A Case of Influenza Virus-Induced Acute Cerebellitis Treated with Steroid Pulse Therapy

Author(s):  
Yukiho Hirota ◽  
Shogo Minamikawa ◽  
Yusuke Ishida ◽  
Azusa Maruyama ◽  
Yasuo Nakagishi

AbstractAcute cerebellitis (AC) is characterized by acute onset cerebellar ataxia brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) abnormalities of the cerebellum. The most common cause of AC is viral infection, and some patients with AC experience neurological sequelae. AC associated with influenza virus is extremely rare, and its prognosis and treatment are unknown. We present the case of a 2-year-old boy with influenza virus-induced AC who was treated with pulse steroid therapy. The patient presented with fever, anorexia, vomiting, malaise, altered consciousness, truncal ataxia, dysmetria, and dysarthria. He was diagnosed with influenza using a nasopharyngeal antigen test. Brain MRI showed hyperintense T2 and diffusion-weighted signal abnormalities in the cerebellar white matter and dentate nuclei bilaterally. The patient was treated with two courses of pulse methylprednisolone therapy and recovered completely in 2 months after the onset. The prognosis of AC is poorer than that of acute cerebellar ataxia, which shows similar symptoms to AC with normal brain MRI. The type of virus might also be associated with the prognosis of AC. Literature review showed that one of the five cases (including the present case, 20%) reported with influenza-associated AC was noted to have neurological sequelae, which might be more severe than those of varicella-zoster-related AC. Given that the pathogenesis of AC is assumed to be immune-mediated, pulse methylprednisolone therapy might be a good option for the treatment of influenza virus-induced AC.

2020 ◽  

Background: Delayed neurological sequelae (DNS) is a major problem in carbon monoxide (CO) intoxication. Many other studies have showed whether serum NSE of acute phase can predict DNS in CO poisoning. However, no study has examined NSE levels after development of DNS. Therefore, we report serum NSE levels after the onset of DNS. Case presentation: We described the NSE levels in two cases of DNS. The first was a 33-year-old woman who presented with concentration problems 39 days after CO exposure. The second was a 51-year-old woman who presented with gait disturbance and urinary incontinence 23 days after CO exposure. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and NSE levels were obtained in both patients. Brain MRI confirmed brain injury and the diagnosis of DNS was made. The NSE levels of the two patients were 12.51 and 16.18 ng/mL, respectively. Conclusion: Although the initial NSE elevated level may be useful in the prediction of carbon monoxide induced DNS, it may be decreased to normal reference range after the onset of DNS.


2020 ◽  
Vol 26 (5) ◽  
pp. 517-524
Author(s):  
Noah S. Cutler ◽  
Sudharsan Srinivasan ◽  
Bryan L. Aaron ◽  
Sharath Kumar Anand ◽  
Michael S. Kang ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVENormal percentile growth charts for head circumference, length, and weight are well-established tools for clinicians to detect abnormal growth patterns. Currently, no standard exists for evaluating normal size or growth of cerebral ventricular volume. The current standard practice relies on clinical experience for a subjective assessment of cerebral ventricular size to determine whether a patient is outside the normal volume range. An improved definition of normal ventricular volumes would facilitate a more data-driven diagnostic process. The authors sought to develop a growth curve of cerebral ventricular volumes using a large number of normal pediatric brain MR images.METHODSThe authors performed a retrospective analysis of patients aged 0 to 18 years, who were evaluated at their institution between 2009 and 2016 with brain MRI performed for headaches, convulsions, or head injury. Patients were excluded for diagnoses of hydrocephalus, congenital brain malformations, intracranial hemorrhage, meningitis, or intracranial mass lesions established at any time during a 3- to 10-year follow-up. The volume of the cerebral ventricles for each T2-weighted MRI sequence was calculated with a custom semiautomated segmentation program written in MATLAB. Normal percentile curves were calculated using the lambda-mu-sigma smoothing method.RESULTSVentricular volume was calculated for 687 normal brain MR images obtained in 617 different patients. A chart with standardized growth curves was developed from this set of normal ventricular volumes representing the 5th, 10th, 25th, 50th, 75th, 90th, and 95th percentiles. The charted data were binned by age at scan date by 3-month intervals for ages 0–1 year, 6-month intervals for ages 1–3 years, and 12-month intervals for ages 3–18 years. Additional percentile values were calculated for boys only and girls only.CONCLUSIONSThe authors developed centile estimation growth charts of normal 3D ventricular volumes measured on brain MRI for pediatric patients. These charts may serve as a quantitative clinical reference to help discern normal variance from pathologic ventriculomegaly.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Huynh Quang Huy

