Alteraciones atípicas del líquido cefalorraquídeo en el Síndrome de Guillain-Barré: Reporte de casos / Atypical Alterations of cerebrospinal fluid in Guillain Barré Syndrome: Cases Reports

RESUMEN El síndrome de Guillain-Barré se caracteriza por presentar una disociación albúmino-citológica en la mayoría de pacientes. La presencia de pleocitosis o hipoglucorraquia puede alejar el diagnóstico, por lo que se recomienda descartar, principalmente, causas infecciosas. Se presentan tres casos cuyos estudios de líquido cefalorraquídeo mostraron pleocitosis linfocítica e hiperproteinorraquia persistente y uno de ellos, además, hipoglucorraquia; fue solamente en análisis posteriores que los tres pacientes presentaron la clásica disociación albuminocitológica. El estudio neurofisiológico en todos ellos demostró asimismo un compromiso axonal. Las alteraciones atípicas en el contexto de parálisis flácida aguda justificarían repetir el análisis de líquido cefalorraquídeo y descartar otras etiologías, pero sin posponer en modo alguno el tratamiento.

SUMMARY Guillain-Barré syndrome shows a cyto-albuminologic dissociation in most patients. Pleocytosis or hypoglycorrhachia may defer the diagnosis, a reason for which an infectious etiology must be ruled out. Three cases of Guillain-Barré are described, whose cerebrospinal fluid tests showed limphocytic pleocytosis and persistently elevated protein concentration, while one of the cases also showed hypoglycorrhachia, and the classic cyto-albuminologic dissociation was only demonstrated in subsequent analysis. The neurophysiologic evaluation revealed an axonal disruption in all the patients. The atypical alterations in the context of acute flaccid paralysis warrant a retesting of the cerebrospinal fluid in order to rule out other etiologies, but without postponing the start of treatment.

Análise do líquido cérebro-espinhal de três doenças do sistema nervoso central de cães / Analysis of cerebral-spinal fluid of three central nervous system diseases of dogs

Foi realizado um estudo retrospectivo do líquido cérebro-espinhal de cães (LCE), atendidos pelo Serviço de Neurologia do Hospital Veterinário da Instituição, de 2004 a 2015, com o objetivo de analisar os resultados de cães com sinais neurológicos, comparar as alterações encontradas em dois locais de colheita no mesmo paciente e verificar se esse exame auxiliou o clínico em reforçar a suspeita clínica das principais doenças do sistema nervoso central. A pleocitose linfocítica esteve presente em 78,3% (29/37) das amostras de cães com cinomose e em 23,2% (10/43) de cães com DDIV. Houve dissociação albuminocitológica (DAC) em 73% (19/26) das amostras de cães com tumores IC e em 64,3% (9/14) de cães com tumores envolvendo a ME. Em cães com DDIV, houve significância estatística (p<0,05) entre o grau de disfunção neurológica e o total de células nucleadas (TCN) e total de proteínas (TP). Em 29 cães, houve a colheita do LCE da cisterna magna e da cisterna lombar e em 12 (41,4%) os resultados foram diferentes entre as duas amostras colhidas do mesmo cão, onde dois (6,9%) apresentaram alteração na amostra colhida cranial à lesão. Pode-se concluir que a pleocitose linfocítica foi a principal alteração encontrada no LCE de cães com cinomose e DDIV e DAC nas neoplasias, IC e ME, cães acometidos pela DDIV apresentaram sinais neurológicos mais severos conforme o TCN e o TP aumentaram e o LCE sofreu alteração, mesmo colhido cranial ao local da lesão e auxiliou o clínico em reforçar a suspeita clínica, mas não confirmou, as principais doenças neurológicas em cães.(AU)

