Progressive dysarthria - Case reports and a review of the literature

Two patients presenting with progressive dysarthria as the single initial m anifestation of a neurodegenerative condition are described. The nature of the dysarthria as well as the additional symptoms that developed in the cou rse of the disorder are very different in these two cases. Nevertheless, ne uroimaging findings are strikingly similar and suggest bilateral involvemen t of posterior inferior frontal lobe structures, mainly in the dominant cer ebral hemisphere. The clinical syndrome of these patients can therefore be considered an example of frontotemporal degeneration presenting without dem entia or comportmental alteration, at least in the early stages. This broad ens the clinical spectrum of frontotemporal degeneration and demonstrates t he need for a syndromal subclassification of this nosological entity.