Summary

A 69-year-old man presented with sudden loss of ability to recognise written words and remember the meaning of words and names. He could not name the town he lived in nor name his children. It was difficult for him to remember the meaning of concrete and abstract nouns. His speech fluency and understanding of casual talks were normal. He remembered that he had a conversation with his family that morning, but not the exact content. He was referred to the transient ischaemic attack clinic by his general practitioner as he scored low on the abbreviated mental test score. He underwent a brain MRI scan (T2 weighted, diffusion weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) which showed an acute infarction in the left medial temporal region affecting the fusiform and parahippocampal gyri. He also noticed that it was easier to retrieve numbers, for example, his mobile number. He recovered on waking up the next day.