Partial Klüver–Bucy syndrome in a patient with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis

The symptoms of Klüver–Bucy syndrome (KBS) include hyperorality, hypersexuality, visual agnosia, hypermetamorphosis and decreased motor or vocal reaction to fear- or anger-provoking stimuli. This syndrome has been associated with a wide variety of neurodegenerative disorders, as well as traumatic, non-traumatic and infectious brain injuries. We report an 11-year-old boy who developed a fairly classical presentation of KBS, presumably in the setting of post-infectious acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM). This patient’s presentation is a reminder of this rare syndrome and extends the clinical manifestations of ADEM, which is a relatively more common condition.     

Simultaneous Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis in the pediatric population

Few cases of simultaneous acute demyelination of the peripheral and central nervous systems are reported. Four patients diagnosed as having Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis during the same hospitalization are described herein. Two patients manifest an atypical form of Guillain-Barré syndrome, with magnetic resonance imaging of the head showing acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. A third patient has acute disseminated encephalomyelitis and develops Guillain-Barré syndrome during his hospitalization. A fourth patient demonstrates transverse myelitis that evolves into Guillain-Barré syndrome, with demyelination seen on brain magnetic resonance imaging. All patients are treated with intravenous immunoglobulins or corticosteroids. Three patients have a favorable outcome; 1 patient has a chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy. Guillain-Barré syndrome and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis can occur simultaneously in the pediatric population. This may be explained by a shared epitope between peripheral and central nervous system myelin. Further research is necessary to better describe this entity and its prognosis.     

Bell’s palsy in a pediatric patient with hyper IgM syndrome and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2)

Bell’s palsy is an acute facial paralysis with known association to viral infections. We describe a medically complex 6-year-old male with hyper IgM syndrome who presented with unilateral facial droop and positive SARS-CoV-2 RT-PCR. This is the first reported pediatric case of Bell’s palsy in the setting of SARS-CoV-2 infection.     

Conduction block and axonal degeneration co-occurring in a patient with axonal Guillain-Barré syndrome

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 31 (SCA31), is a recently defined subtype of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) characterized by late-onset pure cerebellar ataxia. SCA31 is common in Japan but whether or not it exists in other countries is still unclear. In this study, the authors describe a sporadic Chinese patient with SCA31. Although the cardinal clinical features, i.e., late-onset cerebellar ataxia and hearing impairment in our sporadic patient were similar to those described previously in Japan, mild axonal sensorimotor neuropathy was identified in our SCA31 patient, which is somewhat distinct from most prior reports of the disease. This is the first report of SCA31 in China; thus, extending the ethnic association beyond families of Japanese origin. In addition, our study suggests that the clinical features of SCA31 might be broader than previously thought.     

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and peripheral neuropathy in a patient with Good’s syndrome

Journal of NeuroVirology - Good’s syndrome (GS) is an immunodeficiency characterized by thymoma, hypogammaglobulinemia, and impaired T-cell function. Progressive multifocal encephalopathy...     

Guillain-Barré syndrome and hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis in a patient with severe chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection syndrome

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection causes a wide range of neurologic and hematologic manifestations. We report a 72-year-old Japanese male patient with severe chronic active EBV infection syndrome (SCAEBV) who presented with Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and developed hemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis (HLH) several months after the onset of GBS. He showed acute onset of distal muscle weakness, ophthalmoplegia and bulbar palsy. Results of nerve conduction study revealed acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy (AMSAN). His serum was positive for anti-LM1 IgG and anti-GM1b IgM. Titers of antibodies to EBV-related antigens indicated chronic reactivated EBV infection. Treatment with IVIg resolved the acute ophthalmoplegia, but there was no notable improvement in the AMSAN and bulbar palsy despite repeated. Finally, he developed refractory HLH resulting in a fatal outcome. In the present patient, it seems that SCAEBV was associated with the development of GBS and fatal HLH via parainfectious autoimmunity and direct infectious immune mechanisms, respectively.     

Response to humor in depression: A predictor and evaluator of patient change?

Summary Response to humor in the form of riddles and jokes was studied in 18 women patients with severe neurotic and psychotic depressions. The patients were observed during and following a four-day series of intravenous drip infusions of 5 per cent glucose in saline; some patients received 500 mg. of nialamide in this infusion in random double-blind distribution. Patients were tested for humor response on each of the four treatment days and at the end of a two-week follow-up period. A psychologist independently administered the MMPI and the Reck Depression Inventory before, immediately following, and two weeks after the termination of, the intravenous phase; her evaluations were used as criteria for validating the humor response. Results offered tentative support for the significance of the humor response as a predictor and evaluator of change in depressed patients. Clinical implications and suggestions for refinement of this new method were discussed.From the department of medical research, Spring Grove State Hospital, Baltimore 28, Md.     

