A 69-year-old woman presents to the clinic with memory difficulty. The patient’s daughter is concerned because she is having difficulty doing her finances, such as paying bills. Memory impairment testing reveals the poor ability to generate lists of words or copy diagrams (intersecting pentagons). Her remaining
physical examination is normal. Which of the following anatomic findings is most likely with her condition?
(A) atrophy of the medial temporal lobes
(B) atrophy of the entire frontal and temporal
lobes
© cranial nerve involvement
(D) transient episodes of hemiplegia
(E) atrophy of the caudate
solution:
(B) Alzheimer’s disease can be quite diffuse, but there is particular involvement of the medial temporal lobes and cortical association areas. The atrophy of the hippocampus is particularly marked. Microscopic examination reveals neurofibrillary tangles and amyloid plaques.