Myoedema: a forgotten sign in acute colchicine myopathy.

Colchicine myopathy typically presents acutely to subacutely with progressive limb weakness. The patients may not be on high doses of colchicine but almost always have acute kidney injury. Dehydration from colchicine-induced diarrhoea is often a precipitating factor. The concomitant neurotoxicity may produce mild sensory complaints. This combination of acute neurological symptoms preceded by diarrhoea prompts the diagnosis of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS). The absence of cranial nerve deficits, raised creatine kinase and myotonic discharges on electromyogram may help in differentiating this condition from GBS. We describe a clinical sign, myoedema - a mounding phenomenon of muscle that is elicited by percussion and resolves when the patient recovers. It aids in the bedside diagnosis of acute colchicine myopathy as well as distinguish it from other more common causes of acute flaccid paralysis. We also discuss the possible mechanism of colchicine toxicity and the mounding phenomenon.

Reversible leukoencephalopathy associated with organotin poisoning.

INTRODUCTION: Organotin compounds are widely used in the plastic industry. We demonstrate the role of brain magnetic resonance imaging in a patient with leukoencephalopathy. CLINICAL COURSE: A 38-year-old man who worked with trimethyltin and dimethyltin in a polyvinyl chloride factory reported a two-week progression of impaired memory, loss of balance, apathy, tinnitus, scaly darkened skin, and psychomotor slowing that rendered him unable to continue his daily activities. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed diffuse bilateral white matter lesions. Tin concentrations in both blood (344 µ/L) and urine (3,050 µg/L) were elevated. Removal from exposure and treatment with succimer were associated with clinical, laboratory, and imaging improvements. DISCUSSION: The high lipid content of myelin is a likely target for lipid-soluble alkyl tin compounds. CONCLUSIONS: This patient demonstrates the clinical and magnetic resonance imaging findings of organotin toxicity. The contribution of chelation to the patient's recovery is uncertain and warrants further study.

Myeloencephalitis as the only presentation of Omicron SARS-CoV-2 infection.

SARS-CoV-2 is now a major global health issue and manifests mainly as a respiratory disorder. Several other complications involving hypercoagulability, cardiovascular system and central nervous system have been described in the literature. Among these atypical presentations, encephalopathy associated with SARS-CoV-2 is a rare entity with heterogenous clinical and radiological findings. The direct presence of SARS-CoV-2 in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was rarely found in encephalopathy patients with acute SARS-Cov-2 infection.Here, we report a case of myeloencephalitis with positive real-time PCR for SARS-CoV-2 in CSF in a young woman presenting exclusively with neurological symptoms. Other differential diagnosis were extensively pursued by a comprehensive aetiological workup. To our knowledge, this is the first case report in the Omicron era. In the context of recent global explosion of SARS-Cov-2 infections, clinicians should consider this pathogen among other possible neurotropic agents and be familiar with its radiological and clinical presentations.

Successful Bridging Therapy in a 103-Year-Old Woman with Acute Terminal Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion.

The efficacy of intravenous thrombolysis and endovascular therapy and their favorable treatment outcomes have been established in clinical trials irrespective of age. Current guidelines do not recommend an age limit in selecting eligible patients for reperfusion treatment as long as other criteria are satisfied. A 103-year-old woman was admitted at our hospital within 1 h of stroke onset secondary to a left internal carotid artery terminus occlusion. On admission, her National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 30, with a small left thalamic diffusion restriction lesion on MRI. Her medical history included paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, prior myocardial infarction, hypertension, chronic kidney disease, and diabetes mellitus. Her pre-stroke modified Rankin Scale score was 0, and she was fully independent before stroke. Once intravenous thrombolysis was started, the patient successfully underwent mechanical thrombectomy, and thrombolysis in cerebral infarction-3 recanalization was achieved 225 min after symptom onset. She showed dramatic recovery (NIHSS score of 5 after 48 h) and was discharged on day 7 with a modified Rankin Score of 1. To our knowledge, our patient is the second oldest documented patient who successfully underwent bridging therapy for stroke.

A Challenging Case: Endovascular Treatment in a Patient with Large Ischemic Core and Dramatic Recovery.

Uncertainty exists over the efficacy and safety of endovascular treatment in patients with large ischemic cores in anterior circulation. Several trials have shown some potential benefits in selected patients despite their late presentation. In particular, perfusion imaging modalities equipped with automatic software has been proven useful in identifying patients with large ischemic cores that are at risk of infarct core expansion, meaning that this specific patient group could still benefit from reperfusion treatment. We reported a case of late-presenting and progressing acute ischemic stroke who was selected by perfusion imaging with RAPID software and successfully underwent endovascular thrombectomy. On admission, her National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score was 7. Computed tomography angiography showed complete occlusion of the proximal right middle cerebral artery. Subsequent advanced perfusion imaging with automatic software showed that the ischemic core was 88 mL, Tmax >6 s volume was 131 mL, and mismatch volume was 43 mL. She was rapidly transferred to the Cath lab for thrombectomy with a stent retriever. Her NIHSS score was 15 before the endovascular procedure. She had a dramatic recovery with an NIHSS score of 4 at 24-h after the procedure. She was discharged on day 9 with a modified Rankin Score of 1. Our findings suggest that endovascular treatment can be beneficial to the patients, particularly younger ones, with large ischemic cores with the aid of perfusion imaging.