Response to “a fatal case of Guillain-Barré syndrome after infection with COVID-19”

Journal of NeuroVirology -     

Myoclonus and tremor response to thalamic deep brain stimulation parameters in a patient with inherited myoclonus–dystonia syndrome

We present a 74-year-old woman with inherited myoclonus–dystonia, with predominant myoclonus and a novel mutation in the ?-sarcoglycan gene. The patient reports a life-long history of rapid, jerking movements, most severe in the upper extremities as well as a postural and action tremor. Bilateral deep brain stimulation (DBS) of the ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus was performed, and the patient demonstrated moderate clinical improvement in myoclonus. We studied the effects on myoclonus and tremor of varying DBS frequency and amplitude. The frequency tuning curve for myoclonus was similar to that of tremor, suggesting similar mechanisms by which DBS alleviates both disorders.     

Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction blocks and prurigo nodularis. A paraneoplastic syndrome in a patient with non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphoma?

Multifocal motor neuropathy with conduction blocks (MMNCB) is a peripheral demyelinating neuropathy. The etiology of this disease is unknown, but an autoimmune origin is postulated. Prurigo nodularis (PN), a chronic dermatosis also having an unknown etiology and many peripheral neuropathies of different nature are associated to hematological tumors. We have found no cases in the literature in which MMNCB was presented as a paraneoplastic syndrome of a non-Hodgkin B-cell type lymphoma (NHL-B). We present the case of a 67 year old man who simultaneously developed PN and MMNCB in upper limbs and who was diagnosed of a NHL-B 19 months later. We raise the hypothesis that both prurigo and neuropathy are a paraneoplastic syndrome for lymphoma with a possible common autoimmune pathogenic mechanism.     

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy and CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia in a patient with Sjögren syndrome

We report progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) and CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia in a 71-year-old man with Sj?gren syndrome (SjS). The patient was admitted to our hospital because of progressive dementia and gait disturbance. T2-weighted MR images showed high-intensity lesions in his left frontal white matter thalamus, cerebellum and brainstem. A pathological diagnosis of PML was made by brain biopsy. SjS is frequently accompanied with immunological complications; however, there are few reports on PML in patients with SjS. Recently, isolated CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia is reported to be one of the based immunological conditions associated with the development of PML. In the present case, CD4+ T-lymphocytopenia was also observed on admission, which is also associated with SjS.     

Respiratory failure in a patient with antecedent poliomyelitis: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or post-polio syndrome?

We report a 69-year-old man who developed paralytic poliomyelitis in childhood and then decades later suffered from fatal respiratory failure. Six months before this event, he had progressive weight loss and shortness of breath. He had severe muscular atrophy of the entire right leg as a sequela of the paralytic poliomyelitis. He showed mild weakness of the facial muscle and tongue, dysarthria, and severe muscle atrophy from the neck to proximal upper extremities and trunk, but no obvious pyramidal signs. Electromyogram revealed neurogenic changes in the right leg, and in the paraspinal, sternocleidomastoid, and lingual muscles. There was a slight increase in central motor conduction time from the motor cortex to the lumbar anterior horn. Pulmonary function showed restrictive ventilation dysfunction, which was the eventual cause of death. Some neuropathological features were suggestive of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), namely Bunina bodies. In patients with a history of paralytic poliomyelitis who present after a long stable period with advanced fatal respiratory failure, one may consider not only respiratory impairment from post-polio syndrome but also the onset of ALS.     

Wernicke’s encephalopathy in a patient with acute pancreatitis: unusual cortical involvement and marvelous prognosis

Wernicke's encephalopathy (WE) is a severe neurological disorder caused by thiamine deficiency. Clinically, it is most frequently observed in people with alcohol abuse. WE, however, can occur in any clinical condition associated with malnutrition or thiamine deficiency. We present the case of a 47-year-old woman with prolonged therapeutic fasting who presented with ophthalmoplegia, ataxia and deep coma. MRI showed unusual symmetric cortical abnormalities in the frontal and parietal lobes, as well as typical lesions surrounding the third ventricle and aqueduct. Although the patient entered a vegetative state, she finally regained consciousness after thiamine supplementation unexpectedly. To the best of our knowledge, it has never been reported to date that the patient with WE in a vegetative state with cortical damage shows a marvelous prognosis, which prompts us to report this case. In the present report, we highlight the role of MRI in the diagnosis of acute WE.