[Central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis: clinical case, brain magnetic resonance and evolution in 13 patients]. / Mielinolisis central pontina y extrapontina: cuadro clínico, resonancia magnética cerebral y evolución en 13 pacientes.

INTRODUCTION: Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a disease characterized by the destruction of the myelin in the brainstem, generally associated with alcoholism, rapid correction of hyponatremia and other electrolytic alterations. The clinical symptoms, etiopathogenic factors, neuroimaging and evolution of the series of patients diagnosed of central pontine/extrapontine myelinolysis (CPEM) are described. METHODS: Review of all the clinical histories with diagnoses of CPM made in our hospital since 1989. All the cases were reviewed, ruling out those having a magnetic resonance or clinical picture not clearly consistent with the diagnosis. Age, symptoms, comorbidity, associated metabolite alterations and clinical evolution were analyzed. RESULTS: 13 cases whose ages ranged from 28 to 81 years were identified. Hyponatremia was identified during the clinical course in six patients, with neurological worsening associated to its correction in 3 of them. No sodium disorders were identified in 7 patients. Seven of the patients had associated alcoholism. Hyperintense lesions were found in all the cases in T2 sequences and FLAIR in the brainstem consistent with the typical pattern of the osmotic demyelinization syndrome. The severity of the clinical picture identified varied from a symptomatic patient to coma in 9 cases. In regards to the clinical course, four patients completely recovered, eight had residual symptoms with different severity and one patient died. CONCLUSIONS: The series is representative of the clinical and etiopathogenic spectrum of the osmotic demyelinization syndrome. Most of the clinically symptomatic patients improve if the secondary complications are controlled.

Mielinolisis central pontina y extrapontina: cuadro clínico, resonancia magnéticacerebral y evolución en 13 pacientes / Central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis: clinical case, brain magnetic resonance and evolution in 13 patients

Introducción. La mielinolisis central pontina (MCP) es una entidadcaracterizada por la destrucción de mielina en la base de la protuberancia,generalmente asociada con enolismo, corrección rápidade la hiponatremia y otras alteraciones electrolíticas. Se describe laclínica, factores etiopatogénicos, neuroimagen y evolución de unaserie de pacientes con diagnóstico de mielinolisis central pontina/extrapontina(MCP/E).Métodos. Revisión de todas las historias clínicas con diagnósticode MCP realizados en nuestro hospital desde el año 1989. Se revisarontodos los casos descartando aquellos con resonancia magnéticao cuadros clínicos no claramente compatibles con el diagnóstico.Se analizó la edad, clínica, comorbilidad, alteraciones metabólicasasociadas y evolución clínica.Resultados. Se identificaron 13 casos con edades comprendidasentre los 28 y 81 años. Se identificó hiponatremia durante el cursoclínico en 6 pacientes, produciéndose en 3 de ellos un empeoramientoneurológico asociado a la corrección de la misma. En 7 pacientesno se identificaron trastornos del sodio. Siete de los pacientes presentabanenolismo asociado. En todos los casos se reconocieron lesioneshiperintensas en secuencias T2 y FLAIR en la protuberanciacompatibles con el patrón típico del síndrome de desmielinizaciónosmótica. La gravedad del cuadro clínico identificado varió desde unpaciente asintomático hasta el coma en 9 casos. En cuanto a la evoluciónclínica, 4 pacientes se recuperaron completamente, 8 presentaronsintomatología residual de distinta severidad y 1 paciente falleció.Conclusiones. La serie es representativa del espectro clínico yetiopatogénico del síndrome de desmielinización osmótica. La mayoríade los pacientes clínicamente sintomáticos mejoran si las complicacionessecundarias son controladas (AU)

Introduction. Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a diseasecharacterized by the destruction of the myelin in the brainstem,generally associated with alcoholism, rapid correction ofhyponatremia and other electrolytic alterations. The clinicalsymptoms, etiopathogenic factors, neuroimaging and evolutionof the series of patients diagnosed of central pontine/extrapontinemyelinolysis (CPEM) are described.Methods. Review of all the clinical histories with diagnosesof CPM made in our hospital since 1989. All the cases were reviewed,ruling out those having a magnetic resonance or clinicalpicture not clearly consistent with the diagnosis. Age, symptoms,comorbidity, associated metabolite alterations and clinical evolutionwere analyzed.Results. 13 cases whose ages ranged from 28 to 81 yearswere identified. Hyponatremia was identified during the clinicalcourse in six patients, with neurological worsening associated toits correction in 3 of them. No sodium disorders were identifiedin 7 patients. Seven of the patients had associated alcoholism.Hyperintense lesions were found in all the cases in T2 sequencesand FLAIR in the brainstem consistent with the typical pattern ofthe osmotic demyelinization syndrome. The severity of the clinicalpicture identified varied from a symptomatic patient to comain 9 cases. In regards to the clinical course, four patients completelyrecovered, eight had residual symptoms with different severityand one patient died.Conclusions. The series is representative of the clinical andetiopathogenic spectrum of the osmotic demyelinization syndrome.Most of the clinically symptomatic patients improve if thesecondary complications are controlled (AU)