Neurosarcoidosis Presenting With Confusion and Speech Alteration.

Neurosarcoidosis (NS) is a rare manifestation of sarcoidosis, a multisystem inflammatory granulomatous disease. We describe a unique case of NS with confusion and speech alteration as presenting symptoms. A 65-year-old male with a history of Ramsay Hunt syndrome and Lyme infection presented to the emergency room after an acute episode of disorientation, garbled speech, and left facial droop, along with months of worsening generalized fatigue, gait ataxia, left-sided periorbital headaches, bilateral peripheral neuropathy, and bladder disturbance. A recent CT scan of his chest showed mediastinal lymphadenopathy, and a lymph node biopsy revealed non-necrotizing granulomas, Langhans giant cells, and focal Schaumann bodies. A brain MRI revealed a mildly enlarged anterior pituitary gland, mild prominent enhancement of the trigeminal nerves bilaterally, and right frontal, parietal, and superior temporal leptomeningeal enhancement. Lumbar puncture cerebrospinal fluid analyses were consistent with aseptic meningitis. A diagnosis of probable NS was made. The patient received IV methylprednisolone 1 g for three days, followed by a prednisone taper with clinical improvement. NS is a diagnostic challenge due to the variability of clinical presentations of the disease. This case demonstrates how vague chronic neurologic symptoms preceding an unusual acute clinical presentation delayed the diagnosis of NS in a patient with sarcoidosis.

IGF-1 infusion to fetal sheep increases organ growth but not by stimulating nutrient transfer to the fetus.

Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) is an important fetal growth factor. However, the role of fetal IGF-1 in increasing placental blood flow, nutrient transfer, and nutrient availability to support fetal growth and protein accretion is not well understood. Catheterized fetuses from late gestation pregnant sheep received an intravenous infusion of LR3 IGF-1 (LR3 IGF-1; n = 8) or saline (SAL; n = 8) for 1 wk. Sheep then underwent a metabolic study to measure uterine and umbilical blood flow, nutrient uptake rates, and fetal protein kinetic rates. By the end of the infusion, fetal weights were not statistically different between groups (SAL: 3.260 ± 0.211 kg, LR3 IGF-1: 3.682 ± 0.183; P = 0.15). Fetal heart, adrenal gland, and spleen weights were higher (P < 0.05), and insulin was lower in LR3 IGF-1 (P < 0.05). Uterine and umbilical blood flow and umbilical uptake rates of glucose, lactate, and oxygen were similar between groups. Umbilical amino acid uptake rates were lower in LR3 IGF-1 (P < 0.05) as were fetal concentrations of multiple amino acids. Fetal protein kinetic rates were similar. LR3 IGF-1 skeletal muscle had higher myoblast proliferation (P < 0.05). In summary, LR3 IGF-1 infusion for 1 wk into late gestation fetal sheep increased the weight of some fetal organs. However, because umbilical amino acid uptake rates and fetal plasma amino acid concentrations were lower in the LR3 IGF-1 group, we speculate that animals treated with LR3 IGF-1 can efficiently utilize available nutrients to support organ-specific growth in the fetus rather than by stimulating placental blood flow or nutrient transfer to the fetus.NEW & NOTEWORTHY After a 1-wk infusion of LR3 IGF-1, late gestation fetal sheep had lower umbilical uptake rates of amino acids, lower fetal arterial amino acid and insulin concentrations, and lower fetal oxygen content; however, LR-3 IGF-1-treated fetuses were still able to effectively utilize the available nutrients and oxygen to support organ growth and myoblast proliferation.