Background:Focused studies on cranial neuropathy in Guillain–Barré syndrome (GBS) and its prognostic implication are not done previously.Aim:To study the clinical profile of GBS patients with special reference to cranial neuropathy and its prognostic implication.Materials and Methods:The study included 61 patients with GB syndrome, fulfilling Asbury Cornblath's criteria for GB syndrome. A pre-designed semi-structured questionnaire was used to obtain data regarding demographic profile and clinical profile. All patients underwent detailed neurological examination, investigations including nerve conduction studies and CSF examination and treated according to the severity of the illness. Patients were followed up for 6 months. During analysis two groups were made depending on cranial nerve involvement, and compared with respect to various parameters.Results:Out of 61 patients 38 (62.3%) patients had cranial nerve palsies, in that 25 had multiple cranial nerve palsies, and 13 had single isolated nerve palsy. A majority of 30 (49.2%) had bulbar palsy, 28 (46%) had facial nerve palsy, and all had bilateral involvement except 3 patients who had unilateral palsy. Hypoglossal nerve involvement was seen in six (10%) patients and four (6.5%) patients had ophthalmoplegia. Only one had bilateral vestibulocochlear nerve palsy. On comparing various clinico-electrophysiological parameters among patients of GB syndrome with and without cranial nerve involvement, the presence of respiratory paralysis, IVIg and ventilatory support requirement had significant association with cranial nerve involvement in GBS.Conclusion:Our study found a correlation between cranial nerve palsies and severity of the illness. Cranial nerve innervated muscles recover earlier as compared to distal limb muscles. No association was found between outcome at 6 months and cranial nerve involvement.

Introduction:Cluster headache (CH) is uncommon and most painful of all primary headaches, and continues to be managed suboptimally because of wrong diagnosis. It needs to be diagnosed correctly and specifically treated. There are few studies and none from this region on CH.Materials and Methods:To study the detailed clinical profile of CH patients and to compare them among both the genders. Study was conducted at Mahatma Gandhi hospital, Jodhpur (from January 2011to December 2013). Study comprises 30 CH patients diagnosed according to International Headache Society guidelines (ICHD-II). Routine investigations and MRI brain was done in all patients. All measurements were reported as mean ± SD. Categorical variables were compared using the Chi-square test, and continuous variables were compared using Student's t-test. SPSS for Windows, Version 16.0, was used for statistical analyses with the significance level set at P = 0.05.Results:M: F ratio was 9:1. Age at presentation was from 22-60 years (mean - 38 years). Latency before diagnosis was 3 months-12 years (mean - 3.5 years). All suffered from episodic CH and aura was found in none. Pain was strictly unilateral (right-19, left-11), predominantly over temporal region-18 (60%). Pain intensity was severe in 27 (90%) and moderate in 3 (10%). Pain quality was throbbing in 12 (40%). Peak intensity was reached in 5 minutes-30 minutes and attack duration varied from 30 minutes to 3 hours (mean - 2.45 hours). Among autonomic features, conjunctival injection-23 (76.6%) and lacrimation-25 (83.3%) were most common. Restlessness during episode was found in 80%. CH duration varied from 10 days to 12 weeks. Circadian periodicity for attacks was noted in 24 (80%).Conclusion:Results are consistent with other studies on many accounts, but is different from Western studies with respect to low frequency of family history, chronic CH, restlessness and aura preceeding the attack. Detailed elicitation of history is paramount as misdiagnosis is common.

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a clinicoradiologic entity commonly associated with eclampsia, septicemia, chemotherapeutic drugs etc. Concurrent occurrence of Guillain-Barre syndrome (GBS) with PRES is a rare entity. Dysautonomia is a proposed mechanism for such occurrence. Here we present a non-diabetic, non-hypertensive 63-year-old male patient, who came with acute onset flaccid quadriparesis, developing generalized seizures, altered sensorium and raised blood pressure on fifth day of illness. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of brain showed altered signal intensities involving the parieto-occipital areas suggestive of posterior reversible encephalopathy. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis showed albuminocytological dissociation, nerve conduction studies revealed demyelinating type of polyneuropathy. The patient was treated with antihypertensives and antiepileptics. After resolution of the encephalopathy, intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) was given. The patient recovered gradually over few months. Our case concludes GBS as independent risk factor, for PRES may be secondary to dysautonomia and physicians should be aware of such rare coexistence so that early treatment can be done to reduce the mortality and morbidity.

Background:Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is the most common entrapment neuropathy, but not adequately studied in India.Objectives:To study clinical tests, nerve conduction studies (NCS), ultrasonography (USG), and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in diagnosing CTS.Materials and Methods:We diagnosed CTS in 54 patients (93 hands) out of 60 screened patients with symptoms compatible with CTS, including 19 control patients (23 hands). We conducted provocative tests and calculated Boston Carpal tunnel Questionnaire (BCTQ) symptom (S) and function (F) scores. NCS positive patients were classified into mild, mild-to-moderate, moderate, severe, and all-CTS groups. Median nerve anteroposterior, transverse, circumference (CIR), and cross-sectional area (CSA) at inlet (I), middle (M), and outlet (O) each was measured by USG in all patients. MRI was done in 26 patients (39 hands).Results:Phalen, hand elevation and pressure provocation tests had higher sensitivity, Tinel's test had higher specificity and tethered median nerve and tourniquet tests had low sensitivity and moderate specificity. USG had low sensitivity but high specificity, and MRI had moderate sensitivity. USG in patients compared to controls was significantly abnormal in CSA-I, CIR-I, and CSA-O. Significant correlation was found between BCTQ-S and NCS and BCTQ-S and CIR-O. CIR-M, CIR-O, CSA-M, and CSA-I had correlation with NCS. MRI was significant in moderate and in moderate + severe groups combined and associated pathologies were detected in 59% patients.Conclusion:NCS remain gold standard but USG and MRI help increase sensitivity and detect mass lesions amenable to surgery.

We describe a patient who presented with a history of lightning strike injury. Following the injury, he sustained acute right upper limb weakness with pain. Clinically, the lesion was located to the upper and middle trunk of the right brachial plexus, and the same confirmed with electrophysiological studies. Nerve damage due to lightning injuries is considered very rare, and a plexus damage has been described infrequently, if ever. Thus, the proposed hypothesis that lightning rarely causes neuropathy, as against high-voltage electric current, due to its shorter duration of exposure not causing severe burns which lead to nerve damage, needs to be reconsidered.