BACKGROUND It is important to identify the neuroimaging features that are associated with partial epilepsy in preschool children. Advances in technology recently to localize focal epileptogenic lesions, especially that of high-resolution structural imaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The recommendation that electroencephalography (EEG) should be gold criteria and that M.R.I should be optional has been questioned. OBJECTIVE The present study aims to to explore the brain lesions on MRI and its association to electroencephalogram in children with partial epilepsy. METHODS The present study was conducted among 112 preschool children with history of partial seizures. All patients underwent EEG and brain MRI. The epileptogenic lesions were identified on the basis of the signal intensities and morphological abnormalities seen on MRI. The correlation between MRI and EEG abnormalities was explored using a chi-square test. RESULTS Abnormal MRI were found in 34.8% (n = 39) of the sample. The EEG and MRI agreed with respect to classify into abnormal or normal in 48.2% (n = 54). Of the 27 patients with a normal EEG, six (22.2%) were seen to have an abnormal MRI. CONCLUSIONS A number of MRI abnormalities was found in our study of otherwise normal children, although the correlation between these results was not clear. Follow-up of these children will help us identify the important abnormalities. Despite of small sample, our results showed that a normal E.E.G findings does not predict a normal brain MRI in children with partial epilepsy.


2020 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Howaida E. Mansour ◽  
Reem A. Habeeb ◽  
Noran O. El-Azizi ◽  
Heba H. Afeefy ◽  
Marwa A. Nassef ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Neuropsychiatric manifestations are frequently reported in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients. This study was done to describe electroencephalographic (EEG) findings in SLE patients with neuropsychiatric manifestation (NPSLE). Results Among 60 SLE patients, there were 50 females (83.3%) and 10 males (16.7%). EEG abnormalities were reported in 12 patients out of 30 (40%) with NPSLE, while all patients with non-NPSLE (n = 30) had no EEG abnormalities; diffuse slowing (20%) was the most common abnormalities, followed by generalized epileptiform activity (13.3%), and lastly temporal epileptiform activity (6.7%). Seizure was the most reported neuropsychiatric disorder in 13 patients (43.3%); 8 of them had abnormal EEG (61.5%). Periventricular white matter lesion (23.3%) followed by infarction (13.3%) were the most common MRI brain findings among 53.3% of NPSLE group. Half of the cases with EEG abnormality had normal brain MRI. SLEDAI score and ACL IgM positivity were higher in the NPSLE group than the non-NPSLE group. EEG is not a sensitive or specific test for detecting NPSLE with sensitivity (37.5%) and specificity (57.1%). Conclusion Not all patients with NPSLE must have abnormal brain MRI or EEG. EEG is a useful assistant tool in the assessment of different manifestations of NPSLE, but it cannot be used as a screening test alone and must be supplemented by neuroimaging studies.


BMC Neurology ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Atsuhiko Sugiyama ◽  
Takahiro Takeda ◽  
Mizuho Koide ◽  
Hajime Yokota ◽  
Hiroki Mukai ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Neuronal intranuclear inclusion disease (NIID) is a rare neurodegenerative disease. Pathologically, it is characterized by eosinophilic hyaline intranuclear inclusions in the cells of the visceral organs as well as central, peripheral, and autonomic nervous system cells. Recently, a GGC repeat expansion in the NOTCH2NLC gene has been identified as the etiopathological agent of NIID. Interestingly, this GGC repeat expansion was also reported in some patients with a clinical diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, there are no autopsy-confirmed cases of concurrent NIID and ALS. Case presentation A 60-year-old Taiwanese woman reported a four-month history of progressive weakness beginning in the right foot that spread to all four extremities. She was diagnosed with ALS because she met the revised El Escorial diagnostic criteria for definite ALS with upper and lower motor neuron involvement in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral regions. She died of respiratory failure at 22 months from ALS onset, at the age of 62 years. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed lesions in the medial part of the cerebellar hemisphere, right beside the vermis (paravermal lesions). The subclinical neuropathy, indicated by a nerve conduction study (NCS), prompted a potential diagnosis of NIID. Antemortem skin biopsy and autopsy confirmed the coexistence of pathology consistent with both ALS and NIID. We observed neither eccentric distribution of p62-positive intranuclear inclusions in the areas with abundant large motor neurons nor cytopathological coexistence of ALS and NIID pathology in motor neurons. This finding suggested that ALS and NIID developed independently in this patient. Conclusions We describe a case of concurrent NIID and ALS discovered during an autopsy. Abnormal brain MRI findings, including paravermal lesions, could indicate the coexistence of NIID even in patients with ALS showing characteristic clinical phenotypes.


