Treatment of post-herpetic pain in myasthenia gravis: exacerbation of weakness due to gabapentin.

Here, we present a case of a 64-year-old female suffering from a severe form of antibody-positive myasthenia gravis. Under an immunosuppressive regimen with cyclosporine A, she experienced an episode of thoracic herpes zoster followed by intense post-herpetic neuralgia. In order to avoid drug interactions as well as adverse effects of carbamazepine in myasthenia gravis, gabapentin was chosen for the treatment of neuropathic pain.

Intracortical excitability in the hand motor representation in hand dystonia and blepharospasm.

We sought to determine the activity of inhibiting and facilitating cortical circuits in areas surrounding a hand muscle motor representation in focal dystonia and in controls. In 15 patients with hand dystonia, 16 patients with blepharospasm, and age-matched controls, we applied suprathreshold transcranial magnetic stimuli with a figure-eight coil over the optimal representation of the relaxed abductor digiti minimi muscle of the dominant hand. Additional conditioning stimuli were given through a second figure-eight coil that was held either above the test coil or 2 cm or 4 cm apart in the anterior, posterior, lateral, or medial direction.

Botulinum toxin to reduce saliva flow: selected indications for ultrasound-guided toxin application into salivary glands.

Objectives/hypothesis: The study investigates the effect of local injections of botulinum toxin type A (Botox) into the major salivary glands of the head in various states of hypersalivation. In particular, we studied pathological states with permanent as well as passing hypersalivation disorders and present new indications for local application of botulinum toxin to the salivary glands.

Study Design: Retrospective clinical investigation.