Diseases of the Peripheral Nerves Flashcards
3 distinct histopathologic changes in a peripheral nerve
segmental demyelination
wallerian degeneration
axonal degeneration
Focal degeneration of the myelin sheath with sparing of the axon
segmental demyelination
disappearance of the sheath over segments of variable length
“dying forward”
process in which the nerve degenerates from the point of axonal damage outward
Wallerian Degeneration
“dying back”
the axon is affected progressively from the distal-most site to the proximal
with dissolution of myelin that occurs roughly parallel with axonal change
Axonal Degeneration
which of the three cause muscle atrophy?
segmental demyelination
wallerian degeneration
axonal degeneration
wallerian and axonal degeneration
exception to the length-dependent pattern typical of axonal degeneration
porphyria - presents more of proximal weakness
Maximum degree of denervation atrophy after an acute injury to the axons occurs in _____ days and reduces _____% of muscle volume
90 to 120 days
75 to 80%
in GBS,
Other common antecedent events or associated illness include viral exanthems in children, bacterial infection
CMV EBV Campylobacter Mycoplasma pneumoniae Lyme diseases
define albuminocytologic dissociation
increase in protein without cells
Earliest change seen by Hafer-Macko and colleagues in the pathogenesis of GBS
deposition of complement on the inner layer of myelin
antibodies found in GBS patients with ophthalmoplegia
anti-GQ1b
antibodies found in GBS pts with predominantly motor presentation and to axonal damage
anti-GM1
high titers being associated with cases that follow Campylobacter infections
antibodies associated with pharyngeal-brachial-cervical variant of GBS
GD1a or GT1b
this neuropathy causes difficulty in weaning a patient from the ventilator even as the underlying critical illness comes under control
Critical illness Polyneuropathy
predominantly of motor type
sensory symptoms are mild
cranial nerves are spared
few or no dysautonomic symptoms
EMG/NCS and CSF finding in Critical Illness Polyneuropathy
in CIP: EMG NCS - primary axonal process with early denervation, normal CSF
vs demeylinative form of GBS
True or False
Differentiating Critical illness polyneuropathy from critical illness myopathy and from the axonal form of GBS is easy.
FALSE
Rapidly evolving sensory ataxia, areflexia, numbness and pain beginning in the face and spreading to involve the entire body
symptoms begain within 4 to 12 days following institution of penicillin therapy for a febrile illness
no weakness or muscle atrophy
NCV: absent or slowed sensory conduction, no abnormalities of motor nerve conduction and signs of denervation
Acute Sensory Neuronopathy
Acute Sensory Ganglionopathy
A polyneuropathy appearing 5-8 weeks later
acute or subacute limb weakness with paresthesias and distal loss of vibratory and position sense
weakness involves all extremities at the same time or may descend from arms to legs
may impair respiration
High protein in CSF 50-200mg/dL
Deaths that occur after the pharyngeal infection has subsided - cardiomyopathy; severe polyneuropathy then respiratory paralysis
segemental demyelination without inflammatory reaction of spina roots, ganglia, adjacent soinal nerves
anterior hornsm axons and muscle fibers remain normal.
Diphtheric Polyneuropathy
rapidly advancing, relapsing naturem acute onset more or less symmetrical and mainly motor polyneuropathy often with abdominal pain, psychosis (delirium or confusion) and convulsions
symptoms begin in feet and legs
weakness predominates in the proximal muscles of the limbs and limb girdle muscles, loss of knee jerks with preservation of ankle reflexes
porphyric polyneuropathy
autosomal dominant
not associated with cutaneoussensitivity to light
metabolic defect in Porphyric Polyneuropathy
metabolic defect is in the liver
marked by increased production and urinary excretion of porphobilinogen and of the porphyrin precursor
delta aminolevulinic acid
diagnosis in porphyric polyneuropathy
demonstration of large amounts or porphobilinogen and delta-aminolevulinic acid in urine
urine turns dark when standing as a consequence of the formation of porphobilin, oxidative product
Treatment in porphyric polyneuropathy
IV glucose and intravenous hematin 4mg/kg daily for 3 to 14 days
drugs implicated during recurrent attacks in porphyric polyneuropathy
sulfonamides, griseofulvin, estrogens, barbiturates, phenytoin,, succinimide anticonvulsant
Carcinoma of the _____ accounts for approximately 50% of the cases of paraneoplastic sensorimotor polyneuropathy
lung
True or False
Arsenical neuropathy is categorized as of the dying-back (axonal degeneration) type
True