Safety and efficacy of Direct Oral Anticoagulants in cerebral venous thrombosis: A meta-analysis.

Cerebral venous thrombosis (CVT) is caused by partial or complete occlusion of the major cerebral venous sinuses or the smaller feeding cortical veins which predispose to the risk of venous infarction and hemorrhage. Current guidelines recommend treating CVT with either low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) or unfractionated heparin (UFH) followed by an oral vitamin K antagonist (VKA) for 3-12 months. Direct oral anticoagulants (DOACs) have already established benefit over warfarin as a long-term treatment of symptomatic venous thromboembolic disorder like deep vein thrombosis (DVT), and pulmonary embolism (PE) given its equal efficacy and better safety profile. The benefit of DOACs over warfarin as a long-term anticoagulation for CVT has likewise been extensively studied, yet it has not been approved as first-line therapy in the current practice. We therefore performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of relevant studies to generate robust evidence regarding the safety and efficacy of DOACs in CVT. This meta-analysis demonstrates that the use of DOACs in CVT has similar efficacy and safety compared to VKAs with better recanalization rate.

Safety and efficacy of Magnesium Sulfate in the management of Tetanus: A systematic review.

Tetanus is a rare life-threatening condition often complicated by repetitive spasms, dysautonomia and neuromuscular respiratory failure contributing to high fatality rates in its severe form. Benzodiazepines used to treat muscle spasms pose a high risk of respiratory failure requiring mechanical ventilation, which is unaffordable and inaccessible for many. Magnesium sulfate, a cheap and widely available medication in all urban and rural health centres of LMICs for the treatment of eclampsia, can be used to control muscle spasms and dysautonomia. We thus conducted a systematic review of evidence to assess the safety and efficacy of magnesium sulfate in the treatment of tetanus. Any study published before April 15, 2021, discussing the efficacy and/or safety of MgSO4 infusion in the treatment of tetanus was systemically reviewed using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA). Our systematic review included data from 13 studies, three were randomised, double-blind and controlled trials. The remaining ten studies were observational; six prospective and four retrospective studies. Our review showed no mortality benefit associated with the use of magnesium sulfate. However, magnesium sulfate was found to be effective in reducing spasms along with diazepam, leading to better control of dysautonomia, reduced need for mechanical ventilation and shorter hospital stay by 3-7 days. The incidence of magnesium toxicity was very low in the studies included.

Safety and efficacy of interleukin-6-receptor inhibitors in the treatment of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders: a meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Interleukin-6-receptor inhibitors like Tocilizumab and Satralizumab are showing promising results in the treatment of Neuromyelitis Optica spectrum disorder (NMOSD). We aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of various Interleukin-6-receptor inhibitors in the management of NMO/NMOSD. METHODS: PubMed, Embase, and The Cochrane Library were systematically searched for suitable studies. Change in Annualized Relapse Ratio (ARR), Change in Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS) s, the proportion of relapse-free patients and proportion of patients with adverse events, including serious adverse events and mortality were the parameters considered for the meta-analysis for Tocilizumab. Mean difference (MD) with 95% CI was used to quantify the change in ARR and change in EDSS before and after treatment. A forest plot was prepared to indicate the efficacy and adverse effects outcomes. The results were compared with those of Satralizumab included in two trials. RESULTS: A total of nine studies with 202 patients were included in our study. Tocilizumab found a good proportion (76.95% CI: 0.61-0.91; p < 0.001) of relapse free patients at follow up. It also significantly reduced mean ARR (mean difference: -2.6, 95% CI: - 2.71 to - 1.68; p < 0.001) and but did not show significant difference in change in EDSS score (mean difference = - 0.79, 95% CI: - 1.89 to - 0.31; p = 0.16). Also, the toxicity profile of Tocilizumab was acceptable considering the proportions of patients with adverse events 56% (95% C.I.;0.27-0.85, I2 = 88.95%, p < 0.001), proportions of patients with serious adverse events 11% (95% C.I.; 0.05 to 0.17, I2 = 0%, p < 0.001) and zero treatment related deaths. SAkura studies for Satralizumab showed similar relapse free patients (70% to 80%) and reduction of ARR and EDSS from baseline. Some studies of Tocilizumab have shown to reduce pain and fatigue while trials of Satralizumab had non-significant findings. CONCLUSION: Interleukin-6-receptor inhibitors therapy showed a promising result with good efficacy and acceptable adverse events profile for treatment of NMOSD.

