1/3. Disseminated hemorrhagic leukoencephalomyelitis with localized herpes simplex brain stem infection.A case of widespread hemorrhagic and perivenous demyelinative leukoencephalomyelitis complicating a localized herpes simplex virus (HSV) brain stem infection is reported in a 28-year-old man. The presence of the virus is documented immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. The spinal trigeminal tract at the level of the medulla oblongata contained viral antigen in the neurons, glia and in the vascular walls, including a few endothelial cells. The foci of demyelination showed deposits of gamma globulins and slight inflammatory infiltrations; the virus was absent from these lesions. It is postulated that HSV entered the central nervous system through the trigeminal nerve. Focal expression of the viral antigen on the endothelium in a sensitized host was the likely precipitating factor in the hyperacute autoimmune reaction, resulting in the widespread hemorrhagic and demyelinating lesions in the central nervous system.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. Necrotic changes of the spinal cord with immune-complex-mediated disseminated vasculitis in a case of atypical allergic encephalomyelitis.A 42-year-old woman demonstrated recurrent, progressive neurological symptoms of peripheral and central nervous system damage of undefined infectious origin. Laboratory investigations showed abnormalities in the CSF and serum, suggesting subacute viral infection. Neuropathological examination revealed complete, widespread necrosis in the cervical and thoracic segments of the spinal cord with mononuclear and microglial infiltrations. There was pronounced thickening and fibrinoid necrosis of the vessel walls with mononuclear cuffs along the spinal cord. Dispersed, similar but less intensive inflammatory changes were present in the medulla oblongata, midbrain and basal ganglia. Surprisingly, there was diffuse demyelination with only slight glial and inflammatory reactions throughout the white matter of both hemispheres. The finding of coarse- and fine-grained deposits of IgG and C3 component of complement in the vessel walls of the spinal cord and vasa nervorum of cervical roots and peripheral spinal nerves, together with positive heterologous complement binding and the results of glycine-HC1 buffer elution, suggested immune-complex-mediated disseminated vasculomyelinopathy of the CNS and PNS. Consequent local ischemic changes and hypersensitivity phenomena led to frank necrosis of the cervical spinal cord and to extreme white matter demyelination in the brain. The case was diagnosed as allergic encephalomyelitis in which diffuse demyelination occurred coincidentally with spinal cord necrosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.5keywords = central nervous system, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. Recurrent disseminated vasculomyelinopathy.The monosymptomatic (recurrent infantile hemiplegia) and the polysymptomatic forms of disseminated vasculomyelinopathy that follow various infections and antigenic challenge to the nervous system were seen in two cases. These cases emphasize the importance of vasculopathy as the initial and obligatory component of the postinfectious and postimmunization neurologic syndromes as well as the clinical and pathological variability of the secondary effects on the nervous system. Recurrent infantile hemiplegia occurred in the first patient. In the second patient, after two episodes of postinfectious myelinoclastic encephalopathy, concurrent acute hemorrhagic leukoencephalopathy and an acute guillain-barre syndrome following swine flu vaccination developed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.32453451040704keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |