Recovery of foot drop in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP).

Introduction/aims: Foot drop is common in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP), but its prognosis is uncertain.

Methods: CIDP patients with less than anti-gravity strength (<3/5 power) of ankle dorsiflexion (ADF) on Medical Research Council manual muscle testing on presentation at our center were identified by retrospective review. After initiation of standard treatment, ADF power was serially tabulated, and predictors of recovery were determined.

Knowledge of Stroke, Its Warning Symptoms, Risk Factors and Treatment among the General Public and General Practitioners in a South Asian Population.

Background: An adequate stroke literacy among the general public and first-contact physicians is an essential prerequisite to ensure timely treatment and prevention of stroke. Knowledge on stroke pathophysiology, warning symptoms, risk factors and treatment, and its determinants was assessed among general public and general practitioners (GPs) in a South Asian population.

Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among relatives of nonstroke patients admitted to the apex tertiary-care hospital in Sri Lanka.

Miller Fisher Syndrome Associated With Immunotherapy for Metastatic Melanoma.

Immunotherapy is a treatment strategy that has demonstrated survival benefit for metastatic melanoma. Ipilimumab and nivolumab are examples of immunotherapy, in which monoclonal antibodies antagonize cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 and programmed death-ligand 1 receptors, respectively, resulting in upregulation of the host immune response to cancer cells. There is increasing recognition of immune-mediated adverse events associated with immune therapies in patients with cancer.

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide-gated channels potentially modulate axonal excitability at different thresholds.

Hyperpolarization-activated cyclic-nucleotide-gated (HCN) channels mediate differences in sensory and motor axonal excitability at different thresholds in animal models. Importantly, HCN channels are responsible for voltage-gated inward rectifying () currents activated during hyperpolarization. The currents exert a crucial role in determining the resting membrane potential and have been implicated in a variety of neurological disorders, including neuropathic pain.

Septic Cavernous Sinus Thrombosis: Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Septic cavernous sinus thrombosis is a rare but serious complication of infection of the cavernous sinuses. There are no randomised, controlled trials of management of this condition and existing reviews of the literature are somewhat dated. The authors report a case with a favourable outcome and then present the findings of a literature review of the management of this condition.

Mimics and chameleons of optic neuritis.

Optic neuritis is a common problem and most neurologists are familiar with it. Recent studies have suggested that it can be overdiagnosed in as many as 10% of cases. The major reasons for this relate to confusion regarding terminology and lack of familiarity with common mimics.

Epidemiology of chronic kidney disease in a Sri Lankan population: experience of a tertiary care center.

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a growing problem in Sri Lanka. Diabetes and hypertension are the main contributors to the disease burden. A new form of CKD of uncertain etiology (CKD-u) is the predominant form of CKD in certain parts of Sri Lanka, threatening to reach epidemic proportions.

Preliminary audit on early identification and management of chronic kidney disease in adults in an acute general medical unit in Sri Lanka.

This was the first round of an audit to analyze how closely the National Institute of Clinical Excellence (NICE) guidelines on early identification and management of chronic kidney disease in adults is adhered to by a medical ward in the National Hospital of Sri Lanka. One hundred consecutive patients who were not diagnosed to have chronic kidney disease (CKD) but had risk factors for future development of CKD were selected from the male and female wards of the University Medical Unit, National Hospital, Colombo, Sri Lanka. Data were collected by interviewing patients and from the case notes, and entered on a proforma designed based on the recommendations outlined in the NICE guidelines on the prevention of CKD.