Efficacy and safety of rituximab in autoimmune encephalitis: A meta-analysis.

BACKGROUND: Autoimmune encephalitis (AE) is a rare but debilitating neurological disease where the body develops antibodies against neuronal cell surface/synaptic proteins. Rituximab is an anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody which shows promise in AE treatment observational studies. To our knowledge, there has been no previous meta-analysis providing robust evidence on the effectiveness and safety of rituximab as second-line therapy for the treatment for AE. METHODS: This study was conducted according to the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic review and Meta-Analysis) statement. Investigators independently searched PubMed, Web of Science, Google Scholar, WANFANG, CNKI, and J-STAGE for studies. Meta-analysis via representative forest plots was conducted for good functional outcome (mRS ≤ 2), proportion of relapse, and mRS score change pre- and post-treatment. RESULTS: Good functional outcome at last follow-up following rituximab therapy occurred in 72.2% of patients (95% CI: 66.3%-77.4%). Mean mRS score decreased by 2.67 (95% CI: 2.04-3.3; P < .001). Relapses following the rituximab therapy occurred in only 14.2% of patients (95% CI: 9.5%-20.8%). Infusion related reactions, pneumonia, and severe sepsis were seen in 29 (15.7%), 11 (6.0%), and two patients (1.1%), respectively. The efficacy and side effect profile of rituximab are comparable to outcomes seen in rituximab use in other autoimmune and inflammatory CNS disease. CONCLUSION: Our meta-analysis showed that rituximab is an effective second-line agent for AE with an acceptable toxicity profile.

Neurological manifestations of COVID-19: a systematic review.

INTRODUCTION: Severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) is responsible for the global spread of coronavirus disease (COVID-19). Our understanding of the impact this virus has on the nervous system is limited. Our review aims to inform and improve decision-making among the physicians treating COVID-19 by presenting a systematic analysis of the neurological manifestations experienced within these patients. METHODS: Any study, released prior to May 20, 2020, that reported neurological manifestations in patients infected by SARS-CoV-2 was systematically reviewed using the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systemic review and Meta-Analysis) statement. RESULTS: Our systematic review included data from 37 articles: twelve retrospective studies, two prospective studies, and the rest case reports/series. The most commonly reported neurological manifestations of COVID-19 were myalgia, headache, altered sensorium, hyposmia, and hypogeusia. Uncommonly, COVID-19 can also present with central nervous system manifestations such as ischemic stroke, intracerebral hemorrhage, encephalo-myelitis, and acute myelitis, peripheral nervous manifestations such as Guillain-Barré syndrome and Bell's palsy, and skeletal muscle manifestations such as rhabdomyolysis. CONCLUSION: While COVID-19 typically presents as a self-limiting respiratory disease, it has been reported in up to 20% of patients to progress to severe illness with multi-organ involvement. The neurological manifestations of COVID-19 are not uncommon, but our study found most resolve with treatment of the underlying infection. Although the timeliness of this review engages current challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, readers must not ignore the limitations and biases intrinsic to an early investigation.

Status of prehospital delay and intravenous thrombolysis in the management of acute ischemic stroke in Nepal.

BACKGROUND: Intravenous thrombolysis has been recently introduced in Nepal for the management of acute ischemic stroke. Pre-hospital delay is one of the main reasons that hinder thrombolytic therapy. The objective of this study was to evaluate the status of prehospital delay and thrombolysis in Nepal. METHODS: Data were prospectively collected from patients of both genders, age >  18 years who arrived at the emergency department (ED) with symptoms and neuroimaging findings consistent with an ischemic stroke. Patient data were obtained from ED form and standard questionnaires were used to assess factors resulting in prehospital delay. Modified Rankin scale and National Institute of Health stroke scale were used to assess the degree of disability and severity of stroke respectively. RESULTS: A total of 228 patients were enrolled in the study between August 2017 and August 2018. Only 46 (20.17%) patients arrived within the time frame for thrombolysis. Onset at daytime (OR: 4.07; 95% CI: 1.65-10.1; p = 0.001), stroke symptoms facial deviation (OR: 5.03; 95% CI: 2.47 to 10.26; p = 0.000) and speech disturbances (OR: 2.34; 95% CI: 1.06 to 5.1; p = 0.021), identification of stroke (OR: 22.36; 95% CI: 9.42-53.04;p = 0.000), rushing to ED after onset of symptoms (OR: 2.93; 95% CI: 1.5-5.7; p = 0.001), awareness of treatment of stroke (OR: 10.21; 95% CI: 4.8-21.6; p = 0.000), direct presentation (OR: 4.2; 95% CI: 2.09-8.66; p = 0.000), the distance less than 20 km (OR: 7.9; 95% CI: 3.8-16.5; p = 0.000), and education above high school (OR:4.85; 95% CI: 2.2-10.5; p = 0.000) were associated with early arrival. Heavy traffic, income below 1000 USD per annum and diabetes mellitus were associated with delayed arrival to ED. Out of 46 early arrival patients, only 30 patients (13.15%) received tissue plasminogen activator during the study period, while others were deprived because of their inability to afford the treatment cost. CONCLUSION: Community-based intervention to spread awareness, establishing comprehensive stroke centers, training specialists, improving emergency services, establishment of telestroke facilities and encouraging the use of low-cost tenecteplase as an alternative to alteplase can help improve care for stroke patients in Nepal.

Distribution of ischemic infarction and stenosis of intra- and extracranial arteries in young Chinese patients with ischemic stroke.

BACKGROUND: The distribution of cerebral ischemic infarction and stenosis in ischemic stroke may vary with age-group, race and gender. This study was conducted to understand the risk factors and characteristics of cerebral infarction and stenosis of vessels in young Chinese patients with ischemic stroke. METHODS: This was a retrospective study, from January 2007 to July 2012, of 123 patients ≤50 years diagnosed with acute ischemic stroke. Patient characteristics were compared according to sex (98 males and 25 females) and age group (51 patients were ≤45 years and 72 patients were 46-50 years). Characteristics of acute ischemic infarction were studied by diffusion weighted imaging. Stenosis of intra- and extracranial arteries was diagnosed by duplex sonography, head magnetic resonance angiography (MRA) or cervical MRA. RESULTS: Common risk factors were hypertension (72.4 %), dyslipidemia (55.3 %), smoking (54.4 %) and diabetes (33.3 %). Lacunar Infarction was most common in our patients (41.5 %). Partial anterior circulation infarction was predominant in females (52.0 vs 32.7 %; P = 0.073) and posterior circulation infarction in males (19.8 vs 4 %; P = 0.073). Multiple brain infarctions were found in 38 patients (30.9 %). Small artery atherosclerosis was found in 54 patients (43.9 %), with higher prevalence in patients of the 46-50 years age-group. Intracranial stenosis was more common than extracranial stenosis, and middle cerebral artery stenosis was most prevalent (27.3 %). Stenosis in the anterior circulation was more frequent than in the posterior circulation (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In these young patients, hypertension, smoking, dyslipidemia and diabetes were common risk factors. Intracranial stenosis was most common. The middle cerebral artery was highly vulnerable.

Spectrum of neurodegenerative disorders in neurology outpatient department: A cross-sectional study.

