Hypomagnesemia, a Rare Cause of Reversible Ataxia

Background: A 61-year-old male patient presented with cerebellar syndrome, which had progressively worsened for 10 days, followed by a tonic-clonic seizure.

Phenomenology Shown: Blood analysis showed severe hypomagnesemia and a brain MRI showed T2 hyperintensity in the cerebellar hemispheres (Figure 1). Therefore, the final diagnosis was cerebellar syndrome and epileptic seizures secondary to severe hypomagnesemia.

Educational Value: In cases of subacute onset of ataxia, the possibility of ataxia secondary to hypomagnesemia should be considered, as it can be diagnosed with a basic blood test and there are potentially life-threatening outcomes in the absence of treatment, with a reversible course following early supplementation.