A retrospective study including the analysis of the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of dogs neurologically affected was conducted by the Neurology Service of the Veterinary Hospital at the Institution, between 2004 and 2015. The aim of this study was to analyze the results of the CSF of dogs with neurological signs, and compare the changes in the CSF in two sampling sites in the same patient and see if this test helped the clinician to strengthen clinical suspicion of the major diseases of the central nervous system. Lymphocytic pleocytosis was present in 78.3% (29/37) of samples from dogs with distemper and in 23.2% (10/43) of samples from dogs with IVDD. The albumin cytologic dissociation (ACD) was found in 73% (19/26) of samples from dogs with IC tumors and in 64.3% (9/14) from dogs with tumors involving the SC. For dogs with IVDD, there was statistical significance (p<0.05) between the degree of neurological dysfunction and the total nucleated cells (TNC) and total protein (TP). In 29 dogs, CSF was collected from the cistern magna and the lumbar and in 12 (41.4%) the results were different between the samples of the same dog, where two cases (6,9%) showed alterations in the sample collected cranial to the injury. It can be concluded that the lymphocytic pleocytosis was the main alteration found in the CSF of dogs with distemper and IVDD and ACD in tumors. Dogs affected by IVDD had more severe neurological signs as TNC and TP increased and the CSF was altered even collected cranial to the lesion site and helped the clinician to strengthen the clinical suspicion, but not confirm, the major neurological diseases in dogs.(AU)

Clinical Characteristics of Enteroviral Meningitis without Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis in Children

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical features and laboratory findings of enteroviral meningitis according to the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis, and to investigate the factors influencing pleocytosis in children. METHODS: A retrospective study was conducted in 300 children with enteroviral meningitis confirmed by CSF reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) between 2012 and 2016. Electronic medical records including clinical and laboratory data were assessed. Clinical factors were compared between patients with and without pleocytosis. RESULTS: Of the total 300 children with enteroviral meningitis, 73 had no pleocytosis. The proportion of infants under the age of two years was higher in patients without pleocytosis than in patients with pleocytosis (39.7% vs 14.5%, P<0.001). Patients without pleocytosis were younger (43.4 months vs 66.2 months, P<0.001), had less prevalence of headache and vomiting, lower peripheral white blood cell count (9,740±3,555/mm³ vs 11,632±3,872/mm³) and a shorter interval between the onset and lumbar puncture than those with pleocytosis. In multiple regression analysis, younger age, vomiting, lower white blood cell count, and interval less than 24 hours from onset to spinal tap were associated with the absence of pleocytosis. CONCLUSION: This study showed that children younger than two years of age had high proportion of absence of pleocytosis and some of the factors analyzed correlated with CSF inflammation. Therefore, absence of pleocytosis in the initial CSF sample cannot exclude meningitis, and rapid RT-PCR testing should be performed with high suspicion in young infants.

Clinical Features and Neurologic Complications of Pediatric Enteroviral Meningitis

PURPOSE: To explore clinical features and neurologic complications of pediatric enteroviral meningitis, and to evaluate risk factors according to the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis and neurologic complications. METHODS: Retrospective review of medical records of patients aged between 1 month and 18 years who were found positive for CSF enterovirus reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction in Dankook University Hospital from March 2009 to February 2015. RESULTS: A total of 151 children was enrolled in the study. Ninety four patients were males and the age at diagnosis was 40.9±47.0 months. Most common season of admission was summer (n=99, 65.6%). Most frequent presenting symptom was fever followed by poor oral intake, decreased activity, and headache. Fifty five (36.4%) patients had no CSF pleocytosis. Complications were observed in 4 (2.6%). Mean blood white blood cell, CSF protein levels were higher, and CSF glucose levels were lower in group with pleocytosis (P < 0.05). There were more seizure development and mental changes, higher peak body temperature, longer fever duration, and longer duration from symptom onset to CSF tapping in group with complications (P < 0.05). All were boys and mean age at admission was younger in group with complications, without statistically significant difference. CONCLUSION: Relatively high proportion of children with enteroviral meningitis showed no pleocytosis. Complications such as meningoencephalitis, refractory status epilepticus, or recurrent seizure rarely occurred, although most had good clinical outcomes.

