Eclampsia with neurological complications: a five-year experience of a tertiary centre.

PURPOSE: The neurological signs and symptoms in 107 pregnant women with eclampsia in the last five years at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Yuzuncu Yil University School of Medicine are presented. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The medical records of 107 pregnant women with eclampsia in the Clinic of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Yuzuncu Yil University consulted with neurology clinic from September 2005 to December 2010, were evaluated. RESULTS: The most common symptoms of the patients were seizure, headache, and seeing spots of light. Although neurologic examination was normal in 81 patients, 26 had pathological signs. The most common neurologic pathologic signs determined were alterations in consciousness. CONCLUSION: In eclamptic patients, brain scanning might reveal pathological results in spite of normal neurological examination. With neurological examination and brain scanning, it may be possible to diagnose and treat severe complications that may otherwise result in maternal mortality.

Acute motor axonal neuropathy cases in Van region.

Acute motor axonal neuropathy (AMAN) is a form of Guillain Barré Syndrome (GBS) seen in summer months in Northern China to cause epidemics. This form of the disease, which is also sporadically observed in other countries, constitutes less than 5% of GBS in Western countries. It usually develops with motor findings. No sensory findings are observed. In some of the cases, the severe impairments in tissues improve however slowly and inadequately. In the motor conduction studies of cases with AMAN, motor action potential values are lowered. On needle electromyography (EMG), motor unit potential (MUP) activity is diminished with spontaneous denervation findings. Investigations were conducted on nerve conduction of patients with GBS aged from 1 to 77 years. AMAN was detected in 25 of these patients. In our investigation, AMAN as a GBS variant was detected in 39.7% of the patients. The conduction velocities of motor nerves were in normal ranges whereas combined muscle action potentials were significantly lower. No F response could be obtained. Although AMAN is a rare variant of GBS and shows different clinical courses, it has been brought under intense scrutiny since there is high prevalance of acute inflammatory neuropathies in our region (Tab. 1, Ref. 7).

Congenital myasthenic syndrome: a case report.

SUMMARY: Congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS) are diseases of the neuromuscular junction. They usually belong to the disease groups that begin in the infantile or childhood period and carry genetic characteristics. The following is important in establishing the diagnosis of this disease: clinical findings, electromyography, genetic tests, determination of serum acetylcholine receptor antibodies. Acetylcholine esterase inhibitor drugs are used in treatment of CMS. A seven-month old male patient was brought to our department with the complaints of difficult breathing, falling of the eyelids and swallowing difficulty. With clinical and laboratory findings, he was diagnosed with congenital myasthenia and treatment was started. CMS should be suspected in patients with no pathological findings on the physical examination, and normal chest X-rays.