Area postrema syndrome as frequent feature of Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis.

ABSTRACT:

Objective

Area postrema (AP) syndrome (defined as: nausea and/or emesis and/or singultus at onset of brainstem dysfunction) comprises complex pathophysiologic mechanisms triggered by different entities. The first objective was to assess the frequency of AP syndrome as a clinical feature in brainstem encephalitis (BE). Finding an especially high prevalence of AP syndrome in Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis (BBE), we also analyzed the frequency of AP syndrome in other autoimmune diseases with anti-ganglioside antibodies (Guillain-Barré syndrome (GBS) and its variants).

Methods

We systematically evaluated the prevalence of AP syndrome in BE in all patients treated at our university hospital during a 15-year period. In a second step, BBE patients were compared to GBS and Mille

SUBMITTER: Zeiner PS 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6292382 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature