A 42-year-old healthy man sought care for transient episodes of neurologic deficits followed by severe headache. The first episode began with left hand weakness, numbness, and dysarthria, followed approximately 1 hour later by a right temporal headache. His symptoms spontaneously resolved after 8 hours. He had a second episode 2 days later manifested by confusion and bilateral lower extremity numbness, again followed by severe headache with symptoms resolving within 12 hours. A total of 8 episodes occurred over 3 weeks, each lasting 8 to 24 hours, with spontaneous resolution each time. His most recent episode occurred during cerebral angiography. Cerebrospinal fluid evaluation showed opening pressure, 190 mm H2O; white blood cells, 205/μL, 97% lymphocytes; protein, 95 mg/dL; and glucose, 40 mg/dL. Electroencephalography demonstrated right greater than left generalized slowing, with increased-voltage rhythmic delta wave activity, in the frontal regions predominantly. Conventional cerebral angiography findings were normal, but the test appeared to provoke the patient’s previous episode. Neurologic examination was normal after his most recent episode resolved, and no further episodes were reported. This case highlights a typical presentation of transient headache and neurologic deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis. Because the disorder was self-limited, treatment was aimed at symptomatic management of headache. In this case patient with a secure diagnosis of headache and neurologic deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis and stereotypical episodes limited to 3 months after the initial presentation, additional testing was not indicated. Headache and neurologic deficits with cerebrospinal fluid lymphocytosis is a rare, self-limited, benign condition with migrainelike headache episodes accompanied by transient neurologic deficits usually lasting more than 4 hours, with some deficits lasting more than 24 hours.
Maternal Leukemia Inhibitory Factor (LIF) Promotes Fetal Neurogenesis via a LIF-ACTH-LIF Signaling Relay Pathway
