Subcortical and brainstem hemiatrophy accompanied by iron deposition in a patient with hemiparkinsonism-hemiatrophy syndrome: a case report

BACKGROUND: There is no established pathogenesis of hemiparkinsonism-hemiatrophy syndrome (HPHA), and the varied clinical presentations have been reported in several case studies. To the best of our knowledge, the present report describes the first case of HPHA with unusual brain imaging findings. CASE PRESENTATION: A 20-year-old man presented with a 6-month history of weakness and clumsiness in his right limbs. He showed right-sided parkinsonism with dystonic hand posture; however, body asymmetry was not noted. Brain imaging revealed hemiatrophy of the left hemisphere subcortical structures and brainstem, and iron deposition in the left globus pallidus and substantia nigra. In addition, dopamine transporter imaging demonstrated normal presynaptic dopaminergic function. The patient was treated with levodopa, which had little to no effect. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates the unique imaging characteristics of HPHA associated with widespread brain hemiatrophy and iron deposition. Further studies are needed to elucidate the diagnostic criteria for this heterogeneous syndrome. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12883-021-02080-4.