undiagnosed nuero probs

    
      Re: undiagnosed nuero probs
    


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Posted by ccf neuro M.D. on May 05, 1997 at 15:39:05:

In Reply to: undiagnosed nuero probs posted by chris on May 02, 1997 at 01:23:26:

: my brother has been hospitalized in Holland despite many tests nothing can be concluded as yet here are a list of symptoms can anyone help me w/ possibilities?
  symptoms include:
  difficulty swallowing and breathing
  blackouts
  loss of motor control following blackouts ( up to 6 hrs afterwards)
  inability to eat due to difficulty swallowing
  hair loss
  sudden muscle spasms
  there are others but these are the main symptoms
  thank you in advance for your response.
======================================================================
About the only neurologic condition I can think of that might cause the symptoms you are describing is one known as an Arnold-Chiari malformation, a congenital malformation at the base of the brain that can intermittently result in the compression of a part of the brain called the brainstem against the large hole at the bottom of the skull, called the foramen magnum. Symptoms of this include headaches, fainting spells, temporary paralysis of arms and legs, spasticity or stiffness of arms and legs, stopping breathing (usually infants/children), nausea/vomiting, and blurred or double vision. An MRI scan of the brain and specifically of the CRANIOCERVICAL JUNCTION is the only way to diagnose this disorder. No other test is adequate, including especially CT/CAT scans of the brain, which do not visualize this part of the brain adequately. Provided that your brother has had such an MRI, I would then turn to consideration of psychiatric disorders, particularly if he has already had a battery of negative tests       including the MRI. In such situations, the fruitless and needless repetition of neurologic testing is not warranted, and accurate diagnosis of the psychiatric disorder (often panic attacks, psuedoseizures etc.) and appropriate treatment is much more helpful. I hope you find this information useful. If your brother would be interested in being evaluated at the Cleveland Clinic, the department of neurology's appointment number is (216)-444-5559. Any of our staff neurologists would be able to handle this type of case. I should also mention that our international center provides translation/interpretation assistance for our many non-English speaking patients that visit us from other countries.