[Unexplicated neuropsychiatric disorders: Do not ignore dysimmune encephalitis. A case report of a dysimmune encephalitis with anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI-1) antibodies]. / Troubles neuropsychiatriques inexpliqués : penser aux encéphalites dysimmunitaires. À propos d'une observation d'encéphalite à anticorps anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI-1).

INTRODUCTION: Anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 encephalitis is a common and a treatable etiology of autoimmune encephalitis. Its diagnosis is a challenge because the initial diagnostic work-up is often normal. CASE REPORT: A 48-year-old man experienced cognitive and behavioral troubles, facio-brachial dystonic seizures and a syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion. First line tests excluded infectious, neoplastic, systemic inflammatory, endrocrine or toxic etiologies. Cerebral (18)Fluoro-desoxy-glucose (FDG) position emission tomography and research of specific antibodies in cerebro-spinal fluid and serum led to diagnose an anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 encephalitis. Intravenous immunoglobulins and corticosteroids were partially effective. Cyclophosphamid permitted a good recovery. CONCLUSION: In the presence of acute neuropsychiatric disorders with a negative etiologic research, physician should think about dysimmune encephalitis. Facio-brachial dystonic seizures and syndrome of inappropriate antidiuretic hormone secretion are highly evocative of anti-leucine rich glioma inactivated 1 encephalitis. The diagnosis needs specific diagnostic tests (cerebral (18)FDG position emission tomography and antibodies research in cerebro-spinal fluid and in serum), after the exclusion of alternative diagnoses. Extensive and repeated diagnostic work-up for neoplasia is required. Immunosupressive therapies are effective in most cases.

Is critical illness polyneuropathy associated with decreased heart rate variability?

INTRODUCTION: This pilot study assessed the association between critical illness polyneuropathy (CIP) and decreased heart rate variability (HRV) in intensive care patients. METHODS: All patients admitted to the intensive care unit and expected to be ventilated for at least 72 hours were included and underwent weekly electromyograms and HRV analyses for three weeks. HRV was assessed by time domain analysis of 24h recording electrocardiograms, and alterations in HRV were assessed as the square root of the mean squared differences of successive RR intervals (RMSSD) ≤ 15. RESULTS: We evaluated 26 patients, 12 men and 14 women, median age 64 years. During follow-up, 12 patients died and 9 developed CIP. CIP was not associated with age, sex, simplified acute physiology score II and treatment agents. Altered RMSSD tended to be associated with onset of CIP (P=0.06). Altered RMSSD occurred earlier or at the same time as electromyogram abnormalities in all CIP patients, but the difference was not significant. CONCLUSION: Altered HRV, may be associated with the onset of CIP in ICU patients. Although not statistically significant (P=0.06), altered RMSSD may be a surrogate marker of CIP in ICU patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. The physiological pathway linking HRV and CIP remains uncertain.

[Optic neuritis attributable to Mycoplasma pneumoniae]. / Névrite optique à Mycoplasma pneumoniae.

Optic neuritis (ON) is an inflammatory disease whose etiology remains obscure. We report a case of ON attributable to Mycoplasma pneumoniae (MP). A 26-year-old man presented a sudden onset bilateral loss of visual acuity, without any history of pulmonary or ear-nose-throat infection. Diagnosis of optic neuritis was made on the basis of visual field loss, though optic disks and visual evoked potentials were normal. Color vision could not be assessed due to a congenital dyschromatopsia. The neurological examination was normal. On magnetic resonance imaging, there was no enhancement or enlargement of optic nerves, but a demyelinating lesion of the cervical spinal cord. Lumbar puncture revealed lymphocytic meningitis with 60 white blood cells, all of them being lymphocytes. Oligoclonal bands were presents in the CSF. With no evidence of any other infection or auto-immune disease, the diagnosis of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection was established due to the presence of Mycoplasma pneumoniae specific IgM antibodies. Outcome was quite favorable within three months without treatment. Neurological symptoms--encephalitis, meningitis, polyradiculitis, or more rarely ON or cerebella ataxia--are the main extra pulmonary manifestations of Mycoplasma pneumoniae infection. Search for anti-Mycoplasma pneumoniae IgM antibodies should be performed routinely when On is diagnosed.

[Cranial pachymeningitis or unknown origin]. / Pachyméningite crânienne de cause indéterminée.

Pachymeningitis of unknown origin is uncommon and is usually associated with headaches, cranial nerve lesions and cerebellar ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging is particularly contributive to diagnosis. The default diagnosis must however be confirmed by brain biopsy. Treatment is not well defined. Basically, corticosteroid therapy, or immunosuppressive therapy in case of failure, is known to have little effect on the brain lesion. We report here a case characterized by headache associated with partial regression of the radiographic lesions.

[Peripheral neuropathies caused by disulfiram]. / Les neuropathies périphériques dues au disulfirame.

Disulfirame is a rare cause of peripheral neuropathy in subjects with chronic alcoholism. We report here a case in a 42-year-old man and present the main clinical features and electrophysiological and pathology results. Disulfamine-induced peripheral neuropathy is dose-dependent and never occurs below 250 mg/d (1/2 tables of Espéral*). The pathogenesis is poorly understood.

[Unusual case of bilateral optic neuritis in Lyme neuroborreliosis]. / Un cas rare de névrite optique bilatérale dans une neuroborréliose de Lyme.

The most common manifestations of Lyme disease are neurologic and rheumatologic, but ophthalmologic lesions can also occur and may even be dominant. The authors describe a case of bilateral optic neuropathy associated with Lyme borreliosis that quickly led to near-total blindness. In addition to a loss in visual acuity and field bilateral papillary edema was documented by angiofluorography. A spectacular improvement was obtained under combined antimicrobial therapy using doxycycline and corticosteroid therapy. The patient rapidly recovered full vision. These observations are discussed within the context of Lyme disease with a review of other relevant ophthalmologic complications. The importance of careful interpretation of serology is emphasized.