Stroke ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 46 (suppl_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Maria D Valdes-Hernandez ◽  
Paul A Armitage ◽  
Eleni Sakka ◽  
Susana Munoz Maniega ◽  
Natalie A Royle ◽  
...  

Background: Volume measures of normal brain tissue and white matter hyperintensities (WMH) between two time points gives limited information about the complex dynamics of tissue change. We evaluated two quantitative parameters that characterise the microstructure of normal-appearing white matter (NAWM), deep grey matter (DGM) and WMH on brain images obtained at presentation with minor stroke and at 1 year to investigate the microstructural changes. Methods: From 182 brain MRI datasets of patients with minor stroke obtained at baseline and 1 year, we extracted the WMH, DGM and NAWM, and separated WMH into less-intense and intense WMH, using validated semi-automatic methods and validated criteria. We registered the binary structural masks to diffusion space and performed a voxel-wise subtraction of the combined masks at both time points. Then we measured fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)(valuex10 -9 m 2 /s) in each tissue mask at baseline and 1 year. Results: WMH volume median increase was 1.4ml (IQR 6.98) mainly due to changes in less-intense WMH: 0.94ml (7.13). WMH that were visible at both time points, ie damage that remained after a year, had the lowest FA= 0.21(0.06) and highest MD=1.05(0.12) at baseline, and were mainly intense WMH at baseline (FA=0.12(0.03), MD=1.55(0.27)). WMH seen only at follow-up, ie that were NAWM at baseline, had the highest FA=0.30(0.06) and lowest MD=0.85 (0.06) at baseline. WMH that were observed only at baseline had intermediate FA=0.26(0.08) and MD=0.90(0.10). NAWM FA=0.26(0.03), MD=0.78(0.04) and DGM FA=0.23(0.03), MD=0.79(0.06) did not change between time points. Conclusions: WMH at baseline can partially evolve to normal-appearing tissues, remain or precede tissue loss. Differentiation between severe and subtle damage and spatial analysis are necessary to characterise the dynamic of WMH evolution.


Circulation ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 144 (Suppl_2) ◽  
Author(s):  
Aurora Magliocca ◽  
Carlo Perego ◽  
Francesca Motta ◽  
Giulia Merigo ◽  
Francesca M Fumagalli ◽  
...  

Introduction: Kynurenine pathway (KP) is emerging as one of the potential components affecting cardiac arrest (CA) outcomes. The aim of this study is to evaluate the effects of KP inhibition through genetic deletion of the rate-limiting enzyme of the KP, indoleamine-2,3-dyoxygenase (IDO) on survival and neurological outcome after CA. Methods and Results: Sixteen adult male wild-type (WT) and IDO-deleted (IDO -/- ) mice were subjected to 8 min untreated CA followed by resuscitation. At baseline heart rate and mean arterial pressure (MAP) did not differ among groups. At the time of return of spontaneous circulation, 30 and 60 min later, MAP was higher in the IDO -/- group compared to the WT one (p=0.0005). IDO -/- mice showed higher survival compared to WT at 7 days after CA (68.5% in IDO -/- vs 37.5% in WT; log rank p=0.036). Neurological function was higher in IDO -/- than in WT mice during the 7 days following CA (p=0.0124). IDO -/- mice also showed an improved locomotor function compared to WT mice (p=0.037). Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) sequences showed a reduction in fractional anisotropy in the external capsule of the corpus callosum in WT mice compared to IDO -/- mice at 7 days after resuscitation (p=0.015). We then treated additional IDO -/- mice with L-kyn 15 min before CA, to revert the IDO -/- phenotype. Brain MRI with diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) sequences and histological analysis were performed 24h after CA in WT, IDO -/- , and IDO -/- +L-Kyn mice. Brain MRI revealed restriction of water diffusivity 24h after CA in WT mice. IDO-deletion reduced water diffusion abnormalities while the beneficial effect was reverted in the L-kyn group (p=0.01). Degenerating neurons in the frontal cortex, represented as Fluoro-Jade B positive cells, were more numerous in WT compared to IDO -/- mice; L-kyn halted this IDO deletion-induced reduction in degenerating cells (p=0.05). Conclusion: KP inhibition improves survival and neurological outcome after CA. The neuroprotective effect of IDO-deletion was associated with preservation of brain white matter microintegrity and with reduction of cerebral cytotoxic edema. Reversal of these beneficial effects by L-kyn administration in IDO -/- mice further confirm the KP role in CA outcome.