Background and Aims: Neurodegenerative disorders (NDDs) are a growing global health concern with a rise in prevalence with the aging population, leading to increased healthcare utilization and costs. Understanding its prevalence is crucial for effective diagnostics and resource allocation, especially in developing nations with limited resources. This study aims to explore the frequency and types of NDDs, while also collecting demographic, clinical, and neuro-radiological data from patients with NDDs attending a tertiary care hospital in Nepal. Methods: This was a single-center based cross-sectional descriptive study conducted at a Neurology outpatient department in a tertiary level hospital in Nepal in which patients aged 18 and above diagnosed with NDDs (May 2023-July 2023) were included. Data were collected and analyzed in SPSS Inc. This study has been presented by the STROBES guidelines. Results: The mean age of the 71 patients included in the study was 65.6 ± 13.3 years. Parkinsonian disorder (n = 41, 57.7%) was the most common NDD diagnosed. Patients belonging to the age group 60-79 years represented 62% of all outpatient visits. Tremors of the upper extremity and impairment of memory were the most commonly encountered first symptoms at onset. Predominant cognitive changes in our study were memory impairment and mood changes. Extrapyramidal features such as gait disturbance, resting tremor, rigidity, and bradykinesia were present. More than half of the patients had age-related cerebral atrophy on neuroimaging followed by chronic small vessel ischemic changes. Conclusion: Diagnosing NDDs poses challenges, and our study underscores Parkinsonian disorder, specifically Parkinson's disease, as the prevailing neurodegenerative condition in our population. Emphasizing its prevalence among the elderly, particularly with tremors as the primary presenting symptom, highlights the necessity for targeted interventions in this demographic.

SOFA and APACHE II scoring systems for predicting outcome of neurological patients admitted in a tertiary hospital intensive care unit.

Background: The field of neurology encompasses the study and treatment of disorders that affect the nervous system, and patients with neurological conditions often require specialized care, particularly in the ICU. Predictive scoring systems are measures of disease severity used to predict patient outcomes. The aim of this study was to compare the discriminative power of commonly used scoring systems, namely the sequential organ failure assessment (SOFA) and acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (APACHE II) in the ICU of a tertiary care hospital. Methods: This retrospective study included patients with neurological disorders in the ICUs of Tribhuvan University Teaching Hospital from 1 January 2022 to 31 December 2022. Results: A total of 153 patients were included. The mean age of the patients was 54.76 ± 17.32 years with higher male predominance (60.78%). Ischaemic stroke was the most common neurological disorder. There were 58 patients (37.9%) who required mechanical ventilation and all-cause mortality was 20.9%. The mean SOFA score was significantly higher (P=0.002) in survivors, whereas the mean APACHE II did not show a significant difference (P=0.238). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis showed the area of curve (AUC) of SOFA score was 0.765 and of APACHE II was 0.722. Conclusions: SOFA score had comparatively higher discriminative power than APACHE II. Assessment of the performance of scoring systems in a specific ICU setting improves the sensitivity and applicability of the model to these settings.

Guillain-Barré syndrome complicating early pregnancy: a case report from Nepal.

Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) is an immunological demyelinating disorder characterized by progressive, ascending flaccid weakness, usually resulting after infection or some immune stimulation. Its occurrence during pregnancy is rare and due to attribution of its symptoms to pregnancy, diagnosis might be delayed. Case Presentation: A 39-year-old G4P3L2A0 woman at 13 weeks 6 days period of gestation presented with acute, symmetrical, ascending type of flaccid quadriparesis leading to slurring of speech, swallowing difficulty, and eventually respiratory failure. With the diagnosis of GBS, she was admitted to the intensive care unit, five sessions of plasma exchange were done along with physiotherapy and her symptoms started improving. After discharge she was on regular antenatal care visits and eventually, she delivered a healthy baby at term with an uneventful labor event and postpartum period. Clinical Discussion: There is a huge maternal-fetal risk of respiratory failure, aspiration pneumonia, preterm delivery, possible use of forceps or vacuum, and operative interference due to GBS in pregnancy, whose causative agents are similar to that of the general population. The swinging pattern of risk of GBS in pregnancy might be due to immunological changes with predominant Th2 response seen in pregnancy. Treatment measures are similar as in the general population with initial symptomatic care and administration of disease-specific therapy later which consists of intravenous immunoglobulin and/or plasmapheresis. Conclusion: A well-timed diagnosis of GBS in pregnancy might allow successful management with the help of intensive monitoring with or without immunotherapy.

Dyslipidemia and Obesity in Ischemic Stroke.

