Progressive quadriparesis and inflammation: A common disease, a rare presentation.

Abstract

A previously healthy, 10-years-old girl presented with progressively worsening pain and weakness of the limbs for the past 2 weeks. It initially started with low-grade fever lasting for 4 days followed by severe pain over bilateral lower and upper limbs. Gradually she became bed-ridden. On examination, she had severe neck rigidity, generalized tenderness all over the body, generalized hyperalgesia, hyporeflexia, bilateral extensor plantar response and toe-walking. An initial clinical diagnosis of Landry-Guillain Barry syndrome was considered. Nerve conduction study showed generalized, demyelinating polyneuropathy. She was administered IVIG and was evaluated for other causes of arachnoiditis. MRI brain and spine showed enhancement and clumping of nerve roots in the conus and cauda equina. CECT chest showed necrotic mediastinal lymphnodes. A final diagnosis of disseminated tuberculosis with tuberculous arachnoiditis was considered and she was administered ATT, pulse methylprednisolone followed by maintenance oral corticosteroids. Currently, after 5 months of therapy, she has recovered clinically.

• Authors: Bhanudeep Singanamalla, Arushi Gahlot Saini, Vishal Sidana, Lokesh Saini, Naveen Sankhyan, Paramjeet Singh
• Journal: The Indian journal of tuberculosis (Indian J Tuberc) Vol. 67 Issue 3 Pg. 336-339 (Jul 2020) ISSN: 0019-5707 [Print] India
• PMID: 32825861 (Publication Type: Case Reports, Journal Article)
• Copyright: Copyright © 2019 Tuberculosis Association of India. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical References

• Antitubercular Agents
• Glucocorticoids
• Immunoglobulins, Intravenous
• Immunologic Factors

Topics

• Antitubercular Agents (therapeutic use)
• Arachnoiditis (diagnosis, drug therapy, physiopathology)
• Brain (diagnostic imaging)
• Child
• Diagnosis, Differential
• Electrodiagnosis
• Female
• Glucocorticoids (therapeutic use)
• Guillain-Barre Syndrome (diagnosis)
• Humans
• Hyperalgesia (physiopathology)
• Immunoglobulins, Intravenous (therapeutic use)
• Immunologic Factors (therapeutic use)
• Magnetic Resonance Imaging
• Mediastinum
• Meningism (physiopathology)
• Neural Conduction
• Quadriplegia (physiopathology)
• Reflex, Abnormal
• Spinal Cord (diagnostic imaging)
• Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• Tuberculosis, Lymph Node (diagnostic imaging)
• Tuberculosis, Meningeal (diagnosis, drug therapy, physiopathology)