Development of Spinal Epidural Abscess during Treatment of Pneumococcal Meningitis / 대한내과학회지

There have been a few reports of pneumococcal meningitis complicated by spinal epidural abscess. A 58-year-old female with Streptococcus pneumoniae meningitis underwent a recurrent pleocytosis without apparent clinical deterioration after appropriate antibiotic treatment. Subsequently, she developed a spinal epidural abscess. Spinal epidural abscess is a rare complication of pneumococcal meningitis, and subclinical deterioration of neutrophil-dominant pleocytosis may precede development of a spinal epidural abscess in individuals with bacterial meningitis.

Syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis mimicking dengue encephalitis in a child.

The syndrome of transient headache and neurological deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis (HaNDL) has been infrequently reported in children. This condition can mimic many serious conditions of the central nervous system, while actually being benign in nature. The authors present the report of an 8 year old developmentally normal female with family and personal history of migraine, which was initially suspected to have Dengue encephalitis. She had an episode of seizures, meningism and altered sensorium. Normal mental status and physical findings were observed intermittently. Detailed evaluation including analysis of blood, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and neuroimaging were done. Neuro-infections, vascular pathology and autoimmune disorders were ruled out prior to reaching a diagnosis of HaNDL. She responded well to symptomatic treatment and made a full recovery. She was discharged on migraine prophylaxis considering her history. Dengue as causation and the occurrence of seizures in HaNDL has not been reported previously.

Incomplete Kawasaki Disease in a 5-Month-Old Girl Associated with Cerebrospinal Fluid Pleocytosis and Epidural Fluid Collection

Cases of incomplete Kawasaki disease (KD), wherein the patient does not fulfill the full diagnostic criteria for KD, are often detected in infants younger than 6 months of age. The clinical manifestations in infants with incomplete KD may resemble other infectious diseases, including meningitis. For this reason, clinicians may have difficulty differentiating incomplete KD from other infectious diseases in this population. Various neurological features are associated with KD, including aseptic meningitis, subdural effusion, facial nerve palsy, cerebral infarction, encephalopathy, and reversible corpus callosum splenial lesions on magnetic resonance imaging. We report a case of a 5-month-old girl with incomplete KD, associated with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis and an epidural fluid collection. Echocardiography indicated dilatation of the main coronary arteries. The girl made a complete recovery, with resolution of both the epidural fluid collection and coronary artery aneurysms. In this case, the child is well, and showed normal developmental milestones at the 7-month follow-up.

Clinical Comparison among Patients with Enteroviral Meningitis According to the Presence of CSF Pleocytosis

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the difference of clinical features among patients with enteroviral mengitis according to the presence of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pleocytosis. METHODS: This was a retrospective analysis of the patients' data diagnosed with enteroviral meningitis by CSF reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). We reviewed the medical records of children younger than 16 years who visited Korea University Ansan Hospital and Guro Hospital for meningitis or encephalitis between March 2013 and August 2013. Clinical and laboratory variables were compared with regard to the presence of CSF pleocytosis. RESULTS: Among 49 patients with enteroviral meningitis, eight of 49 (16.3%) did not have pleocytosis. The enteroviral meningitis patients without pleocytosis had lower CSF protein level than patients with pleocytosis (18.9+/-4.3 vs 34.9+/-18.3 mg/dL; P=0.002). Age, duration of hospital stay, severity of clinical symptom, peripheral white cell blood counts, absolute neutrophil counts and CSF/serum glucose ratio were not different between two groups. CONCLUSION: Enteroviral meningitis could manifest without pleocytosis. We therefore think that CSF RT-PCR is helpful for the diagnosis, especially in suspected cases, which leads to shorter hospital stay and minimal use of antibiotics.