Background Dyslipidemia and obesity are both important risk factors for the first and recurrent ischemic strokes. Dyslipidemia is highly prevalent among Asian populations, and the prevalence of obesity is also noted to be progressively increasing in this population. This study was carried out to determine the prevalence of dyslipidemia and central obesity and their association with each other and various cardiovascular risk factors among patients who presented with an acute ischemic stroke to a tertiary care university hospital in Nepal. Methods This study is a secondary analysis done on data from a prospective observational study that was carried out on patients who were either acutely admitted to or visited the outpatient department of the hospital with a diagnosis of ischemic stroke. Dyslipidemia was defined according to the third report of the National Cholesterol Education Program expert panel on detection, evaluation, and treatment of high blood cholesterol in adults. Obesity was defined as central obesity by measuring waist circumference. Data were collected by convenience sampling and analyzed by IBM Corp. Released 2019. IBM SPSS Statistics for Windows, Version 26.0. Armonk, NY: IBM Corp. Significant variables were compared with logistic regression analysis. Other data were expressed as frequencies and percentages. Results Out of 145 patients, 77 were male (53.1%). The mean age of the patients was 60.15 years. Dyslipidemia and central obesity were present in 96.6% and 57.9% of the patients, respectively. The most common lipid abnormality was low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, present in 82.8% of the patients, followed by high triglycerides, present in 21.4% of them. Dyslipidemia was not associated with any vascular risk factors. Central obesity was significantly associated with female gender, diabetes, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in univariate analysis. However, in multivariate logistic regression analysis, it was significantly associated with only female gender (p=0.003) and diabetes (p=0.012). Conclusion Dyslipidemia and central obesity are very common in patients with ischemic stroke. Dyslipidemia is not associated with any vascular risk factors. However, central obesity is significantly associated with the female gender and diabetes.

A review of movement disorders in persons living with HIV.

BACKGROUND: The human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes movement disorders in persons living with HIV (PLH). OBJECTIVES AND METHODS: We conducted a systematic review on the spectrum of movement disorders in PLH using standard terms for each of the phenomenologies and HIV. RESULTS: Movement disorders in PLH were commonly attributed to opportunistic infections (OI), dopamine receptor blockade reactions, HIV-associated dementia (HAD), presented during seroconversion, developed due to drug reactions or antiretroviral therapy (ART) itself and lastly, movement disorders occurred as a consequence of the HIV-virus. Parkinsonism in ART naïve PLH was associated with shorter survival, however when Parkinsonism presented in PLH on ART, the syndrome was indistinguishable from Idiopathic Parkinson's disease and responded to therapy. Tremor was often postural due to HAD, drugs or OI. Generalized chorea was most frequent in HIV encephalopathy and toxoplasmosis gondii caused most cases of hemichorea. Ataxia was strongly associated with JCV infection, ART efavirenz toxicity or due to HIV itself. Dystonia was reported in HAD, secondary to drugs and atypical facial dystonias. Both cortical/subcortical and segmental/spinal origin myoclonus were noted mainly associated with HAD. In patients with HIV related opsoclonus-myoclonus-ataxia-syndrome, seroconversion illness was the commonest cause of followed by IRIS and CSF HIV viral escape phenomenon. CONCLUSIONS: Aetiology of movement disorders in PLH depend on the treatment state. Untreated, PLH are prone to develop OI and HAD and movement disorders. However, as the number of PLH on ART increase and survive longer, the frequency of ART and non-AIDS related complications are likely to increase.

Augmented reality-based training versus standard training in improvement of balance, mobility and fall risk: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Augmented reality (AR) technology is being used recently in healthcare, especially for rehabilitation purposes, owing to its ability for repetition, rapid feedback, and motivation for patients. This systematic review and meta-analysis aims to compare the efficacy of AR-based interventions to conventional physical interventions in improving balance, mobility, and fall risk. Material and methods: PubMed, Google Scholar, Scopus, and the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials were systematically searched from inception to January 2023. Randomized trials and observational cohort studies comparing the effects of AR-based exercises with conventional training in patients 18 years and older were included in the analysis. Studies using virtual reality, case reports and series, reviews, meta-analyses, letters, and editorials were excluded. Post-intervention data on the Berg Balance Scale (BBS) and Timed Up and Go (TUG) Test were extracted and studied. The fixed-effects inverse variance model was utilized to pool the extracted data. Results: Out of 438 articles, seven articles (199 participants) comparing AR-based exercise with the standard training were included in the systematic review. Six articles with sufficient data on the parameters were included in the meta-analysis. AR-based exercises resulted in a significantly higher BBS score than conventional exercise (Hedge's g=0.48, 95% CI=0.19-0.77, P<0.001). The BBS value was significantly higher in AR-based training of 8 weeks or more (Hedge's g=0.88, 95% CI=0.46-1.31) when compared with trainings conducted for less than 8 weeks (Hedge's g=0.11, 95% CI=-0.30 to 0.52), P=0.01). Likewise, the TUG Test score was found to be to be significantly lower in ARgroup than the controls (Hedge's g= -0.54, 95% CI=-0.85 to -0.23, P<0.01). Conclusion: In comparison to conventional methods, AR-based exercises had higher improvements in balance, mobility, and fall risk parameters. The use of AR technology in elderly patients can promote independence while preventing falls and associated morbidity and mortality. There is a need for a larger randomized controlled trial to provide a more accurate comparison on efficacy and safety of different modalities of training.

