False-Positive Serum Botulism Bioassay in Miller-Fisher Syndrome.

We describe a patient with acute progressive weakness and areflexia. Both botulism and Miller-Fisher variant of Guillain-Barré syndrome were initial diagnostic considerations, and she was treated with intravenous immunoglobulin and botulinum antitoxin. A mouse bioassay was positive for botulinum toxin A, although her clinical course, electrodiagnostic studies, and cerebrospinal fluid findings supported Miller-Fisher syndrome.

Contraction induced h reflexes in the diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy.

Purpose: To determine whether Contraction Induced H Reflexes (CIHR) can accurately detect cervical radiculopathy.

Methods: Comparison of CIHR results with Needle Electromyography at academic outpatient Electromyography/Nerve Conduction laboratories. Participants were all patients over 18 with a needle electromyography diagnosis of cervical radiculopathy.

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal predominance (HMSN-P).

Hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy with proximal predominance (HMSN-P) is a rare disorder inherited in an autosomal dominant fashion. Patients present with slowly progressive proximal-predominant weakness, painful muscle cramps, fasciculations, large-fiber sensory loss, and areflexia. Electrodiagnostic (EDX) studies typically reveal abnormalities consistent with a sensorimotor neuronopathy.

Postpartum paraparesis from spinal neurofibroma.

Background Context: One hallmark of neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF1) is the presence of multiple neurofibromas, which are hormonally responsive and may undergo rapid growth during periods of hormonal surge. Although spinal neurofibromas occur in up to 40% of patients with NF1, they rarely cause neurologic sequelae, especially in the young.

Purpose: To document a unique case of acute postpartum paraparesis in a young woman because of an extradural neurofibroma compressing the conus medullaris and discuss the possible hormonal influences related to rapid growth of this otherwise "benign" nerve sheath tumor.

Increased prevalence of temporary cardiac pacing in people with epilepsy.

Introduction: Even though ictal tachyarrhythmias are more common, ictal brady-asystole is more likely to be fatal, and yet is potentially preventable with pacemaker (PM) implantation. We sought to quantify the degree of association of PM placement in people with and without epilepsy, including neurological and cardiovascular cohorts.

Methods: Retrospective cross-sectional analysis of the National Hospital Discharge database using International Classification of Diseases Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) codes.