D.D. :
1. PROGRESSIVE & SYMETRIC ATAXIA
A. ACUTE & SUBACUTE ONSET
* CAUSED BY ALCOHOL, PHENYTOIN, LITHIUM, BARBITURATES, TOLUNE EXPOSURE, GASOLINE SNIFFLING, GLUE SNIFFLING, SPRAY PAINTING, EXPOSURE TO METHYL MERCURY & BISMUTH.
* TREATMENT WITH FLUOROURACIL, PACLITAXEL
* CHILDREN AFTER VERICELLA INFECTION
* RARELY AFTER POLIOMYELITIS, COXSACKIE VIRUS, ECHO VIRUS, EPSTEIN BARR VIRUS, TOXOPLASMOSIS, LEGIONELLA INFECTION.
* CREUTZFELDT- JAKOB DISEASE
B. SUBACUTE ONSET
* ALCOHOLISM WITH MALNUTRITION MAINLY OF VIT B1 & B12
* HYPONATREMIA
* PARANEOPLASTIC SYNDROME IN BREAST & OVARIAN CANCER
C. CHRONIC
* INHERITED ATAXIA
* METABOLIC ATAXIA
- HYPOTHYROIDISM
* CHRONIC INFECTION
- MENINGOVASCULAR SYPHILIS
- TABES DORSALIS
- LYME DISEASE
2. FOCAL ATAXIA
A. ACUTE
* CEREBROVASCULAR DISEASES LIKE ISCHEMIC INFARCTION, HEMORRHAGIC INFARCTION OR CEREBELLAR HAEMORRHAGE
* POST FOSSA SUBDURAL HAEMATOMA, BACTERIAL ABSCESS, PRIMARY OR METASTATIC CEREBELLAR TUMOR OR AC DEMYELINATING LESION OF MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
B. CHRONIC
* MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS
* CONGENITAL LESIONS LIKE CHIARI TYPE-I MALFORMATION
* CONGENITAL CYSTS OF POST FOSSA
INHERITED ATAXIA
* AUTOSOMAL DOMINANT ATAXIA
- SCA ( SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIA )TYPE 1 THROUGH TYPE 13
- DENTATORUBROPALLIDOLUYSIAN ATROPHY
- EPISODIC ATAXIA TYPE I & TYPE II
* AUTOSOMAL RECESSIVE ATAXIA LIKE - FRIEDREICHS ATAXIA
- ATAXIA TELANGIECTASIA
- XERODERMA PIGMENTOSUM
- MITOCHONDRIAL ATAXIA
- COCKAYNE SYNDROME
- MARINESCO-SJOGREN SYNDROME
OTHER TESTS :
* CARDIAC INVOLVEMENT IN 90%. CARDIOMEGALY, HYPERTROPHY, MURMERS & CONDUCTION ABNORMALITIES.
* BLOOD SUGAR - HIGH IN 20%