Peripheral neuropathies during treatment with almitrine: report of 46 cases

Summary Almitrine bismesylate is thought to cause sensory peripheral neuropathy. Forty-six patients are reported who received almitrine bismesylate alone for chronic respiratory failure or in combination with raubasine for various cerebrovascular diseases. Polyneuropathy appeared between 9 and 25 months after the onset of treatment. Sensory signs and symptoms were confined to the distal parts of the lower limbs and involved large and small fibres. Histological and electrophysiological findings indicated axonal degeneration. Respiratory failure could have caused the polyneuropathy in some cases but many had no chest disease. Patients began to improve between 3 and 6 months after withdrawal of the drug. Recovery was usually complete after 12 months.     

Peripheral neuropathies associated with monoclonal gammapathies. Value of electrophysiologic studies

An electrophysiological study was performed in 19 patients with polyneuropathy associated with a monoclonal gammopathy. This study has shown some difference according to the type of the gammopathy and the benign or malignant nature of the disease. Patients with benign IgM gammopathy are in an homogenous group. In every case the neuropathy is of the demyelinating type. In the other groups, the neuropathy is less homogenous. Most of the time it was predominantly of axonal type. Within the myeloma group, the neuropathy is more severe and the denervation pattern is marked.     

Peripheral neuropathy in multiple sclerosis: a clinical and electrophysiologic study

Peripheral nerve abnormalities are uncommon in multiple sclerosis (MS). When present, they are usually attributed to factors associated with advanced disease, such as malnutrition or cytotoxic drugs. We prospectively evaluated 22 mildly disabled MS patients with sensory complaints for evidence of neuropathy using the Neuropathy Symptom Score (NSS), clinical examination, and electrophysiologic studies of peripheral nerves. Distal latency, F-wave response, and nerve conduction velocity (NCV) and amplitude in the ulnar, median, tibial, peroneal and sural nerves were examined. Neuropathy was recorded if electrophysiologic abnormalities were detected in at least two peripheral nerves in the same patient. The most frequent electrophysiologic abnormalities noted were prolonged F-wave response and low motor amplitude in the peroneal nerve, slow sensory conduction velocities of the ulnar and sural nerves, and prolonged distal latencies in the sensory ulnar and sural nerves. Electrophysiologic abnormalities were found in 33 of 244 nerves examined (14.7%) and occurred in 10 patients (45.5%). Neuropathic symptoms were mild and did not correlate with electrophysiologic abnormalities. Age, disease duration, disease course and neurologic disability as evaluated by the Kurtzke Expanded Disability Status Scale, were not associated with the presence of neuropathy. Our findings indicate a high frequency of sensory-motor neuropathy in a selected group of MS patients.     

多发性硬化周围神经损害的临床与电生理研究

目的研究多发性硬化(MS)患者周围神经损害的临床特点与电生理改变。方法84例MS患者中,对其中16例有周围神经损害的MS患者(PNMS组)和68例无周围神经损害的MS患者(NPNMS组)的临床及电生理资料进行分析。结果本组MS患者中周围神经损害的发生率为19.0%(16/84)。表现为肢体麻木14例(87.5%),肢体无力12例(75.0%),神经根性疼痛4例(25.0%);腱反射减低15例(93.7%),末梢型感觉障碍13例(81.2%),肌萎缩5例(31.2%)。PNMS组患者的平均年龄[(44.6±12.5)岁]、病程[(39.3±18.3)个月]与NPNMS组[(32.2±11.5)岁、(31.6±17.2)个月]比较差异有显著性(P<0.01,P<0.05)。PNMS组以脊髓型MS(11例,68.7%)多见,NPNMS组以脑型MS(49例,72.1%)多见(均P<0.01)。PNMS组运动神经传导速度(MCV)、感觉神经传导速度(SCV)减慢者分别为79.7%、68.7%,F波异常为75.0%;NPNMS组MCV、SCV减慢者分别为7.9%、5.5%,F波异常为5.9%;两组相比差异有极显著性(均P<0.01)。经皮质类固醇等治疗PNMS组除2例无效外,其余患者均随病情好转而恢复。结论MS合并周围神经损害者年龄偏大,病程较长,脊髓型MS多见;MS出现周围神经损害不影响患者的预后;部分临床上无周围神经损害症状的MS患者神经电生理也有异常,神经电生理检查对MS周围神经损害的诊断有重要意义。     

Peripheral neuropathies associated with monoclonal proteins: a clinical review

Over the last decade, the increasing use of serum and urine protein electrophoretic screening of patients with idiopathic peripheral neuropathy has led to greater recognition of peripheral neuropathy syndromes that are associated with monoclonal proteins and plasma cell dycrasias. After careful evaluation, most of these patients have benign monoclonal gammopathy, followed in frequency by primary systemic amyloidosis and osteosclerotic myeloma, with occasional cases associated with osteolytic multiple myeloma, Waldenstrom's macroglobulinemia, gamma heavy chain disease, and other rare disorders. Several of these syndromes have distinctive presentations and are recognizable clinically, whereas others (especially multiple myeloma neuropathy) are diverse clinically and are not clearly distinguishable from other chronic neuropathies. The discovery of IgM-kappa monoclonal proteins directed at myelin antigens in some patients with benign monoclonal gammopathy and the delineation of the syndrome of neuropathy and multiorgan involvement in osteosclerotic myeloma are important developments which may shed light on the mechanism of the remote effects of malignancies on the nervous system.     

