No abstract available.
Polyradiculoneuropathy*

The Guillain-Barre Sydrome (GBS) is an acute inflammatory demylinating polyradiculoneuropathy of unknown etiology. It occurs frequently one to three weeks after a banal antecedent respiratory or gastrointestinal infection. Other preceding events include surgical procedures, viral exanthems and other viral illnesses, mycoplasma infections, the spirochetal infection of Lyrne disease, lymphomatous disease, adrninistration of vaccination and so on. We experienced 2 cases of typical GBS in clinical features, CSF finding and electrophysiological aspect after antecedent nckettsial infection. To our knowledge, this is the first discription of GBS associated with preceding rickettsial disease. We would like to suggest that rickettsial infection would be one of possible antecedent illness associated with GBS.
Exanthema ; Guillain-Barre Syndrome* ; Mycoplasma Infections ; Polyradiculoneuropathy ; Vaccination

Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) is used in treating many cases of autoimmune and inflammatory conditions thanks to its multiple anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory properties. The clinical use of IVIG has been for the patients with primary immunodeficiencies, but lately it is expanding its usage to the realms of treating patients with neurological conditions. Both the efficacy and safety of IVIG treatment in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy and Guillain–Barré syndrome have been studied successfully. However, the use of IVIG treatment in other neurological conditions still remains investigational despite several successful reports. Considerable numbers of mechanisms have been suggested in order to explain the effects of IVIG, but the exact mechanisms are not understood yet. This review covers the new developments in clinical fields and the possible ways in which IVIG could help in the future.
Humans ; Immunoglobulins* ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Neurology ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating

BACKGROUND: Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is a heterogenous group of acquired peripheral neuropathies. A subset of CIDP involves predominantly distal parts of the limbs, which is similar to axonal polyneuropathy. The clinical course or response to treatment may be different in this group. We investigated the clinical course and electrodiagnostic findings of the distal CIDP. METHODS: Twenty five CIDP cases were reviewed retrospectively. Patients with proximal as well as distal involvement were grouped as typical CIDP, and patients with predominantly distal involvement as distal CIDP. We compared the clinical, laboratory and electrophysiological findings of these two groups. RESULTS: Sixteen patients had typical CIDP and nine had distal CIDP. Distal CIDP differed significantly from typical CIDP; later age of onset (p=0.049), less frequent relapses (p=0.041), more rapidly progressive to maximal disability (p =0.01), low disability score at the diagnosis (p=0.02) and after treatment (p=0.01), poor response to immunomodulating therapy (p=0.02), and infrequent conduction blocks or abnormal temporal dispersions (p<0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Distal CIDP is a distinctive variant of CIDP different from typical CIDP in clinical and electrophysiological features. Identification of the pathogenesis underlying this new entity may lead to better understanding of the heterogeneous acquired demyelinating neuropathies.
Age of Onset ; Axons ; Diagnosis ; Extremities ; Humans ; Peripheral Nervous System Diseases ; Polyneuropathies ; Polyradiculoneuropathy ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating* ; Recurrence ; Retrospective Studies

Primary spinal cord lymphomas are rare, and are either extra-/intradural masses with leptomeningeal infiltration or intramedullary in nature. The authors present a patient with a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the sacral nerve root, extension to extradural space, and the cranial nerve.
B-Lymphocytes* ; Cranial Nerves ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Polyradiculoneuropathy* ; Spinal Cord

Primary spinal cord lymphomas are rare, and are either extra-/intradural masses with leptomeningeal infiltration or intramedullary in nature. The authors present a patient with a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma involving the sacral nerve root, extension to extradural space, and the cranial nerve.
B-Lymphocytes* ; Cranial Nerves ; Humans ; Lymphoma ; Lymphoma, B-Cell* ; Polyradiculoneuropathy* ; Spinal Cord

Since the clinical features were first delineated in 1975 by Dyck et al, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) has been clearly recognized as a separate clinical entity. The diagnosis of CIDP can be made when there are a symmetrical motor & sensory polyneuropathy with chronic progression, high CSF protein level and marked nerve conduction abnormalities of demyelinating type, which occur in the absence of associated illness. From July 1985 to June 1987, authors have observed seven cases of CIDP. Prednisone was begun at a daily dosage of 1-2mg per kg when each patient fulfilled the above described critera. Significant clinical improvement was recorded in six out of seven cases within four weeks after initiation of corticosteriod therapy. In one case dramatic relief of tingling sensation was observed within 5th day, but motor power improved gradually during the sixth to eighth weeks of daily theapy. No significant side effects of prednisone was found in all cases except for one, who suffered from compressed fracture of lumbar vertebra with minor physical trauma. Therefore it could be concluded that corticosteriod therapy seems to have beneficial effect on patients with severe degree of CIDP.
Diagnosis ; Humans ; Neural Conduction ; Polyneuropathies ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating* ; Prednisone ; Sensation ; Spine

Peripheral nervous system dysfunction is a rare complication in Henoch-Schonlein purpura, but it tends to recover spontaneously without treatment. A 78-year-old man who had ankylosing spondylitis presented with Henoch-Schonlein purpura associated with progressive sensorimotor polyneuropathy. He was diagnosed with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy, which did not improve despite intravenous immunoglobulin therapy. We describe a case of Henoch-Schonlein purpura, accompanied by chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in a patient with ankylosing spondylitis.
Aged ; Humans ; Immunization, Passive ; Peripheral Nervous System ; Polyneuropathies ; Polyradiculoneuropathy ; Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch ; Spondylitis, Ankylosing

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) represents an important acquired condition characterized by progressive, symmetrical, proximal and distal weakness. CIDP is characterized by sensory loss and weakness, areflexia, elevated CSF protein and electrodiagnostic evidence of multifocal demyelination with or without superimposed axonal degeneration. Some reports are made that an antecedent illness in the weeks preceding the onset of symptoms such as upper respiratory syndrome or flu-like illness, gastrointestinal syndrome etc., but intestinal pseudoobstruction as the main clinical feature in CIDP is an uncommon finding. The clinical course is variable. The condition is responsive to immunosuppressive therapy, especially prednisone and plasma exchange. We report a case of intestinal pseudoobstruction secondary to CIDP diagnosed by clinical features, electrodiagnostic study and nerve biopsy pathology.
Axons ; Biopsy ; Demyelinating Diseases ; Intestinal Pseudo-Obstruction* ; Pathology ; Plasma Exchange ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating* ; Prednisone

Preliminary studies have evaluated the effects of interferon beta formulations in the treatment of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) because of pathogenic similarities between CIDP and multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the efficacy of Interferon, which has been widely used for relapsing-remitting MS, is controversial in CIDP. We report here a 31year old woman with relapsing-remitting type MS treated with IFN beta-1b over 2 years who developed overt CIDP. She responded favorably to steroids. This case suggests that IFN beta-1b treatment may not prevent development of CIDP.
Female ; Humans ; Interferon-beta* ; Interferons ; Multiple Sclerosis* ; Polyneuropathies* ; Polyradiculoneuropathy, Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating ; Steroids