Mononeuritis multiplex. A harbinger of acute leukemia in relapse.

Objective: To report the findings in a patient who developed severe mononeuritis multiplex in the setting of hematologic remission from acute myeloid leukemia.

Design: Single case report of the patient, hospital course, and autopsy findings.

Patient: A 63-year-old woman with a history of acute myeloid leukemia in hematologic remission experienced a succession of acute clinical neuropathies (left median, right radial, and left sciatica) several months before hematologic relapse of leukemia.

Idiopathic generalized myokymia.

Idiopathic generalized myokymia (IGM) is a rare, heterogeneous, and poorly understood syndrome. We present analysis of 75 reported cases in the world literature. IGM affects men and women equally, with a mean age of onset 29 +/- 19 years.

Extraocular muscles are spared in advanced Duchenne dystrophy.

Fast-twitch extremity muscle fibers are preferentially affected in Duchenne's and Becker's muscular dystrophy. Since saccades are thought to be mediated by fast-twitch fibers, saccadic velocities would be expected to be decreased in these patients. Using infrared oculography, we found that the peak velocities of saccades in 3 patients with advanced Duchenne's or Becker's muscular dystrophy were normal.

Rapid response of syphilitic optic neuritis to posterior sub-tenon's steroid injection.

An HIV-positive man with subacute syphilitic meningitis developed severe bilateral visual loss from optic neuritis. His visual acuity improved remarkably within 24 hours after single posterior sub-Tenon's injections of triamcinolone (Kenalog) were given. Periocular steroid injections should be considered as an adjunctive treatment of syphilitic optic neuritis.