Peripheral neuropathy associated with monoclonal IgG of undetermined significance: clinical, electrophysiologic, pathologic and therapeutic study of 14 cases

Fourteen patients with peripheral neuropathy and monoclonal IgG of undetermined significance are reported with a retrospective study of the clinical features, electrophysiologic and sural nerve biopsy findings. There were two groups. Five patients had a relapsing chronic sensorimotor polyneuropathy with clinical (5/5), electrophysiologic (4/5) and pathologic (5/5) features compatible with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathies (CIDP). The nine others had a slowly progressive sensory (5/9) (SPNP) or sensorimotor (4/9) (SMPNP) axonal polyneuropathy. Four patients of the first group were treated with intravenous human immunoglobulin (400 mg/kg/day for five days) with significant clinical improvement. The motor conduction velocities and distal latencies of two of these patients improved following treatment, thus matching the clinical improvement. Our results on peripheral nerve biopsies confirm the differentiation of patients with CIDP from those with SMPNP and SPNP. There was no specific immunologic serologic reactivity in any of the cases.     

Peripheral neuropathy in systemic vasculitis: clinical and electrophysiologic study of 22 patients

Twenty-two patients with evidence of systemic vasculitis and peripheral neuropathy were clinically and electrophysiologically investigated in a retrospective study. Ten had a polyarteritis nodosa, 6 a probable polyarteritis nodosa, and 6 a Churg-Strauss syndrome. Nine patients presented clinically with mononeuropathy or mononeuropathy multiplex considered typical of ischemic involvement of peripheral nerve; nine had more diffuse neuropathy, two of them a symmetric polyneuropathy. EMG examination revealed more diffuse neuropathy than clinically predicted. Findings were of acute or subacute axonal neuropathy.     

Peripheral neuropathies caused by diabetes mellitus. Ultrastructural study of 12 biopsied cases

Twelve diabetic patients with peripheral neuropathy underwent sural nerve biopsy. Transverse thick sections of the nerves, fixed in glutaraldehyde, embedded in epoxy and stained with toluidine blue were viewed under the light microscope and ultrathin sections were examined with the electron microscope.In 1 case, the nerve damage was not very severe but in 7 other cases there was evidence of segmental demyelination in addition to axonal degeneration in the same nerve; in 4 cases the lesions were severe.In 11 cases, some onion bulb formations were occasionally seen; they were numerous and large in 5 of them.The endoneurial capillaries were carefully studied and measured. All those seen showed thickening of basement membranes which were multilayered and between the layers one could see some thin collagen fibrils. Such lesions were characteristic of the so-called “diabetic microangiopathy”. These alterations were moderate in 2 cases, more severe in 7 others and very severe in 3 cases which were 3 of the 4 which showed severe lesions of the nerves.It is possible that the presence of these diffuse changes in the endoneurial capillaries could affect the local exchange of metabolites and so produce nerve damage.     

Peripheral neuropathy in hepatitis-related mixed cryoglobulinemia: electrophysiologic follow-up study

A retrospective study was performed on 27 patients with hepatitis C (HCV)-related mixed cryoglobulinemia (purpura, arthralgia, hepatitis, glomerulonephritis, peripheral neuropathy) to assess peripheral nerve involvement during follow-up of up to 8 years. All patients had the same degree of organ/system involvement initially and were clinically evaluated at least annually. All 27 patients received steroids; 15 also received recombinant interferon-alpha 2b (rIFN-alpha 2b). At first examination, neurological signs and electrodiagnostic findings consistent with peripheral neuropathy were found in 20 (74%) and in 24 (88.8%) patients, respectively. Neurological evaluation and electrodiagnostic data at 3 and 8 years revealed worsening of neuropathy, whereas the other manifestations of mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) were stable. At the last examination, clinical and electrodiagnostic signs of neuropathy were found in 25 patients (92.5%), occurring in 1 of 3 patients with normal initial findings, and worsened in 8. A more severe neuropathy was observed in 3 (25%) of the patients treated with prednisone alone and in 6 (40%) of the patients additionally treated with rIFN-alpha 2b. Our data confirm that in patients with HCV-related MC, peripheral nerve involvement is frequent, is progressive, and does not seem to benefit by addition of rIFN-alpha 2b to steroid treatment.     

