Benign migraine-like syndrome with CSF pleocytosis in children.

Four children with symptoms consistent with complicated migraine had CSF pleocytosis, in three cases lymphocytic and in the fourth polymorphonuclear. In one case the CSF abnormality was found during two separate attacks of complicated migraine. On the basis of the 23 cases reported in the literature and these four personal cases, the authors conclude that, as a rule, pleocytosis is a secondary phenomenon of an attack of complicated migraine.

[Central pontine myelinolysis and Schwartz-Bartter syndrome].

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) occurred in a typical patient with severe alcoholism presenting with severe initial hyponatremia and a rapidly progressive pontomesencephalic syndrome. A review on 141 cases of CPM is presented and the ties between CPM, hyponatremia/hypoosmolality and the syndrome of inadequate secretion of ADH are discussed. Correct interpretation of the patient's history (alcoholism, severe wasting disease) and the clinical picture (initial hypoosmolality with acute or subacute pontomesencephalic syndrome, possibly locked-in syndrome) should permit correct in-vivo diagnosis more frequently than hitherto.

[Acute polyneuropathy caused by diphenylhydantoin intoxication (author's transl)].

In a 34-year-old epileptic male who had been treated for more than ten years with an average of 300 mg diphenylhydantoin and 200-300 mg phenobarbitone daily severe status epilepticus occurred which could only be controlled with high doses of diphenylhydantoin and phenobarbitone intravenously. During this treatment a severe mainly motor polyneuropathy occurred acutely which was more pronounced in the distal parts of the legs, and cerebellar symptoms were noted at the same time. The neuropathy largely regressed during the following year whereas the cerebellar symptoms persisted.