Single dose immunoglobulin therapy for childhood Guillain-Barré syndrome.

To establish the efficacy of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) in the treatment of acute Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS), we treated nine consecutive pediatric cases (age 2.5-13.5 years) fulfilling the criteria for GBS with a single dose of IVIG (Sandoglobulin; 2 g/kg/BW). None of the patients experienced any IVIG related side-effects. The mean time required to improve by at least one grade on the functional GBS scale after IVIG treatment was 3.5 days, while the mean period to regain ambulation was 11.2 days. Full mobilization without evidence of relapse in the follow-up period (mean 14.5 months) was noted in all but one patient who relapsed after 5 months. We conclude that the early use of a single IVIG dose may prevent further progression of the disease, thus shortening the clinical course of childhood GBS. The most beneficial IVIG dose regimen remains to be determined by controlled trials.

Early infantile Krabbe disease: deceptively normal magnetic resonance imaging and serial neurophysiological studies.

Early infantile Krabbe disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease caused by deficiency of lysosomal enzyme galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase, with onset before the age of 6 months. We present serial clinical, radiological and neurophysiological findings of a patient with early infantile Krabbe disease, presenting at the third day of life with hypotonia, macrocephaly and neonatal seizures. The patient had a deceptively normal initial magnetic resonance imaging examination at the age of 3 months, with progression of the white matter disease over the following 9 months, showing a clinical picture of profound hypotonia with pyramidal and pseudobulbar signs, as well as mild optic atrophy. Assay of galactocerebroside beta-galactosidase activity in leukocyte culture disclosed a marked deficiency of the enzyme (0.00 nmol/mg protein per h with normal values > 0.7 nmol/mg protein per h), thus confirming the diagnosis of Krabbe disease. Nerve conduction velocity and evoked potential studies, as well as the electroencephalogram, were abnormal at the age of 6 months, while serial neurophysiological studies at the age of 12 and 18 months demonstrated the progressive nature of the disease.

Serial magnetic resonance imaging findings in mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB (Sanfilippo's syndrome B).

Sanfillippo B syndrome (mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) III, type B) is characterized by mild expression of the characteristic 'Hurler' phenotype and a severe central nervous system involvement. We report three patients with Sanfilippo B syndrome, referred to our clinic because of peculiar facies, delay in language development and behavioral problems, at the ages of 4, 3 and 5 years, respectively. At presentation they manifested clinical features of MPS, severe developmental retardation, radiological features of dysostosis mutiplex, as well as neurophysiological findings suggestive of carpal tunnel syndrome and sensorineural hearing impairment. Due to marked urinary excretion of heparan sulfate, as well as deficiency of alpha-N-acetylglucosaminidase in leukocytes, the diagnosis of Sanfilippo B syndrome was made. Serial brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at different ages demonstrated white matter abnormalities, cortical atrophy and ventricular enlargement in all three patients, while other findings included thickening of the diploe in two patients and callosal atrophy, basal ganglia involvement, cerebellar changes and dilatation of venous sinuses in one patient. Although the combination of the above MRI findings is highly suggestive of a MPS, they carry a little predictive value in the different clinical stages of MPS IIIB.