Neurological Emergencies in Pregnancy.

On one side, pregnancy is a bliss, a beautiful journey for most women while on other, it increases the risk of several diseases which may cause considerable morbidity and mortality in young women in the most productive period of their lives. Neurological emergencies in pregnancy often have grave prognosis and so, must be promptly diagnosed and treated. This article reviews the clinical features and management of some of the common severe neurological emergencies in pregnancy.

A Comparison of the Intracerebral Hemorrhage Score and the Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II Score for 30-Day Mortality Prediction in Spontaneous Intracerebral Hemorrhage.

BACKGROUND: The intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) score is well established as a reliable prognostic score in ICH, whereas recently, Acute Physiology and Chronic Health Evaluation II (APACHE II) has been observed to have a better discrimination in predicting mortality in primary pontine hemorrhage. Further, physiological parameters of APACHE II have been associated with outcome in ICH. This study is the first to observe a direct comparison between APACHE II and ICH scores in predicting 30-day mortality in spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhage (SICH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study was a prospective observational study where we compared the receiver operating characteristic (ROCs) of baseline ICH and APACHE II scores in patients with SICH for predicting 30-day mortality outcome. RESULTS: We observed that both APACHE II and ICH scores were good for predicting 30-day mortality with both having an area under the ROC curve of more than .8 (.831 [95% confidence interval {CI}, .740-.922; P <.001] and .892 [95% CI, .757-.932; P <.001], respectively). However, the ICH score was better discriminative (area under the curve AUC, .892 versus .831; P = .040) and better calibrated (P = .037 versus P = .089, Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit test for logistic regression) for the same. Both APACHE II and ICH scores had a sensitivity of 87% at cutoff values of 19 and 3, respectively; however, the ICH score had a better specificity (90% versus 76.5%). CONCLUSION: The ICH score was observed to have a better discrimination and calibration for predicting 30-day mortality in SICH.

Irreversible Hemichorea-Hemiballism in a Case of Nonketotic Hyperglycemia Presenting as the Initial Manifestation of Diabetes Mellitus.

BACKGROUND: Hemichorea-hemiballism (HCHB) is a hyperkinetic movement disorder with features of both chorea and ballism occurring on the same side. CASE REPORT: We present a case of HCHB due to nonketotic hyperglycemia (NKH) that was the initial presentation of diabetes and was irreversible clinically even after 6 months of optimal blood sugar control. DISCUSSION: Although HCHB due to hyperglycemia is a potentially reversible condition in the majority of patients, prolonged uncontrolled hyperglycemia may cause ischemic insult and persistent symptoms. Hyperglycemia should always be kept in the list of differentials while dealing with patients who are newly diagnosed with HCHB.

Neuromyelitis Optica Spectrum Disorder with Tumefactive Demyelination mimicking Multiple Sclerosis: A Rare Case.

Neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD) is a diverse condition which not only encompasses isolated longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM) and optic neuritis but also includes area postrema syndrome, acute brainstem syndrome, symptomatic narcolepsy or acute diencephalic clinical syndrome, and symptomatic cerebral syndrome. Imaging may reveal periependymal lesions surrounding the ventricular system or involvement of corticospinal tracts, area postrema, diencephalon, and corpus callosum. Rarely, there may be hemispheric tumefactive lesions that enhance in a "Cloud-like" fashion on gadolinium injection unlike in tumefactive multiple sclerosis where there is incomplete ring enhancement. Here, we present a case of aquaporin-4 positive relapsing NMOSD who presented to us with recurrent episodes of paraparesis with LETM and tumefactive lesions of brain on imaging, which enhanced in an incomplete ring like pattern resembling multiple sclerosis.

Reply #2 to: Glycemic Choreoballism.

In Response To: Lee D, Ahn, TB. Glycemic choreoballism. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov. 2016; 6. doi: 10.7916/D8QJ7HNF Original Article: Roy U, Das SK, Mukherjee A, et al. Irreversible hemichoreahemiballism in a case of nonketotic hyperglycemia presenting as the initial manifestation of diabetes mellitus. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov. 2016; 6. doi: 10.7916/D8QZ2B3F.

Erasmus Syndrome in a 42-Year-Old Male: A Rare Case Report.

Erasmus syndrome is a rare entity in which systemic sclerosis develops following exposure to silica with or without silicosis. Few case reports are available in literature. We report here a case of Erasmus syndrome in a 42-year-old manual labourer. The patient presented with arthralgia, Raynoud's phenomenon, skin tightening and microstomia along with features of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) and pulmonary arterial hypertension. Evidence of Interstitial Lung Disease (ILD) with mediastinal lymphadenopathy as well as pulmonary arterial hypertension with vascular reactivity was found in appropriate investigations. Serological markers of systemic sclerosis were strongly positive. After a diagnosis of Erasmus syndrome was made, a combination of drugs including Prednisone, Cyclophosphamide and Nifedipine was instituted this led to moderate improvement in his symptoms over 6 months.

Metronidazole-induced encephalopathy: an uncommon scenario.

Metronidazole can produce neurological complications although it is not a common scenario. We present a case where a patient developed features of encephalopathy following prolonged metronidazole intake. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) brain showed abnormal signal intensity involving both dentate nuclei of cerebellum and splenium of corpus callosum. The diagnosis of metronidazole toxicity was made by the MRI findings and supported clinically.