Prevalence and Clinical Types of Tremor in Multiple Sclerosis and its Associated Disability: A Systematic Review.

Objective: To describe the state of literature regarding prevalence, clinical types of tremor in Multiple Sclerosis and associated disability. Background: Tremor has long been recognized as an important symptom of multiple sclerosis. This can be intention and postural tremor that affects the upper limbs. Patients with multiple sclerosis who experience tremor of any severity typically retire early or lose their jobs due to disability. Methods: This systematic review was performed up to September 9, 2022. Article selection was performed by searching the MEDLINE (PubMed) and EMBASE electronic bibliographic databases. The search strategy was not limited by study design but only for articles in the English language. Results: A total of nine full-text articles were included in the analysis. Six studies were cross-sectional studies; one each was a prospective observational study, a case-control study, a community-based cohort. The prevalence of tremor in the multiple sclerosis (MS) population among studies ranged widely, between 12.5% and 68.9%. The presence of severe tremor ranged from 3% to 33%. Younger age was a significant predictor of tremor in two studies. The most common tremor subtype was action tremor. Upper extremities were the most common site involved in the majority of our studies, followed by head and neck. Conclusions: Prevalence of tremor ranged from 12.5% to 68.9% in the MS population with severe tremor being an infrequent complication. Severity of tremor correlated with increasing disability. Upper limb action tremor was the most common with rare occurrences of resting and rubral tremor.

Epidemiological and clinical characteristics of central nervous system infections in a tertiary center: A retrospective study.

Background and Aims: Central nervous system (CNS) infection is one of the most common causes of morbidity, mortality, and hospital admission worldwide. The natural history of CNS infection is quite fatal. Early diagnosis and treatment have been proven to have a crucial role in patients' survival. The aim of this study was to identify the epidemiological and clinical patterns of patients diagnosed with CNS infections. Methods: This study is a retrospective study conducted in a tertiary level hospital in Nepal in which patient diagnosed with CNS infections (September 2019 to 2021) were included. Data were collected and analyzed in SPSS. Results: The mean age of the 95 patients included in the study was 45.18 ± 19.56. Meningoencephalitis (n = 44, 46.30%) was the most common infection diagnosed. Patients belonging to the age group 30-60 years had a higher frequency of focal neurological deficit, and other classical clinical features. All the patients who died during the treatment had associated comorbidities but no concurrent infections. Altered sensorium, fever, and headache were the common presenting symptoms in all the recovered patients. Conclusion: To ensure optimum disease outcome, early diagnosis and prompt management are crucial. For this, recognizing the local disease patterns in terms of disease distribution, commonly implicated aetiologies, presenting symptoms, and prognostic factors is of utmost importance.

Painful tonic spasms in a patient with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder: A case report.

Painful tonic spasms initially described in association with multiple sclerosis are actually more common in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Characterized by fierce pain and tonic posture of limbs, painful tonic spasms are common in patients during the recovery phase after the first episode of myelitis. A 68-year-old man presented with painful tonic spasm after 2 months of diagnosis of neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder. Eventual use of eslicarbazepine resulted in significant control of spasms. Early recognition of painful tonic spasms and appropriate therapeutic medications can significantly decrease the impact it can have on the quality of life among neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorder patients.

