Progressive Gait Difficulties

Abstract

A 58-year-old, right-handed man with a medical history of nephrolithiasis, essential hypertension, and type 2 diabetes sought care for a 6-year history of gait impairment. Initially, he noted subtle left foot and ankle weakness with associated falls that progressed over time. Two to 3 years later he again noted progressive left leg weakness and new arm weakness. Subsequently, progressive pain developed on the soles of his feet in addition to edema with erythematous discoloration around the left ankle and foot. On neurologic examination, he was found to have mild upper motor neuron pattern weakness in the left arm and leg, most pronounced in the left hand finger extensor and left hip flexion and abduction. Left patellar reflex was brisk, and there was an extensor Babinski sign on the left. There was mild reduction in pinprick sensation in both feet. His gait was spastic with left leg circumduction. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed left-sided predominant periventricular and subcortical T2 fluid-attenuated inversion recovery hyperintensities. Magnetic resonance imaging of the cervical and thoracic spinal cord showed intramedullary cord T2 signal hyperintensities, eccentrically located on the left at C3, C5, C6, on the right at C7 to T1, and centrally at T4/T5 and T8/T9. A diagnosis of primary progressive multiple sclerosis was made. The patient met the 2017 McDonald criteria for primary progressive multiple sclerosis. After the diagnosis was confirmed and comprehensive education about the disease and the role of disease-modifying therapy was discussed with the patient, he was started on ocrelizumab. Gabapentin was started for management of painful foot paresthesias. Vitamin D3 supplementation was started. Physical therapy was also initiated. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic immune-mediated demyelinating disease of the central nervous system and is the leading cause of disability in the young population. Approximately 1 million people in the United States currently have multiple sclerosis.