The neurology section of the PACES examination is often the major cause of (unnecessary!) anxiety for MRCP candidates. The key is to approach the patient in a logical fashion. Some neurology cases are simply an exercise in pattern recognition – noticing the frontal balding and ptosis of myotonic dystrophy, the distal wasting and pes cavus of Charcot–Marie–Tooth disease, for example. However, in those cases without obvious clues to the underlying diagnosis, a clear systematic approach will usually pay dividends. When faced with a neurological problem, the first question that should be posed is the site of the lesion. During the course of the examination, identify signs that might help in localization: • Cortex: signs of dysfunction of higher cognitive function. • Subcortical: upper motor neuron (UMN) signs (hypertonia, pyramidal pattern of weakness, hyper-reflexia, extensor plantars), slowness of thought. • Basal ganglia: cogwheel rigidity, resting tremor, bradykinesia, postural instability, dyskinesias, dystonias. • Brainstem: cranial nerve abnormalities with contralateral UMN signs. • Cerebellum: gait ataxia, nystagmus, finger-nose ataxia, past-pointing. • Spinal cord: bilateral UMN signs, presence of a sensory level. • Nerve root: lower motor neuron (LMN) signs (wasting, weakness, hyporeflexia, sensory loss) in a myotomal or dermatomal distribution. • Single or multiple nerve/plexus: LMN signs that are focal, and are not consistent with a nerve root lesion. • Polyneuropathy: LMN signs, more pronounced distally, affecting the legs more than the hands, diminished reflexes, sensory signs. • Neuromuscular junction: weakness without sensory involvement or significant wasting, usually but not invariably proximal, which fluctuates (either with time of day or during the course of the examination). • Muscle: wasting and weakness with normal reflexes and sensation. Once the lesion has been localized, consider the disease processes that commonly affect that site. Clues may be obtained from the history, if you are permitted to ask questions. The most helpful aspect of the history is usually the speed of onset: • Seconds: electrical disturbance (i.e. epilepsy), trauma. • <5 minutes: infarction. • > 5 minutes: migraine, haemorrhage. • Minutes–hours: infection, inflammation, drugs. • Hours–days: infection, inflammation, nutritional, drugs.
Is there a right time for surgery in paraplegic patients secondary to non traumatic spinal cord compression?
