Guillain Barre syndrome mimicking brain death.

A 49-year-old female patient presented at the hospital with a history of herpetic blisters, frequent episodes of vomiting and loose stools, bilateral upper and lower limb weakness, and diminishing sensorium. She was diagnosed with hyponatraemia and respiratory failure and later became unconscious with absent brainstem reflexes. The patient was initially treated for herpetic encephalitis, a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease with acute exacerbation, hyponatraemia and neuroparalytic snake bite. Further evaluation, however, identified the uncommon Guillain Barre syndrome presentation with overlap of Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis. This is an uncommon disorder characterised by the involvement of higher mental functions, fixed dilated pupils, absent brainstem reflexes and quadriplegia that resembles a neuroparalytic snake bite and brain death. After receiving intravenous immunoglobulins for treatment, the patient completely recovered.

A case of early intraventricular haemorrhage following ventriculoperitoneal shunt: An entity requiring consideration.

The ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VP shunt) is one of the most common neurosurgical procedures performed in daily practice. Various complications following a VP shunt are as follows: post-procedure shunt-related infections, shunt block, shunt displacement or exteriorisation and haemorrhage associated with it. Delayed intraventricular haemorrhage is a relatively uncommon complication following the aforementioned procedure. Here we present an atypical case of a 72-year-old male who presented with subarachnoid haemorrhage with hydrocephalus and underwent a VP shunt, following which the patient had early intraventricular haemorrhage (eIVH) with an unfortunate outcome. Here, we propose pathophysiology and risk factors for eIVH.

Fahr's syndrome associated with hypoparathyroidism: A case report.

Fahr's syndrome affects fewer than 1 in 100,000 people. It is an inherited neurological disorder, which is distinguished by atypical calcium deposition in the movement-controlling areas of brain, that is thalamus, dentate nucleus, basal ganglia, cerebellum, cerebral cortex, hippocampus and subcortical white matter. The majority of patients often experience extrapyramidal symptoms, cerebellar signs, speech difficulty, dementia and neuropsychiatric manifestations. This disease's molecular genetics have not been thoroughly investigated. Typically, young to middle-aged adults are affected though basal ganglia calcification in hypoparathyroidism is quite uncommon. Laboratory results and radiographic brain imaging helps in reaching the diagnosis. The treatment is mainly symptomatic. We present a case of Fahr's syndrome associated with hypoparathyroidism.

The genus Ralstonia: The new kid on the block.

The genus Ralstonia comprises of aerobic, gram-negative, oxidase positive, nonfermentative, largely environmental organisms. They are an emerging pathogen in the hospital setting and are increasingly associated with opportunistic infections and outbreaks. We hereby present a case series of six patients diagnosed with bacteraemia caused by Ralstonia spp. and a brief review of literature. These cases highlight that isolation of a nonfermenting gram-negative bacillus from blood culture of a patient admitted in critical care setting should not be ignored as mere contaminant. Clinicians and microbiologists need to work as a team to combat this novel bug.