tacrolimus and Apraxias

The constellation of ocular symptoms known as Balint syndrome is a rare disorder seen in bilateral parieto-occipital lesions and is most frequently due to arterial occlusive disease or acute hypertension. Here we present the case of a patient with tacrolimus-induced posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) who presented with optic ataxia, simultanagnosia, and ocular apraxia. These ocular findings, consistent with Balint syndrome, are rarely the initial presentation of PRES. This case highlights the importance of early recognition of this unusual phenomenon, as well as the importance of an individualized rehabilitation plan to maximize functional independence in these patients.. V.

Topics: Adult; Apraxias; Cogan Syndrome; Diagnosis, Differential; Female; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Occipital Lobe; Parietal Lobe; Posterior Leukoencephalopathy Syndrome; Tacrolimus

The immunosuppressive agent FK-506 (tacrolimus) is one of the agents most commonly used to prevent rejection after liver transplantation. Neurologic toxicity related to FK-506 has been reported, including speech disorders; however, a detailed analysis of the speech disorder associated with use of FK-506 has not been presented. Herein we describe a patient who exhibited mutism, then severe apraxia of speech with a concomitant hypokinetic, spastic, and ataxic dysarthria after administration of FK-506. His residual mixed dysarthria, without radiographic evidence of a structural lesion, suggests dysfunction of one or more neurochemical systems. The pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying this intriguing entity remain obscure.

Topics: Apraxias; Dysarthria; Humans; Immunosuppressive Agents; Male; Middle Aged; Speech; Speech Disorders; Tacrolimus