Abstract
Objective: To investigate whether factors other than hyperglycaemia may be responsible for the neurological involvement.
Methods: Three patients who developed a persistent chorea-ballism syndrome triggered by a hyperglycaemic crisis were investigated. In these patients, the persistence of the involuntary movements required neuroleptic medication.
Results: T1 weighted magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral hyperintense lesions involving the striatum. Surprisingly, in these patients, the laboratory investigations revealed peripheral red blood cell acanthocytosis in a significant proportion of cells.
Conclusion: Compared with the large population of patients with diabetes who do not show abnormal involuntary movements, unrecognised acanthocytosis in diabetes might render patients prone to develop hemichorea-hemiballism.
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