Behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia mimicking Huntington's disease

Abstract

Behavioral changes and cognitive decline are the core clinical manifestations in the behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia (bv-FTD). The behavioral changes may include characteristic stereotypic movements. These movements, although without clear purpose, are not involuntary. Involuntary movements are usually not seen in FTD.Two patients with involuntary choreoathetoid movements but otherwise presenting a bv-FTD-phenotype were referred and Huntington's disease (HD) was suspected. The diagnoses of bv-FTD were made after comprehensive assessment and exclusion of other diagnoses, including HD and Huntington's disease-like (HDL) phenotypes. Although a definite diagnosis will require neuropathological confirmation, we conclude that a HDL phenotype may be part of the clinical spectrum of the bv-FTD phenotype.