MRI of the brain mimicking autoimmune encephalitis in Sjögren syndrome with chorea: a case report.

Neurologic manifestations in primary Sjögren syndrome (SS) range in prevalence from 8 to 49%, and most of the studies suggest a prevalence of 20%. The incidence of SS patients developing movement disorders is about 2%. Case presentation: The authors herein report a case of a 40-year-old lady with MRI of the brain mimicking autoimmune encephalitis in SS who presented with chorea. Her MRI findings revealed T2 and FLAIR (fluid-attenuated inversion recovery) high signal intensity areas in bilateral middle cerebellar peduncles, dorsal pons, dorsal midbrain, hypothalami, and medial temporal lobes. Clinical discussion: There is still no evidence to support the definite use of MRI in characterizing the central nervous system involvement in primary SS, especially due to overlapping findings with age and cerebrovascular disease. Multiple areas of increased signal intensity in periventricular and subcortical white matter in FLAIR and T2-weighted image is commonly seen in primary SS patients. Conclusion: It is crucial to consider autoimmune diseases like SS as a cause of chorea in adults, even in those whose imaging findings are suggestive of autoimmune encephalitis.

Wallerian degeneration in the brain after organophosphorus poisoning: a case report.

The type, quantity, and potency of the organophosphorus compound (OPC) taken determine the symptoms of OPC poisoning as well as their severity. The exact etiology for organophosphorus (OP) poisoning delay neuropathy regulating Wallerian degeneration is still unknown. Case Presentation: We report here a rare case of a 25-year-old lady with Wallerian degeneration in the brain found in an MRI in a patient after OPC ingestion. MRI of the brain, in our case, shows Wallerian degeneration of the corona radiata, internal capsule, and midbrain. Clinical Discussion: Some OPCs can lead to OP-induced delayed neuropathy, a form of delayed neurotoxicity in humans (OPIDN). The distal axonopathy's (in OPIDN) morphological pattern resembles Wallerian degeneration, which happens in vitro following nerve damage. Although delayed Wallerian degeneration from organophosphate poisoning often affects the peripheral nervous system, it can also affect the central nervous system. Rehabilitation therapy combined with appropriate nursing care has been demonstrated to improve the disease. Conclusion: Central nervous system involvement after OP poisoning is rare, and MRI of the brain and spinal cord can document evidence of Wallerian degeneration after OP poisoning.

Pontine and bilateral cerebellar lesion in osmotic demyelination syndrome associated with uncontrolled type II diabetes mellitus: a case report.

Osmotic demyelination syndrome (ODS) as a result of the hyperosmolar hyperglycemic state is rare and can present with variable neurological manifestation due to lysis of myelin sheath. Case presentation: A 44-year diabetic male presented with complaints of sudden onset, progressive bilateral weakness in lower limbs, and slurring of speech for the past 1.5 months. Cerebellar examination showed a bilaterally impaired finger nose test, dysdiadochokinesia, impaired heel shin test, and an impaired tandem gait. MRI brain (T2 and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery sequences) showed high signal intensity in the central pons and bilateral cerebellum. With a diagnosis of ODS with poorly controlled diabetes, he was treated with insulin, metformin, and supportive measures following which his symptoms subsided gradually. Clinical discussion: A rapid correction of hyponatremia is considered the most common cause of ODS. Variations in plasma glucose levels, a rare cause of ODS, can cause an abrupt osmolality change causing pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis. Prevention of rapid correction of hyponatremia and rapid changes in plasma osmolality in vulnerable patients is the mainstay of treatment. Conclusions: Clinical features, imaging studies, and monitoring of serum osmolality, serum glucose, and electrolytes aid in diagnosis and favorable outcomes for the patient.

Stiff person syndrome in a Nepalese man with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and ketonuria: A rare case report.

Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS), a progressive Central Nervous System disorder is accompanied by progressive muscle rigidity, hyperreflexia, and spasms mainly in truncal and proximal leg muscles mainly associated with autoimmune disorders. Here, we report a rare case of SPS in a middle-aged Nepalese man with uncontrolled diabetes mellitus and ketonuria.