Abstract
Three cases, all male aged 30 respectively, presenting with opsoclonus, generalized myoclonus, and cerebellar symptoms were reported. Significant findings common to these 3 cases were: 1) gastrointestinal symptoms present as a chief initial complaint prior to the manifestation of abnormal eye movement; 2) a low-grade fever 3) generalized myoclonus and cerebellar symptoms which became conspicuous simultaneously with the emergence of ocular symptoms; 4) evidence of a minor degree of inflammation obtained on examination of the cerebrospinal fluid; 5) EEG generally consisting of slow rhythms; and 6) on vestibular function test abnormal eye movements and a failure to elicit adequately optokinetic nystagmus.
In the treatment of these cases steroid therapy proved to be quite effective since improvements of the above-mentioned symptoms could have been achieved in a brief period of time after initiating this therapy.
From the presence of abnormal eye movements and cerebellar symptoms in association with abnormalities in EEG and optokinetic nystagmus, it appeared justifiable to assume that the area of involvement in this desease lies in the communicating tracts of the cerebellum including the brain stem and pons or the involved area is extending over the cerebellum. Infection or an inflammatory lesion might be implicated as a cause of the desease. It was presumed that the observed disparity in abnormal eye movements can be explained by differences in the degree of involvement of the areas mentioned above as well as in the stage of desease.
