Clinico-radiologic profile of a dorsal variant of posterior cortical atrophy in a 55-year old female

Abstract

Posterior Cortical Atrophy is a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by early, prominent and progressive impairment of visuospatial and visuoperceptual functions in the context of relatively preserved memory and insight in the early phases. Initial visual symptoms are vague and peculiar, compelling them to seek ophthalmologic consult. Patients present with simultagnosia and spatial disorientation, which are often missed by routine ophthalmologic and neurologic exams. This causes delay in diagnosis and early recognition of symptoms, as well as thorough examinations of higher cortical function are required to diagnose this disorder. As the disease progresses, Posterior Cortical Atrophy ultimately leads to a more diffuse pattern of cognitive dysfunction. The underlying pathology is believed to be Alzheimer's Disease and a greater level of amyloid plaques is correlated with earlier clinical symptoms of Posterior Cortical Atrophy. The clinical features of reported cases are heterogenous, leading to a classification of different variants and underlying pathologies. We report the serial clinical, cognitive and imaging data of a variant of Posterior Cortical Atrophy primarily affecting the dorsal stream.