Prediction of bacterial meningitis based on cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis in children

Children with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis are frequently treated with parenteral antibiotics, but only a few have bacterial meningitis. Although some clinical prediction rules, such as bacterial meningitis score, are of well-known value, the cerebrospinal fluid white blood cells count can be the initial available information. Our aim was to establish a cutoff point of cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count that could distinguish bacterial from viral and aseptic meningitis. A retrospective study of children aged 29 days to 17 years who were admitted between January 1st and December 31th, 2009, with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis (white blood cell > 7 µL-1) was conducted. The cases of traumatic lumbar puncture and of antibiotic treatment before lumbar puncture were excluded. There were 295 patients with cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis, 60.3% females, medium age 5.0 ± 4.3 years distributed as: 12.2% 1-3 months; 10.5% 3-12 months; 29.8% 12 months to 5 years; 47.5% >5 years. Thirty one children (10.5%) were diagnosed with bacterial meningitis, 156 (52.9%) viral meningitis and 108 (36.6%) aseptic meningitis. Bacterial meningitis was caused by Neisseria meningi tidis (48.4%), Streptococcus pneumoniae (32.3%), other Streptococcus species (9.7%), and other agents (9.7%). cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count was significantly higher in patients with bacterial meningitis (mean, 4839 cells/µL) compared to patients with aseptic meningitis (mean, 159 cells/µL, p < 0.001), with those with aseptic meningitis (mean, 577 cells/µL, p < 0.001) and with all non-bacterial meningitis cases together (p < 0.001). A cutoff value of 321 white blood cell/µL showed the best combination of sensitivity (80.6%) and specificity (81.4%) for the diagnosis of bacterial meningitis (area under receiver operating characteristic curve 0.837). Therefore, the value of cerebrospinal fluid white blood cell count was found to be a useful and rapid diagnostic test to distinguish between bacterial and nonbacterial meningitis in children.

Meningitis bacteriana: revisión bibliográfica / Bacterial meningitis: bibliography revision

En Costa Rica la meningitis bacteriana se ha convertido en un tema prioritario en lo que a vigilancia epidemiológica se refiere, en los últimos meses se ha dado un aumento en la atención pública de este tema, debido a este fenómeno se hace necesario realizar una revisión del tema. La meningitis es una inflamación de las leptomeninges y colonización del líquido cefalorraquídeo (LCR debido a diferentes agentes, lo cual produce síntomas meníngeos. (Ej. cefalea, rigidez, nucal, fotofobia) y pleocitosis a nivel de LCR. Dependiendo de las variables se pueden agrupar en diferentes clasificaciones, tomando en cuenta el tiempo de evolución se pueden dividir en agudas o crónicas, a las primeras con pocas horas o días de inicio de la sintomatología, mientras que la crónica presenta un curso más larvado de la enfermedad de aproximadamente 4 semanas de instauración. Existe también diferencia según su etiología, pueden ser infecciosas y no infecciosas. Causas no infecciosas incluyen: drogas antiinflamatorias, antibióticos y carcinomatosis. A su vez existe una clasificación según el agente causal. La meningitis bacteriana aguda remarca el origen bacteriano de este síndrome, el cual se caracteriza por el inicio agudo de sus síntomas y pleocitosis de predominio neutrofílico. Cada uno de los agentes bacterianos, parasíticos o fúngicos terminan por categorizar las diferentes presentaciones de este cuadro clínico (Ej., meningitis meningocóccica, meningitis criptocóccica). Es en este grupo específico de etiología en el cual se basará el siguiente artículo. Por último pero no menos importante tenemos la meningitis aséptica, denominada de esta forma debido a una respuesta celular no pirógena causada por muchos tipos de agentes. Los pacientes muestran un inicio agudo de síntomas meníngeos, fiebre y pleocitosis pero de predominio linfocítico. Después de análisis especializados, se da pro concluido que la mayoría de los agentes causales son virales lo cual conlleva a las diferentes...

