayashida, Arisa, Ando, Maya, Kanbayashi, Takashi, Daida, Kensuke, Hattori, Nobutaka, Noda, Kazuyuki
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Japan The Japanese Society of Internal Medicine 15.02.2020; Japan Science and Technology Agency
• Subjects: Case Report; Cerebrospinal fluid; hypothalamic lesion; Hypothalamus; Internal medicine; Magnetic resonance imaging; Methylphenidate; modafinil; Narcolepsy; Neuromyelitis; neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; orexin; Orexins; Sleep disorders; somnolence; methylphenidate; hypothalamic lesion; orexin; modafinil; neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder; somnolence
• ISSN: 0918-2918; 1349-7235; 1349-7235
• DOI: 10.2169/internalmedicine.2947-19

A 67-year-old woman with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) developed severe somnolence. Ten days after admission, fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed hyperintense areas around the bilateral hypothalamus, which were not present on MRI at admission. The orexin level, which is decreased in idiopathic narcolepsy, was slightly decreased in her cerebrospinal fluid. Immunosuppressive treatment and methylphenidate markedly improved her somnolence. This case shows that NMOSD in the acute phase can cause somnolence in a patient without apparent lesions in the hypothalamus.