Cases Flashcards
Commonest cause of encephalitis
Viral: HSV,Varicella, enterovirus
- gastroenteritis association
Differentiating between complications of acute sinusitis
CNS ABSCESS: sinusitis, focal, pyrexia, limbs!
vs
Cavernous sinus thrombosis: unilateral facial, oedema, proptosis, palsies (III, IV, V, VI)
Commonest cause of neonatal meningitis
Group B Strep. (vaginal commensal)
Commonest causes of meningitis in young adults
N. MENINGITIS = gram neg. diplococci
S. PNEUMON. = gram +ve diplococc.
Meningioceph. is a common complication of
MUMPS
Management of suspected meningiococcal meningitis
IV Cefotaxime
Diagnosis of MG
ACh R Ab Anti muscle specific tyrosine kinase Ab Electromyography CT Thorax to RULE OUT ASSOCIATED THYOMA CK = normal
Treatment for MG
> PREDNISOLONE
PYRIDOSTIGMINE (anti ACh inhib.)
+plasma exchange, Ig infusion, imm suppr.
+ Thymectomy
Hallmarks of MG
- Descending asymm. weakness
- FATIGUE/time
- PTOSIS DIPLOPIA (occular MG)
- RESP FAILURE => !asp. pneumonia
A 31-year-old intravenous drug user is brought to the emergency department with back pain, bilateral leg weakness and fever. What is the most likely diagnosis?
a. Epidural Abscess
b. Meningitis
c. Cervical Spondylosis
d. Prolapsed disc
e. Groin abscess
EPIDURAL ABSCESS
An 82 year old man presents with back pain. This pain is typically worse lying down. He has noticed he has been more unsteady on his feet recently. He has a past medical history of prostate cancer which he is currency taking hormonal therapies for. Given the likely diagnosis what is the first line management?
a. Discharge with advice regular NSAIDs
b. Physiotherapy
c. IV mannitol
d. Radiotherapy
e. Oral Dexamethasone
Oral Dexamethasone
A 45-year-old woman is admitted to the emergency department following a stabbing incident. She has multiple wounds on her flank and lower back that the medics suspect were caused by a knife.
You perform a full neurological examination which reveals the following:
weakness in extension and flexion of the right knee
loss of proprioception and vibration below mid thigh in the right leg
loss of pain sensation below the mid thigh in left leg
a. Brown Sequard Syndrome: Right lateral hemisection of the cord damaged
b. Brown Sequard Syndrome: Left lateral Hemisection of the cord damaged
c. Central cord syndrome
d. Laceration to the sciatic nerve
e. Anterior cord syndrome: hemisection of anterior cord damaged
a. Brown Sequard Syndrome: Right lateral hemisection of the cord damaged
A 82-year old woman presents with a 2 day history of neck pain, paraesthesia in her fingers and progressive leg weakness. Which of the following investigations is the gold standard for diagnosing degenerative cervical myelopathy?
a. Xray Cervical Spine
b. Nerve conduction studies
c. CT Cervical spine
d. USS cervical spine
e. MRI Cervical spine
e. MRI Cervical spine
A 59 year old man has presented to the GP with a 6 month history of neck and back pain. The pain is described as being like ‘electric shocks’ and is worse when he turns his head. There is no history of trauma and no other obvious trigger. He has no chronic conditions and is not taking any medications. On examination he has decreased sensation on the dorsal aspect of the thumb and index finger.
C6 radiculopathy
A 65 year old man with a history of prostate cancer presents to his GP with back pain. It has been bothering him for a couple of months now. He is concerned that his prostate cancer has come back and read on the internet that it can spread to your spine. Which of the following features of back pain would you consider as alarming?
Select one or more:
a. Pain on lying down supine
b. Thoracic pain
c. Weight loss
d. Pain following exercise
Pain on lying down supine,
Thoracic pain,
Weight loss
Hallmarks of Epidural Abscess
Spinal cord infection, RF: IVDU, imm suppr., malignancy, DM, recent spinal sx
back pain. This is often worse on movement and worse at night. Associated features can include pyrexia and radicular signs, progressing to weakness or paralysis in severe cases
Epidural Abscess Diagnosis
gold standard investigation to visualise spinal infections is MRI imaging with contrast.
Which CN leave the pontomedullary junction
ABDUCENS
FACIAL
VESTIBULOCOCHLEAR
What cranial nerve has a special visceral component that is responsible for taste to the posterior ⅓ of the tongue?
CN IX
A 22 year old patient presents to an emergency appointment with a 4-day history of pain behind her right ear. She has woken up today with a facial paralysis. You notice her mouth is drooping downwards on the right and she cannot completely close her right eye. Given the most likely diagnosis is Bell’s Palsy, what finding would you expect if you asked the patient to raise her right eyebrow and why?
Inability to raise the left eyebrow as Bell’s palsy is due to a lower motor neuron lesion
A 70-year old woman presents to the Emergency Department by ambulance. She had a severe headache and nausea then had a subsequent epileptic fit. Fundoscopy shows papilloedema. She complains of diplopia when asked to look laterally.
What is the most likely cranial nerve responsible for the symptoms?
a. Trochlear Nerve
b. Optic Nerve
c. Trigeminal Nerve
d. Abducens Nerve
e. Oculomotor nerve
ABDUCENS
A 34 year old lady is admitted with visual disturbance. On examination she is noted to have mydriasis and diminished direct response to light shone into the affected left eye. The consensual response in the affected eye is preserved. She also experiences pain in her left eye that comes on with movement. Her right eye is completely normal. She remembers that last year she developed some paresthesia in her left foot that resolved after a few weeks. She did not seek medical advice at the time.
What is the most likely cranial nerve responsible for the eye symptoms?
OPTIC N.
= OPTIC NEURITIS d/t RAPD
*suspicion of MS
A 35 year old male was involved in a head on collision with a tractor whilst riding his motorbike through the country roads in Aberdeenshire. He was airlifted to ARI where he was initially seen by the consultant in A+E resus. He is now in ICU and as the registrar in Neurosurgery you have been asked to go and assess him. He does not open his eyes and is unresponsive when you speak to him. He extends his right elbow, internally rotates his shoulder and flexes his elbow in response to pain.
What is his GCS?
EYE = 1
SPEECH = 1
MOTOR = 2 (ext.)
Commonest brain tumours in adults and children
ADULTS = GB MULTIFORME
CHILDREN = MEDULLOBLASTOMA