Current concepts in long COVID-19 brain fog and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome.

Neurologic complications of long COVID-19 syndrome are one of the leading causes of global disability. In particular, post-COVID-19 cognitive dysfunction and dysautonomia in the form of postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS) markedly affect patient quality of life and ability to return to work. The underlying pathophysiology of post-COVID-19 neurologic complications is unknown but is likely multifactorial with immune dysregulation and microvascular dysfunction playing central roles.

The distribution of acquired peripheral nerve injuries associated with severe COVID-19 implicate a mechanism of entrapment neuropathy: a multicenter case series and clinical feasibility study of a wearable, wireless pressure sensor.

We diagnosed 66 peripheral nerve injuries in 34 patients who survived severe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We combine this new data with published case series re-analyzed here (117 nerve injuries; 58 patients) to provide a comprehensive accounting of lesion sites. The most common are ulnar (25.

Peripheral neuropathy in sarcoidosis.

Peripheral nerve disorders in sarcoidosis consist of granulomatous neuropathy and non-granulomatous small fiber neuropathy (SFN), which differ in their underlying pathology, diagnostic methods and treatment. While granulomatous nerve involvement is rare in sarcoidosis, SFN is reported in over 40% of systemic cases. Distal symmetric polyneuropathy and asymmetric polyradiculoneuropathy are the most common presentations of granulomatous neuropathy, which typically responds to corticosteroids.

Health-Related Quality of Life (HRQoL) in Sarcoidosis: Diagnosis, Management, and Health Outcomes.

Health-related quality of life (HRQoL), though rarely considered as a primary endpoint in clinical trials, may be the single outcome reflective of patient priorities when living with a health condition. HRQoL is a multi-dimensional concept that reflects the degree to which a health condition interferes with participation in and fulfillment of important life areas. HRQoL is intended to capture the composite degree of physical, physiologic, psychological, and social impairment resulting from symptom burden, patient-perceived disease severity, and treatment side effects.

Combination rituximab and intravenous immunoglobulin for treatment of refractory vasculitic neuropathy: a case series.

Objective: Limited evidence exists to guide treatment of refractory vasculitic neuropathy. While rituximab (RTX) and IVIG have both been proposed as individual treatment options for these patients, combination therapy has never been reported.

Methods: Written informed consent was obtained from three patients with refractory vasculitic neuropathy who were treated with combination RTX and IVIG.

Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation for chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy.

Objective: Determine toxicity and efficacy of autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) for patients with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) who are dependent on intravenous immunoglobulins or plasmapheresis.

Methods: Unselected peripheral blood stem cells were re-infused on day 0 after conditioning with cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg/intravenously (IV), rATG (thymoglobulin) 5.5 mg/kg/IV, and rituximab 1000 mg/IV.

Differentiation between neurosarcoidosis and primary central nervous system vasculitis based on demographic, cerebrospinal and imaging features.

Objectives: Neurosarcoidosis (NS) and primary angiitis of central nervous system (PACNS) are inflammatory diseases affecting central nervous system, with overlapping clinical and pathological characteristics. Distinguishing these diseases is important given distinct therapeutic implications. In this study, we aimed to compare demographic, CSF and MRI characteristics between these two conditions.

Nonorgan manifestations of sarcoidosis.

Purpose Of Review: The current review discusses the diagnosis and management of nonorgan-related symptoms that commonly arise in the setting of systemic sarcoidosis. Fatigue, small fiber neuropathy (SFN) and neuropsychological symptoms are highlighted.

Recent Findings: The debilitating effects of chronic nonorgan-based symptoms in sarcoidosis have led to recent studies focusing on incidence rates, contributing factors and potential therapeutic strategies.

Electrodiagnosis of radiculopathy.

While nerve conduction studies are an important part of the electrodiagnostic examination (EDX), the diagnosis of a radiculopathy rests mainly on the needle electrode examination (NEE) findings. Myotomal spontaneous activity and neurogenic motor unit potential (MUP) changes are the key abnormalities seen. To optimize the rate of identifying a radiculopathy, selection of appropriate muscles for the NEE is paramount.

Nerve conduction studies: Basic concepts.

Nerve conduction studies (NCSs) are an essential tool in the evaluation of the peripheral nervous system. The sensory nerve action potential (SNAP) provides information on the sensory nerve axon and its pathway from the distal receptors in the skin to the dorsal root ganglia, while the compound muscle action potential (CMAP) is an assessment of the motor nerve fibers from their origins in the anterior horn cell to their termination along muscle fibers. Various parameters of the SNAP and CMAP waveforms are used to determine the number of functioning nerve fibers and the speed of conduction.

