Systemic erythematous lupus after treatment of multiple sclerosis with alemtuzumab.

Alemtuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody targeting CD52 protein that has shown great efficacy in the treatment of relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis and is associated with prolonged remission of the disease. Although it is highly effective, alemtuzumab can lead to serious adverse advents among which the most common are secondary autoimmune diseases. We present a patient who was treated with alemtuzumab for relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis.

The incidence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome in the population of Zagreb, Croatia.

Aim: To estimate the incidence of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) in the population of Zagreb, Croatia, and to determine the patients' demographic and clinical characteristics.

Methods: From 2012-2017, we identified patients with POTS by a retrospective analysis of medical records at University Hospital Center Zagreb. Crude incidence rates were directly standardized by age according to the European and World Standard Population.

Evolution of tongue somatosensory evoked potentials in people with multiple sclerosis.

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the long-term evolution of tongue somatosensory evoked potentials (tSSEP) in people with multiple sclerosis (pwMS).

Methods: Out of initial 121 participants, after two-year follow-up, the data were available for 74 and after four-year follow-up for 58 pwMS. In all pwMS complete neurological examination, brain MRI, cervical spinal cord MRI (if available) and tSSEP were performed at baseline visit (M0).

Intravenous immunoglobulins for the prevention of postpartum relapses in multiple sclerosis.

Objectives: To evaluate the effect of intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) on prevention of postpartum relapses in women with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis (RRMS).

Methods: This was a retrospective study performed in Ljubljana, Slovenia where the practice for all pregnant women with RRMS is to receive IVIG after the delivery (10 g monthly, during first 6 months after delivery) and in Zagreb, Croatia where no such practice exists. The following data were collected: date of delivery, maternal age at delivery, year of the RRMS diagnosis, EDSS, disease modifying therapy prior to pregnancy, relapses in the year prior, during and in the period of one year after pregnancy.

Pulmonary embolism during the third cycle of alemtuzumab in a patient with relapsing multiple sclerosis.

Alemtuzumab is one of immunomodulatory drugs used for treatment of multiple sclerosis (MS). Although it is very effective it carries significant risk for various side effects. This paper reports a case of young patient who developed pulmonary embolism during the third cycle of alemtuzumab.

Recurrent atrial fibrillation after pulse corticosteroid treatment for a relapse of multiple sclerosis.

Standard therapy for a relapse of multiple sclerosis is a high dose pulse corticosteroid therapy. Cardiovascular adverse events ranging from palpitations to serious arrhythmias like atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia have been associated with this treatment. The underlying mechanism behind the development of atrial fibrillation and treatment of multiple sclerosis relapse with steroids is still unclear.

Effect of Food Intake on Hemodynamic Parameters during the Tilt-Table Test in Patients with Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome.

Background And Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine the effect of food intake on the heart rate (HR) in postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Methods: The following five-phase protocol was applied to 41 subjects who had a sustained HR increment of ≥30 beats/min within 10 min of standing in an initial tilt-table test: 1) 10-min supine phase, 2) 10-min 70°-tilted phase, 3) ingestion of 400 mL of Nutridrink Multi Fibre®, 4) 45-min supine phase, and 5) 10-min 70°-tilted phase. Subjects were divided into four groups: A) difference in HR for standing vs.

Autonomic symptom burden can predict disease activity in early multiple sclerosis.

Background: We aimed to evaluate the role of autonomic nervous system (ANS) abnormalities on disease activity (relapses and new MRI lesions) and disease progression in people with clinically isolated syndrome (pwCIS).

Methods: Out of 121 consecutive pwCIS, data on disease activity and progression after 2.9 (1.

Performance of the COMPASS-31 questionnaire with regard to autonomic nervous system testing results and medication use: a prospective study in a real-life setting.

The aim of this study was to investigate the performance of the Composite Autonomic System Score-31 (COMPASS-31) questionnaire in a real-life setting in consecutive patients referred to the laboratory for objective testing of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), with the hypothesis that COMPASS-31 results differ depending on medications and findings of the tilt table test results. One hundred seventy-one consecutive patients (125 females, mean age 41.5 ± 19.

Establishing the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis in Croatian patients with clinically isolated syndrome: 2010 versus 2017 McDonald criteria.

Aim: To compare the sensitivity, specificity and accuracy of the 2010 and 2017 revisions of the McDonald criteria in a Croatian cohort of patients with a clinically isolated syndrome (CIS).

Methods: Prospectively collected data from 113 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Sensitivity, specificity and accuracy for both criteria were calculated regarding conversion to clinically definite multiple sclerosis (Poser CDMS) or multiple sclerosis (MS) (defined as fulfilment of clinical or MRI evidence for dissemination in space and the development of a second relapse and/or ≥1 new T2 lesions on the follow-up MRIs) during a two-year follow-up.

Toxic liver injury after high-dose methylprednisolone in people with multiple sclerosis.

The standard therapy of multiple sclerosis (MS) relapse is high-dose pulse corticosteroid therapy. Although commonly applied and usually well tolerated it may as well carry certain risks for people with MS, the more severe of them being hepatotoxicity. This report describes three cases of acute liver injury following pulse corticosteroid therapy with reference to other possible causative factors.

Video head impulse test can detect brainstem dysfunction in multiple sclerosis.

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of video head impulse test (vHIT) in the detection of brainstem lesions in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS).

Methods: Sixty-eight participants were enrolled and divided into two groups: 39 healthy subjects (HC) (78 ears, 20 females, mean age 25,3±6,3) and 29 MS patients (58 ears, 14 females, mean age 33,7±7,7). Both groups underwent vHIT, and in MS group MRI was analyzed for the presence of brainstem lesions.

Vestibular evoked myogenic potentials and video head impulse test in patients with vertigo, dizziness and imbalance.

The aim of this study was to compare vestibular evoked myogenic potentials (VEMP) and video head impulse test (vHIT) results in patients presenting with vertigo and dizziness. We retrospectively analyzed data of all patients with the chief complaint of vertigo, dizziness, or imbalance that underwent VEMP and vHIT from January 2015 to January 2016. A total of 117 patients (73 females, mean age 53.