Two Cases of Simvastatin-induced Acute Myopathy

Among the side effects of simvastatin, elevated liver enzyme or creatine kinase activity has been occasionally report-ed, but overt myopathy is rare. We report two cases of simvastatin-induced myopathy with usual dosages of simvas-tatin. Two patients presented with general myalgia, markedly elevated creatine kinase activity, and mild proximal weak-ness. One patient had been treated with concomitant use of cyclosporine and simvastatin after renal transplantation, and another patient had diabetic nephropathy. We recommend careful monitoring when myalgia appears in a patient receiv-ing simvastatin. (J Korean Neurol Assoc 19(4):435~437, 2001)

Electrophysiological Changes by Exercise and Cold Provocation Test in a Patient with Hyperkalemic Periodic Paralysis

Hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and paramyotona congenita share common clinical manifestations, such as autosomal dominant diseases with missense mutations at a gene encoding alpha-subunit of skeletal muscle voltage sensitive sodium channel (SCN4A). Exercise and cold provocation tests are physiological phenomena of clinical characteristics of these diseases. The authors experienced a case with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and performed these tests comparing them with a patient with hypokalemic periodic paralysis and a normal person. Significant decremental changes of CMAPs were found by both tests in the case with hyperkalemic periodic paralysis, compared with those in a case of hypokalemic periodic paralysis or normal control. In conclusion, we suggest that exercise and cold provocation tests may be useful for the differential diagnosis between hyperkalemic periodic paralysis and hypokalemic periodic paralysis.

Relationship between Pachymeningeal Enhancement on Brain MRI and CSF leakage on Radioisotope Cisternography in Patients with Orthostatic Headache

BACKGROUND: In orthostatic headache (OH) associated with low cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) pressure, loss of CSF vol-ume reflected by pachymeningeal enhancement (PCE) on brain magnetic resonance image (MRI) has been suggested as a pathogenenesis according to Monro-Kellie rule. We attempted to test the following hypotheses; 1) OH is caused by loss of CSF volume, 2) CSF volume loss in OH is caused by hyperabsorption of CSF or 3) by decreased production of CSF. METHODS: Nineteen patients with OH were recruited. Lumbar puncture, brain MRI and radioisotope cisternogra-phy (RIC) were performed in all of them. We evaluated duration of headache from onset to first evaluation, presence of PCE on MRI and CSF leakage (CSFL) on RIC. Firstly, we compared duration of headache between patients with and without PCE. Secondly, between those with and without PCE, we analyzed presence of CSF fistula and demonstration of CSFL on RIC. RESULTS: Mean duration (16.1 +/-19.6) of headache in 13 patients with PCE (66.7%) was significantly longer than in those without PCE (P=0.036). Among 19 patients, CSF fistula was detected in 13 patients (72%) and CSFL in 16 patients (88.9%). There was no significant difference in CSF fistula presence (P=0.114) and in demonstra-tion of CSFL between those with and without PCE. In 16 patients, delayed appearance of radioisotope along cerebral interhemispheric and sylvian regions was shown on RIC. CONCLUSIONS: Pain in OH may be caused by CSF volume loss, however, whether CSF volume loss is caused by CSF hyperabsorption or decreased production remains to be clarified.

Clinical Characteristics of Ischemic Stroke after Octogenarian Age: A Hospital-based Study

BACKGROUND: Although the incidence of stroke does not decrease after 80 years of age. The significance of ischemic stroke (IS) after octogenarian age has not attracted the attention of neurologists. As a first step to investigate the significance of IS during that period, we compared the clinical characteristics of IS between OIS (octogenarian ischemic stroke group, ??80 years of age) and NOIS (non-octogenarian ischemic stroke group, 65-79 years of age). METHOD: Forty-nine OIS patients and 141 NOIS patients were recruited. Clinical characteristics including risk factors, IS subtype, Canadian Neurological Scale (CNS) score, treatment modality and short-term prognosis were evaluated and described. RESULTS: ypertension (65.3%) was the most common risk factor followed by smoking (28.6%) and previous stroke history (28.6%) in OIS. There was no significant difference in proportion of each IS risk factors between he two groups. OIS was more associated with subtypes of mixed etiology and cardiogenic embolism than NOIS (P.05). IS was more associated with poor outcome at discharge (52.2%) than NOIS (18.2%)(P<.05). CONCLUSIONS: Ischemic stroke after octogenarian age is characterized by different etiopathogenesis and poor short-term outcome compared to IS under that age. OIS is more frequently caused by cardiogenic embolism or combined underlying etiology, however, the relationship between differences in etiopatho-genesis and poor short-term outcome remains to be clarified.

Reappraisal and Practical Application of International League Against Epilepsy ( ILAE 1989 ) Classification of Localization-Related Epilepsies in Adult

BACKGROUND: Since 1985 when ILAE proposed its first classification system of epilepsy, many studies have reported the practical applicability of the system. However, its limitations have been elucidated. In order to find out the applicability and limitations of the ILAE classification system and the role that diagnostic parameters (semiology, EEG and MRI) take in the anatomical localization of localization-related epilepsies (LREs), we investigated the clinical data of adult patients with LRE in step-wise way. METHOD: We recruited 173 patients with newly-referred/diagnosed LRE from our departmental data registry. Idiopathic epilepsies were excluded. We evaluated the anatomical localization rate(LR) according to each diagnostic parameter, the concordant localization rate(CLR) between two parameters and between three parameters. LR in total patients by any one of three diagnostic parameters was also evaluated. MRI abnormalities were evaluated in those patients showing concordant localization between semiology and EEG. RESULTS: The highest anatomical LR(67.1%) was reported in the semiological parameter. CLR between semiology and EEG was 28.9%. CLR between three parameters was 16.2%. MRI abnormalities were seen in 60% of patients with concordant localization between semiology and EEG. Fifty six percent of electroclinically concordant patients showed concordant localization with an MRI and 79% of them were concordantly localized in the temporal lobe. The LR in total patients was 71.7%. In each of the evaluation steps, the temporal lobe LR was the highest. CONCLUSIONS: Total lobar LR by any one diagnostic parameter in all the patients was high according to the ILAE diagnostic criteria. Semiology was the best localizing parameter, however, combined evaluation with either EEG or MRI reduced the localizability. Even though the MRI study showed a significant discordance rate in patients with electroclinical localizations, it could identify the underlying etiology in a major proportion of the patients. This study showed the importance of an imaging study in the lobar localization of LREs combined with an electroclinical localization by the ILAE classification system.