Pearls & Oy-sters: Episodic ataxia type 2: Case report and review of the literature

A 38-year-old man presented to our clinic for evaluation of increasingly frequent spells of gait instability, diplopia, vertigo, and dysarthria. These spells began at 12 years of age. Initially, he experienced isolated periods of vertigo without accompanying symptoms. He told no family or friends of his problem at the time. Two years later, the symptoms progressed, manifesting as semistereotyped episodes characterized by a shock-like sensation radiating from his neck down his back followed by binocular diplopia, vertigo, gait instability, mental clouding, and nausea lasting 2-8 hours. Later, he experienced dysarthria during spells. Interictally, he returned to his baseline except for a persistent mild diplopia.