Muscle hypertrophy and a syndrome of continuous motor unit activity in prednisone-responsive Guillain-Barré polyneuropathy |
| |
Authors: | C. Vasilescu M. Alexianu A. Dan |
| |
Affiliation: | (1) Department of Neuromuscular Diseases, Institute of Neurology and Psychiatry, Berceni 10, C.P. 61-80, R-75622 Bucharest, Romania |
| |
Abstract: | Summary The clinical, electrophysiological and morphological findings (light and electron microscopy of the sural nerve and gastrocnemius muscle) are reported in an unusual case of Guillain-Barré polyneuropathy with an association of muscle hypertrophy and a syndrome of continuous motor unit activity. Fasciculation, muscle stiffness, cramps, myokymia, impaired muscle relaxation and percussion myotonia, with their electromyographic accompaniments, were abolished by peripheral nerve blocking, carbamazepine, valproic acid or prednisone therapy. Muscle hypertrophy, which was confirmed by morphometric data, diminished 2 months after the beginning of prednisone therapy. Electrophysiological and nerve biopsy findings revealed a mixed process of axonal degeneration and segmental demyelination. Muscle biopsy specimen showed a marked predominance and hypertrophy of type-I fibres and atrophy, especially of type-II fibres. |
| |
Keywords: | Muscle hypertrophy Continuous motor unit activity Guillain-Barré polyneuropathy Prednisone-responsive Valproic acid therapy |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|