Office approach to small fiber neuropathy.

Small fiber neuropathy is often characterized by neuropathic pain in the feet with normal nerve conduction studies and neurologic examination. Diagnosis requires specialized nerve tests, including autonomic studies and a skin biopsy study showing reduced intraepidermal nerve fiber density. Small fiber neuropathy has numerous causes but is often idiopathic.

Definition and Consensus Diagnostic Criteria for Neurosarcoidosis: From the Neurosarcoidosis Consortium Consensus Group.

Importance: The Neurosarcoidosis Consortium Consensus Group, an expert panel of physicians experienced in the management of patients with sarcoidosis and neurosarcoidosis, engaged in an iterative process to define neurosarcoidosis and develop a practical diagnostic approach to patients with suspected neurosarcoidosis. This panel aimed to develop a consensus clinical definition of neurosarcoidosis to enhance the clinical care of patients with suspected neurosarcoidosis and to encourage standardization of research initiatives that address this disease.

Observations: The work of this collaboration included a review of the manifestations of neurosarcoidosis and the establishment of an approach to the diagnosis of this disorder.

Intra cranial granulomatous disease in common variable immunodeficiency: Case series and review of the literature.

Background/purpose: Common variable immunodeficiency (CVID) is typically characterized by hypogammaglobulinemia and often but not always recurrent infections. Paradoxically, 8-22% of patients with CVID develop granulomatous disease. Granulomata have been described in many organs including the lungs, skin, liver, spleen, kidneys, eyes, lymph nodes, and intestines.

Immune Axonal Polyneuropathy.

Purpose Of Review: Immune axonal polyneuropathy is caused by a diverse group of disorders that share similar presentations and treatment regimens. This article focuses on the clinical findings, evaluation, and management of immune-mediated causes of axonal polyneuropathy, focusing primarily on large fiber sensorimotor polyneuropathy.

Recent Findings: Specific characteristics of an immune-mediated polyneuropathy have been incorporated in a new diagnostic screening tool that is highly sensitive and can easily be used in the outpatient clinic setting.

Cibinetide Improves Corneal Nerve Fiber Abundance in Patients With Sarcoidosis-Associated Small Nerve Fiber Loss and Neuropathic Pain.

Purpose: Sarcoidosis frequently is complicated by small nerve fiber loss (SNFL), which can be quantified using corneal confocal microscopy (CCM). Prior studies suggest that the innate repair receptor agonist cibinetide reverses corneal nerve loss. This phase 2b, 28-day, randomized trial of 64 subjects with sarcoid-associated SNFL and neuropathic pain assessed the effect of cibinetide on corneal nerve fiber area (CNFA) and regenerating intraepidermal fibers (GAP-43+) as surrogate endpoints for disease modification, pain severity, and functional capacity (6-minute walk test [6MWT]).

Low Back Pain.

Purpose Of Review: This article provides an overview of evaluating and treating low back pain in the outpatient setting.

Recent Findings: As most cases of acute low back pain have a favorable prognosis, current guidelines on imaging studies recommend conservative treatment for 6 weeks prior to obtaining an MRI if no red flags are present. Of these red flags, a prior history of cancer is the strongest risk factor for a malignant etiology and requires urgent evaluation with MRI.

Sarcoidosis-associated small fiber neuropathy in a large cohort: Clinical aspects and response to IVIG and anti-TNF alpha treatment.

Objective: Small fiber neuropathy commonly affects patients with sarcoidosis and is often refractory to standard immunosuppressive therapies used for systemic disease. The clinical features of sarcoidosis-associated small fiber neuropathy (SSFN) and its response to medical therapy have not been described in a large population.

Methods: We performed a retrospective review of patients with SSFN seen at the Cleveland Clinic over a 4-year period.

Smart device neuropathy.

Compression of the lateral femoral cutaneous nerve (LFCN) in the thigh, commonly referred to as meralgia paresthetica, may be due to obesity, tight clothing and other external factors. We report two cases of meralgia paresthetica due to compression of the LFCN by portable electronic or "smart" devices.

Neurosarcoidosis.

Neurosarcoidosis is known as the great mimicker and may appear similar to lymphoma, multiple sclerosis, and other diseases affecting the nervous system. Although definitive diagnosis requires histologic confirmation of the affected neural tissue, characteristic clinical manifestations, gadolinium-enhanced MRI patterns and specific cerebrospinal fluid findings can help support the diagnosis in the absence of neural biopsy. An understanding of the common clinical presentations and diagnostic findings is central to the evaluation and management of neurosarcoidosis.