Area postrema syndrome: An unusual presentation of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder.

Isolated area postrema syndrome (APS) is a rare neurological presentation of, neuromyelitis optica spectrums disorder (NMOSD), recognizable by uncontrollable hiccups, nausea, or vomiting. When it occurs as the first presentation of NMOSD, it may present as a diagnostic challenge as the condition may be frequently attributed to gastrointestinal pathology, and the subsequent diagnostic delay may result in debilitating neurological sequelae such as optic neuritis or myelitis. We report such a case of isolated APS in a young woman who presented with a clinical picture of bouts of vomiting and intractable hiccups causing considerable distress and was finally diagnosed to be a case of seronegative NMOSD.

Subacute Arsenic Neuropathy: Clinical and Electrophysiological Observations.

We report a patient who developed subacute peripheral neuropathy following ingestion of a traditional medicine for obesity. A 9-year-old girl who had a residual equinus varus deformity and sphincter disturbance due to pelvic ganglioneuroma presented with subacute sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy of 2 weeks duration. Her symptoms started 3 weeks after she started taking a locally made traditional medicine for obesity. She had no other systemic features of arsenic toxicity. She had Mee's lines on her nails and high serum arsenic levels and 24-hour urine levels confirmed the diagnosis of arsenic neuropathy. Nerve conduction study on admission demonstrated axonal sensorimotor neuropathy with slowed conduction velocity. She was not given any specific treatment and recovery was slow. At 18 months, she showed complete recovery and electrodiagnostic parameters returned to normal values. Arsenic is a known ingredient of many Indian ethnic remedies and possibility of arsenic neuropathy should be thought of in patients presenting with acute or sub-acute peripheral neuropathy of unknown etiology.

Differential diagnosis of scrub typhus meningitis from tuberculous meningitis using clinical and laboratory features.

OBJECTIVES: The involvement of the central nervous system in the form of meningitis or meningoencephalitis is common in scrub typhus and is an important differential diagnosis of other lymphocytic meningitis like tuberculous meningitis (TBM). The aim of this study was to identify the clinical and laboratory parameters that may be helpful in differentiating scrub typhus meningitis from TBM. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We compared of the clinical and laboratory features of 57 patients admitted with scrub typhus meningitis or TBM during a 3-year period. Patients who had abnormal cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and positive scrub typhus enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay serology (n=28) were included in the scrub typhus meningitis group, while the TBM group included those who satisfied the consensus diagnostic criteria of TBM (n=29). RESULTS: Compared with the TBM group, the mean duration of symptoms was less in patients with scrub typhus meningitis, who also had a lower magnitude of neurological deficits, such as altered mental status and cranial nerve and motor deficits. Patients with scrub typhus meningitis had a lower CSF white blood-cell count (WBC) than the TBM group (130.8±213 195±175 cells/mm3, P=0.002), lower CSF protein elevation (125±120 vs. 195.2±108.2mg/dl, P=0.002), and higher CSF sugar (70.1±32.4 vs. 48.7±23.4mg/dl, P=0.006). Features predictive of the diagnosis of scrub typhus meningitis included the absence of neurological impairment at presentation, blood serum glutamic-oxaloacetic transaminase>40 international units (IU)/L, serum glutamic-pyruvic transaminase>60 IU/L, total blood leukocyte count>10,000/mm3, CSF protein<100mg/dl, CSF sugar>50mg/dl, CSF WBC<100 cells/mm3. All patients with scrub typhus meningitis recovered completely following doxycycline therapy CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests that, clinical features, including duration of fever, neurological deficits at presentation and laboratory parameters such as CSF pleocytosis,CSF protein elevation, CSF sugar levels and liver enzyme values are helpful in differentiating scrub typhus meningitis from tuberculous meningits. These features with scrub IgM serology may be helpful in identifying patients with scrub meningitis and in avoiding prolonged empirical antituberculous therapy in cases of lymphocytic meningitis.

Low cholesterol as a risk factor for primary intracerebral hemorrhage: A case-control study.

INTRODUCTION: An inverse association between serum cholesterol and the risk of hemorrhagic stroke has been noted in epidemiological studies. We performed a case-control study to assess the relationship between primary intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and low serum cholesterol. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Prospectively recruited fully evaluated patients with ICH were compared with a control group based in a primary care practice, i.e. age- and sex-matched individuals attending the routine preventive health check-up. Low cholesterol was defined by the sex-specific lowest quintile of the population. RESULTS: The proportion of ICH patients with low cholesterol was significantly higher than the controls (68% vs. 43%). Mean total cholesterol was also signficantly low in ICH patients compared with controls (177 mg/dL vs. 200 mg/dl; P-value = 0.0006). Low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) and triglycerides were also significantly low in ICH patients compared with controls. Mean LDL-C in the ICH patient group was 114 mg/dL, whereas it was 128.5 mg/dL in the control group (P-value = 0.016). There was no significant difference in the high-density lipoprotein (HDL) levels in both groups. In a subgroup analysis, both men and women in the ICH group had a significantly low mean cholesterol compared with the control group. Although lower mean cholesterol was seen in both young and older individuals in the ICH group than in controls, the difference was significant only in the older group (age >45 years). In multivariate analysis, presence of low cholesterol remained a significant predictor of hemorrhage. The odds ratio of low cholesterol in the hemorrhage cases was 2.75 (95% CI = 1.44-5.49) unadjusted and 2.15 (1.13-4.70) adjusted for age and hypertension. CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms an increased risk of primary ICH associated with low cholesterol both in men and women, especially in older individuals.