包涵体肌炎11例临床及组织病理报告

目的探讨包涵体肌炎的诊断标准.方法分析了11例包涵体肌炎病人的临床表现、组织化学.碱性刚果红染色 9例,电镜检查2例.结果全部病人均在42岁后发病,表现为远、近端肌肉力弱,2例肌电图检查显示肌源性改变,11例均有边缘着色性空泡及炎性改变,9例有淀粉样蛋白沉积物,有胞核或胞质细丝包涵体各1例.结论包涵体肌炎的所有诊断指标中,无一项有决定性或特征性,需要进行综合判断.     

包涵体肌炎11例临床及组织病理报告

目的 探讨包涵体肌炎的诊断标准。方法 分析了11例包涵体肌炎病人的临床表现、组织化学。碱性刚果红染色9例,电镜检查2例。结果 全部病人均在42岁后发病,表现为远、近端肌肉力弱,2例肌电图检查显示肌源性改变,11例均有边缘着色性空泡及炎性改变,9例有淀粉样蛋白沉积物,有胞核或胞质细丝包涵体各1例。结论 包涵体肌炎的所有诊断指标中,无一项有决定性或行征性,需要进行综合判断。     

Hot water epilepsy: clinical and electrophysiologic findings based on 21 cases

PURPOSE: Our aim is to outline the clinical and electroencephalographic (EEG) features of patients with hot water epilepsy (HWE), a rare and unique form of reflex epilepsy. METHODS: Twenty-one patients with HWE, seen in our clinic until 1999, were studied. Male outnumbered female subjects in a ratio of 3:1. The age at the onset of seizures ranged from 19 months to 27 years (mean age at onset, 12 years). RESULTS: The main factors precipitating seizures were bathing with hot water and/or pouring water over the head. Six patients reported self-induction, either by increasing the heat or the amount of water and/or recalling earlier bathing experiences. Nine patients expressed feeling pleasure during the seizures. Twenty patients had partial seizures, eight of whom also had secondarily generalized seizures. One patient had apparent generalized seizures only. Spontaneous seizures were present in 62% of the cases. Interictal epileptogenic abnormalities were documented in the EEGs of eight patients; the other eight had normal EEGs. The major sites of epileptogenic activity were over the unilateral temporal regions (in 40% of patients). Neuroimaging studies available for 12 patients (four cranial computed tomography and eight cranial magnetic resonance imaging scans) revealed normal findings. Seizure control in patients who were followed up was achieved by reducing the temperature or the duration of the bath or shower; several of the patients required medication. CONCLUSIONS: The major findings of this study are that HWE has a male preponderance, can be self-induced, is often done for pleasure, has complex triggering factors, and shows temporally located abnormalities in the EEGs. Although HWE is generally known to be self-limited, antiepileptic drug treatment may sometimes be necessary to control seizures. Hot water epilepsy should be classified separately among the epileptic syndromes.     

Peripheral neuropathies: Molecular diagnosis of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease

Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease (CMT) is a hereditary neuropathy attributed to mutations in more than 30 different genes. A recent study identified the causative mutation in 67% of 787 screened patients with CMT, and the findings raise important issues concerning genetic testing for CMT.     

Acute peripheral arterial occlusion: electrophysiologic study of 32 cases

Thirty patients with 32 acute peripheral arterial occlusions underwent nerve conduction and electromyographic studies at a mean of 12.4 months after the vascular occlusion. Compound action potentials showed greater reduction than conduction velocity (26% to 75% vs 8% to 13% lower than normal). All changes were more prominent in the legs than arms, including fibrillation potentials (64% vs 28%). Short motor unit potentials were seen in 13% of patients; this group also had signs of severe nerve damage. The extent of abnormality varied with location of occlusion. Signs of nerve damage were significantly decreased in patients who had early revascularization. The electrophysiologic findings suggested axonal destruction rather than demyelination.     

Peripheral neuropathy during treatment with cimetidine

A case of peripheral neuropathy following cimetidine treatment is reported. Four days after beginning cimetidine (200 mg four times a day), the patient developed muscle pain and a symmetric motor neuropathy in all 4 limbs, predominant distally and in the lower limbs. Cimetidine was discontinued. Within seven days motor function began to return and within five months recovery was complete. Electrophysiological studies showed an axonal neuropathy. Morphometric studies revealed loss of large myelinated fibers in some fascicles while other fascicles were normal. Teasing studies showed predominant axonal lesions. Microvasculitis was present in the epineurium. Such findings suggest a role for small-vessel immune-complex vasculitis in the pathogenesis of this cimetidine-induced peripheral neuropathy.