Neuro - general Flashcards
Commonest complication of meningitis
hearing loss
RF for SAH
Polycystic kidney disease
Alcohol, smoking, HTN
What do lacunar infarcts affect?
Small vessels around the basal ganglia, internal capsule, thalamus, pons
Clinical dx of epilepsy
need 2 or more unprovoked seizures occuring >24h apart
Commonest organisms in neonate meningitis
Extended labour, infection in previous pregnancy –> Group B streptococci
Late neonatal infection-> E. Coli
Listeria monocytogenes
Commonest organisms in infants + young children meningitis
Gram +ve cocci –> Strept. Pneumoniniae,
Unvaccinated –> Haemophilus influenzae type B,
Gram -ve diplococci –> Neisseria meningitidis
Commonest organisms in children meningitis
Gram +ve cocci –> S pneumoniae
Unvaccinated –> Haemophilus influenzae type B
Gram -ve diplococci –> N. meningitides
Commonest organisms in adult meningitis
Gram -ve diplococci –> N. meningitidis (80%)
Gram +ve cocci –> S. pneumoniae
H. Influenzae, L. monocytogenes, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Pseudomonas aeruginosa
Commonest organisms in elderly + immunocompromised meningitis
eldelry, cheese/unpastuerised milk, alcoholics –> L. monocytogenes
Alcoholism + recent chest infection –> pneumococcal meningitis
Immunocompromise + CN involvement –> Listeria meningitis
Gram +ve cocci –> S. pneumoniae
TB
Commonest organisms in hospital-acquired + post traumatic meningitis
Klebsiella pneumoniae, E. coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staph. aureus
Contraindications to LP
- signs of increase ICP (decreased consciousness, bad headache, frequent fits)
- focal neurology
- severe shock
- sepsis
- Coagulopathy
- open skin lesion at the site of entry
Indications for LP
2/4 of the following are present • Headache • Fever • Altered mental status of unknown aetiology • Meningism
Causes of hydrocephalus in young people
- Congenital malformations
- Brain tumours
Causes of hydrocephalus in older people
- Brain tumours
- Strokes
What is a non-communicative hydrocephalus?
Also called obstructive
Impaired flow of CSF from the ventricular system
Causes of non-communicative hydrocephalus
Lesions of 3, 4 ventricle, cerebral aqueduct
Acquired aqueduct stenosis
SOL in posterior fossa compressing the 4th ventricle
Tentoral herniation
Intraventicular haematoma
Tumours
What is a commmunicative hydrocephalus?
Impaired CSF reabsorption in the subarachnoid villi due to either
- increased production
- decreased reabsorption
What can cause a comminicative hydrocephalus?
Thickining of the leptomeninges +/- involvement of arachnoid granulations
- infection
- SAH
- meningitis
- tumours
- NPH
Increased in CSF viscosity - increased protein count
Excessive CSF production - choroid plexus papilloma
What is hydrocephalus ex vacuo?
apparent ventricular expansion as a compensatory change due to brain atrophy + shrinkage (e.g. Alzheimer’s) – no increase in CSF pressure
What is normal pressure hydrocephalus?Causes?
CSF pressure remains normal or is only intermittently raised as measured by LP
o Idiopathic chronic ventricular enlargement
o Long white matter tracts are damaged leading to gait + cognitive decline
o Probably caused by chronic communicating hydrocephalus
The condition responds to a reduction in CSF pressure and/or a CSF diversion procedure
What is multiple sclerosis?
- Cell – mediated autoimmune condition
- Repeated episodes of inflammation of the nervous tissue in the brain + spinal cord –> causing loss of the insulating myelin sheath
- Multiple areas of scar tissue form along the neurones –> this slows/blocks the transmission of signals to + from the brain + the spinal cord –> movement + sensation may be impaired
What is progressive bulbar palsy?
A type of MND - LMN
Any lesion affecting cranial nerve 9-12 at nuclear, nerve or muscle level
Nasal speech
Nasal regurgitation of food (esp. fluids - palatal weakness)
Decreased gag reflex
Absent jaw jerk
Wasted fasciculating tongue
Emotions not liable
What is pseudobulbar palsy?
A type of MND - UMN
UMN lesion to the lower brainstem (CN 9-11)
result of damage of motor fibres travelling from the cerebral cortex to the lower brainstem
Monotonous speech
Donald duck speech
Dysarthria
Dysphagia
Increased gag reflex
Brisk jaw jerk
Shrunken immobile spastic tongue, no fasciculations
Emotional liability
UMN limb spasticity + weakness
What is myasthenia gravis?
Chronic autoimmune disorder of the post-synaptic membrane at the neuromuscular junction in the skeletal muscle resulting from binding of autoantibodies to components of the NMJ (e.g. most commonly against the nicotinic Ach receptor but also to associated proteins)
What is a myasthenic crisis?
a complication of MG characterised by worsening muscle weakness resulting in respiratory failure that requires intubation + mechanical ventilation
What is the Eaton-Lambert syndorme?
a rare neuromuscular disorder most commonly seen in patients with small cell lung cancer
Proximal muscle weakness that improves on repetition (unlike MG)
DDx for myasthenia gravis and how to differentiate (4)
• Eaton-Lambert syndrome
o Proximal muscle weakness improves on exercise
• MS
o Hyperreflexia
o Extensor plantar response
• MND
o Features of UMN + LMN disease
• Horner’s syndrome
o Usually unilateral
o Miosis
Most common muscles to be affected in Myasthenia Gravis
Muscles of eyes + face
Condition may progress to affect respiratory muscle function –> myasthenic crisis
Myasthenia gravis assosciations
- Other autoimmune conditions (e.g. pernicious anaemia)
- Thymoma development (breakdown in immune tolerance thought to arise in thymus)
Thymic hyperplasia more common than thymoma
Thymomas are present in 20% of patients with MG // Thymic hyperplasia occurs in 75% of MG patents // 30-50% of patients with thymoma also have MG
What is progressive muscular atrophy?
A type of MND
Affects LMN only
What is primary lateral sclerosis?
A type of MND
Loss of Betz cells in motor cortex
Mainly affects UMN
No LMN signs
Aetiology of GBS
Following a GIT or URT infection (2-3 weeks after infection)
Antibodies to the infectious organism also attack antigens in peripheral nervous tissue
Immune mediated attack on myelin sheath or Schwann cells of sensory + motor nerves
Organisms Campylobacter jejuni CMV HIV EBV mycoplasma