CENTRAL PONTINE MYELINOLYSIS AND ATAXIA - AN UNUSUAL MANIFESTATION OFHYPOGLYCEMIA

Hypoglycaemia is common in people with diabetes who aim to achieve goo d blood glucose control. Severe hypoglycaemia presents with evidence o f neurological dysfunction, such as inability to concentrate, confusio n, seizures, and coma. Such disturbances are reversible on correction of the hypoglycaemia. Infrequently there may be a focal neurological d eficit and we report one such case presenting with cerebellar symptoms following an episode of severe hypoglycaemia. A magnetic resonance sc an showed features consistent with the presence of central pontine mye linolysis. The symptoms resolved within a few months with only minimal residual neurological deficit. (C) 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.