Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Misdiagnosed as a Stroke
4 affiliations
- 1Wellcome-Wolfson Institute for Experimental Medicine Queen’s University Belfast Belfast UK qub.ac.uk
- 2Department of Medicine Lagan Valley Hospital Lisburn UK duhs.edu.pk
- 3Department of Neurology Ulster Hospital Dundonald UK setrust.hscni.net
- 4Department of Neuroradiology Royal Victoria Hospital Belfast UK nhs.uk
Abstract
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is rare and can be challenging to diagnose. Symptoms can be varied and can mimic stroke phenotypes. Physicians must hold a high index of suspicion in patients with significant PML risk factors (including HIV/AIDS, immunosuppression, lymphoproliferative malignancies and chemotherapy/monoclonal antibody therapies) presenting with progressive neurological symptoms. Here, we describe a 63‐year‐old man who presented with left‐sided weakness, apraxia and neglect on a background of subtle cognitive decline. He had a past medical history of recurrent follicular lymphoma with chemotherapy. He was initially diagnosed as a stroke but deteriorated further and ultimately received a diagnosis of PML. Earlier recognition of this condition will help to facilitate research into this disease.
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BibTeX
@article{mullan2026progressive,
title = {{Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Misdiagnosed as a Stroke}},
author = {Ger Mullan and Stephen Ramsay and Michael Jamison and Martin Harley and Simon Au},
journal = {Case Reports in Neurological Medicine},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1155/crnm/6610404},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1155/crnm/6610404},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Misdiagnosed as a Stroke
AU - Ger Mullan
AU - Stephen Ramsay
AU - Michael Jamison
AU - Martin Harley
AU - Simon Au
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Case Reports in Neurological Medicine
DO - 10.1155/crnm/6610404
UR - https://doi.org/10.1155/crnm/6610404
AB - Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is rare and can be challenging to diagnose. Symptoms can be varied and can mimic stroke phenotypes. Physicians must hold a high index of suspicion in patients with significant PML risk factors (including HIV/AIDS, immunosuppression, lymphoproliferative malignancies and chemotherapy/monoclonal antibody therapies) presenting with progressive neurological symptoms. Here, we describe a 63‐year‐old man who presented with left‐sided weakness, apraxia and neglect on a background of subtle cognitive decline. He had a past medical history of recurrent follicular lymphoma with chemotherapy. He was initially diagnosed as a stroke but deteriorated further and ultimately received a diagnosis of PML. Earlier recognition of this condition will help to facilitate research into this disease.
SN - 2090-6668
SN - 2090-6676
ER -