In Costa Rica the bacterial meningitis had turn into a high-priority subject in which to monitoring epidemiologist. It had been talked about in the last months, to dice an increase in the attention is published of this subject, due to this phenomenon it becomes necessary to make a revision of topic.Meningitis is an inflammation of leptomeninges and colonization of leptomeninges and colonization of the subarachnoid cerebrospinal fluid (LCR) due to different agents, which produces meningeal symptoms (ex. migraine, neck rigidity, and photophobia) and pleocytosis in LCR. De pending on the variables to take into account is possible to group it in different classifications, taking into account the time of evolution are possible to be divided in acute or chronic, to first with few hours or days of beginning of the symptoms, whereas the chronicle also presents a silence course but of the disease of approximately 4 weeks of instauration. There is a difference according to its etiologic agent; they can be infectious and non-infectious. Examples of common non-infectious causes include medications (ex, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, and antibiotics) and carcinomatosis. A classification exists as well according to the causal agent. The acute bacterial meningitis remarks a bacterial origin of the syndrome, which characterizes by the by an acute onset of meningeal symptoms and neutrophilic pleocytosis. Each one of the bacteriological agents, parasitic or fungus finishes by characterizing the different presentations of the clinical features (ex, meningocóccica meningitis, Cryptococcus meningitis).Finally, there is also the aseptic meningitis, denominated in this form because it's nonpyogenic cellular response caused by many types of agents...

Clinical significance of cerebrospinal fluid pleocytosis in pediatric refractory status epilepticus / 소아과

PURPOSE: Refractory status epilepticus(RSE) is a serious neurological emergency in children. The mortality is high and the neurological outcome is not good. This study aimed to evaluate the clinical significance of cerebrospinal fluid(CSF) pleocytosis in refractory status epilepticus in children. METHODS: From January 1999 to January 2006, 25 out of 37 children with refractory status epilepticus had spinal tapping. We retrospectively analyzed the data from these children's medical records. We compared the results between groups with and without CSF pleocytosis, and between a group with first seizure and a group with epilepsy . RESULT: Six out of 25 children had CSF pleocytosis. The group without CSF pleocytosis had a higher mortality rate and required higher doses of antiepileptic drugs as compared with the group with CSF pleocytosis. The group with CSF pleocytosis had much worse neurologic segualae. However, except for the children with CNS infection, the overall prognosis between the group with and without CSF pleocytosis was not significantly different. All children with CSF pleocytosis came in with first seizures. CONCLUSION: In children with RSE, a CSF study must be perfomed as soon as possible to exclude the possibility of CNS infection. A CSF study is even more important in cases of first seizure or CNS infection suspected. Mild CSF pleocytosis without evidence of infection does not seem to affect the prognosis, so physicians should therefore be more cautious in selecting antibacterial or antiviral agents for it.

Clinical and Laboratory Characteristics of Recurrent Optic Neuritis; Comparison with Monophasic Optic Neuritis

BACKGROUND: Although relapses are known to be common in optic neuritis, there are only a few follow-up studies concerning recurrent optic neuritis. The aim of this study is to characterize the difference between monophasic and recurrent optic neuritis by analyzing clinical and laboratory spectrums of index event. METHODS: We performed a partially retrospective and prospective cohort study of patients with optic neuritis. The patients with optic neuritis were included by review of their medical records and neuroimaging studies and then followed up for the relapses of optic neuritis. Excluded were those who showed any evidence of multiple sclerosis, and those with prior demyelinating attacks. RESULTS: Thirteen of 43 enrolled patients had a recurrent optic neuritis during a mean (SD) follow up period of 58.0 (21.2) months, yielding a 5-year cumulative rate of recurrence of 39.5 percent. The patients who had CSF pleocytosis were more likely to develop a recurrent attacks (P<0.05), but neither clinical findings nor the other laboratory results appeared to influence recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest that this disorder have a distinctive feature in terms of relapse and CSF pleocytosis compared with monophasic optic neuritis.

Migraine-like Headache with Focal Neurologic Deficit and CSF Pleocytosis

Distinct from migraine with aura or hemiplegic migraine, a rare clinical entity of migraine-like headache, transient focal neurologic deficit and CSF pleocytosis (HaNDL) has been known. Although the etiology or pathogenesis is unknown, possibility of viral infection or inflammation has been suggested. We report a 25-year-old man diagnosed as HaNDL with literature review. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(3):302~304, 2001)