HEMIBALLISMUS-HEMICHOREA AND NONKETOTIC HYPERGLYCEMIA

Three patients with hemiballism-hemichorea caused by non-ketotic hyper glycaemia are presented, two of whom had hyperosmolar non-ketotic hype rglycaemic syndrome. In two of the three patients, the hyperkinesia wa s the initial presenting symptom of their diabetes mellitus. The hyper sensitivity of the postmenopausal dopamine receptor, decreased gamma-a minobutyric acid in the brain in non-ketotic hyperglycaemia, coexistin g lacunar infarct in the basal ganglion, and pre-existing metabolic dy sfunction in the basal ganglion may all have played a part in the path ogenesis of this movement disorder.