2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tomer Stern ◽  
Liora Kornreich ◽  
Hadassa Goldberg

Abstract Background We aimed to find the clinical significance of brain abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in epilepsy and the lateralization of these findings with electroencephalogram (EEG). Methods We retrospectively analyzed the results of all EEGs and brain MRIs of 600 consecutive epilepsy patients from 1998 to 2020. Results Data were available for 563 cases (267 females). Ninety percent of the patients were 18 years old or younger. A total of 345 patients (61.3%) had focal epilepsy, 180 (32%), generalized, and 38 (6.7%), inconclusive. In 187 (33.2%), the first MRI was abnormal and in 81 (out of 108 repeated MRI), the second was pathological. The most frequent brain abnormalities were cortical dysplasia in 41 (18.1%), other structural abnormalities in 25 (11%), various phacomatoses in 23 (10.1%), and mesial temporal sclerosis in 17 (7.5%). Among 226 patients with abnormal MRI, 171 (75.6%) had focal epilepsy when compared with 36 (15.9%) with generalized epilepsy (p <0.001). In 121 patients (53.5%), the result of the abnormal MRI contributed significantly to the understanding of the epilepsy etiology. The side of abnormality was lateralized to the EEG focus in 120 cases (53%); in 10/15 cases with infantile spasms (66%), MRI was significantly abnormal. In 33, in whom the first MRI was normal, a second MRI revealed a significant abnormality. Conclusion Brain MRI is an important tool in epilepsy diagnosis, mainly in focal seizures and infantile spasms. A repeat MRI is mandatory in intractable focal cases to improve the yield of this test.


Author(s):  
Neelu Desai ◽  
Rahul Badheka ◽  
Nitin Shah ◽  
Vrajesh Udani

AbstractReversible cerebral vasoconstriction syndrome (RCVS) has been well described in adults, but pediatric cases are yet under recognized. We describe two children with RCVS and review similar already published pediatric cases. The first patient was a 10-year-old girl who presented with severe headaches and seizures 3 days after blood transfusion. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed changes compatible with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome and subarachnoid hemorrhage. Magnetic resonance angiogram showed diffuse vasoconstriction of multiple cerebral arteries. The second patient was a 9-year-old boy who presented with severe thunderclap headaches. Brain MRI showed isolated intraventricular hemorrhage. Computed tomography/MR angiogram and digital subtraction angiogram were normal. A week later, he developed focal neurological deficits. Repeated MR angiogram showed diffuse vasospasm of multiple intracranial arteries. Both children recovered completely. A clinico-radiological review of previously reported childhood RCVS is provided.


Author(s):  
Thu Hien Trinh Thi

TÓM TẮT U mỡ trong xương là khối u lành tính hiếm gặp, thường gặp ở các xương dẹt, hiếm gặp ở xương nền sọ, đặc biệt là xương bướm. Trong đa số các trường hợp, u mỡ trong xương bướm thường được phát hiện tình cờ qua chụp cắt lớp vi tinh (CLVT) hoặc cộng hưởng từ (CHT) sọ não. Đây là một khối u phát triển chậm, ít gây ra triệu chứng, một số trường hợp gây triệu chứng khi khối u to chèn ép vào cấu trúc lân cận như tuyến yên hoặc dây thần kinh thị. Trong bài này, chúng tôi báo cáo một trường hợp u mỡ trong xương bướm không triệu chứng được phát hiện tình cờ và được chẩn đoán dựa vào phim chụp cộng hưởng từ sọ não. Bệnh nhân được khuyến nghị theo dõi định kỳ bằng cộng hưởng từ mà không phải tiến hành bất kỳ phương pháp điều trị nào. Từ khóa: U mỡ, xương bướm, MRI, cộng hưởng từ sọ não, chẩn đoán hình ảnh. ABSTRACT INTRAOSSEOUS LIPOMA OF SPHENOID BONE: A RARE CASE REVIEW Intraosseous lipoma is very rare, usually benign tumor of flat bones. The incidence of an intraosseous lipomalocated basal skull bones is extremely rare, especially in sphenoid bone. Radiological imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) are used to detect the intraosseous lipoma by accident. These tumors are slow growing and usually asymptomatic, in some cases causing symptoms when the large tumor presses on nearby structures such as pituitary gland or the optic nerve. We present a rare case of lipomaof the sphenoid bone discovered incidentally with brain magnetic resonance imaging. The patient has been followed-up by magnetic resonance imaging without the need for surgery. Keywords: Intraosseous lipoma, sphenoid bone, MRI, brain MRI, diagnostic radiology


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