Diffuse Lewy body disease with dementia and oculomotor dysfunction.

The case is presented of an elderly patient who had dementia, axial rigidity, and bradykinesia with limitation of horizontal and vertical gaze. Pathological examination disclosed Lewy and Lewy-like bodies in the substantia nigra, locus ceruleus, and neocortex, leading to a final diagnosis of diffuse Lewy body disease. Similar inclusions were found in areas of the pons and midbrain believed to be associated with gaze control. Moderate numbers of neuritic plaques, but no neurofibrillary tangles, were present in limbic cortex and neocortex. Review of the literature has not shown previous association of diffuse Lewy body disease with both horizontal and vertical gaze anomalies.