Central nervous system vasculitis

Amnesia in a Patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case of Granulomatosis with Polyangiitis

A 56-year-old male with a history of seropositive rheumatoid arthritis complained of polyarthritis and forgetfulness. The initial CT scan of the head without contrast was negative for acute pathologies. However, as he continued to decline despite being on oral prednisone, an MRI of the head was ordered and revealed a subtle small region of acute infarction in the left mammillary body. He was diagnosed with granulomatosis with polyangiitis in light of his positive C-ANCA antibodies, PR3 antibody, and a kidney biopsy, which showed focal necrotizing pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis. Despite undergoing steroid pulse therapy, the patient developed diffuse alveolar damage which finally responded to rituximab infusion.

Histologically confirmed case of cerebral vasculitis associated with Crohn's disease--a case report

BACKGROUND

Extraintestinal manifestations in Crohn's disease (CD) are frequent and well recognized. However, neurological involvement secondary to CD is rare, and there have been few histologically confirmed cases of cerebral vasculitis secondary to CD.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 58-year-old left-handed man with a history of refractory CD who had fever of over 38 °C, progression of CD symptoms, and Gerstmann's syndrome consulted our hospital. Laboratory data showed elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) and hypoproteinemia. T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a right parietal high-intensity lesion. Catheter angiography showed segmental multiple narrowing and occlusion in the distal part of the middle cerebral artery and anterior cerebral artery. Angiography also revealed multiple venous occlusions in the affected parietal area. To confirm the diagnosis, the patient underwent open biopsy, and histological examination revealed cerebral vasculitis. The patient was then started on high-dose prednisolone (60 mg/day) in addition to his previous therapy, which included mesalazine, adalimumab, and azathioprine. CRP elevation, hypoproteinemia, and gastrointestinal symptoms immediately improved after starting this treatment. Neurological status improved simultaneously with CD symptom improvement, and follow-up brain MRI revealed a reduction in the size of the right parietal lobe lesion. He returned to normal status and was discharged from our hospital 5 weeks after admission.

CONCLUSION

This is an important case of histologically confirmed cerebral vasculitis associated with CD. The clinical course of our case clearly illustrates the relevance of the occurrence of cerebral vasculitis and the exacerbation of CD.

Lateral medullary stroke in patient with granulomatous polyangiitis

Granulomatous polyangiitis (GPA), also known as Wegener granulomatosis, is a systemic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis that infrequently affects the central nervous system. We report a 41-year-old man with lateral medullary infarction who developed rapidly progressive renal failure. He was diagnosed with GPA based on positive serum c-ANCA and antiproteinase 3 antibodies and demonstration of pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis on kidney biopsy. He was treated with Coumadin, pulse steroids, cyclophosphamide, and plasmapheresis. He had resolution of his neurologic deficits and improvement in renal function. This case report highlights the importance to consider GPA vasculitis in the differential diagnosis of stroke in patients with development of acute kidney injury.

Diagnosing CNS vasculitis: the case against empiric treatment

INTRODUCTION

Primary central nervous system vasculitis (PCNSV) is a rare inflammatory arteriopathy confined to the brain, spinal cord, and leptomeninges. Because of its nonspecific presentation and difficulties in making a positive diagnosis, empiric treatment is often instituted.

CASE SERIES

We report a case series of 5 patients who were admitted or transferred to the Johns Hopkins Hospital with a clinical history and magnetic resonance imaging findings suggestive of PCNSV. Four patients had received at least 1 course of immunosuppression with high-dose intravenous (IV) corticosteroids and/or a corticosteroid-sparing agent. Each underwent an extensive workup including 4-vessel cerebral angiography and, in the majority of cases, brain biopsy to evaluate for mimics of PCNSV. In each of the 5 cases, an alternative diagnosis was found.

CONCLUSIONS

We propose a cautious, multistep approach to the diagnosis of PCNSV, which takes into account more common diagnoses and avoids the pitfalls of empiric treatment.

Steroid-responsive encephalopathy subsequently associated with Alzheimer's disease pathology: a case series

BACKGROUND

Steroid-responsive encephalopathies can be considered vasculitic or non-vasculitic. Clinicopathological studies of non-vasculitic steroid-responsive encephalopathy are unusual, but can explain the range of diagnoses consistent with a steroid-responsive presentation in life.

OBJECTIVE

To extend the range of clinical features and pathological findings consistent with steroid-responsive encephalopathy. Design, methods, and patients: A clinicopathological case series of four patients (two women, ages 54-71 years) with steroid-responsive encephalopathy followed at this institution until the time of death.

RESULTS

Clinical features were suggestive of Creutzfeld-Jakob disease (CJD), dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB), and parkinsonism, but pathological examination revealed only Alzheimer's disease-related findings without evidence of Lewy bodies or prion disease in all cases. All patients demonstrated marked, sustained improvement following steroid treatment, based on clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, and/or electroencephalogram studies. Alzheimer's disease was not diagnosed in life due to the atypical clinical features, lack of hippocampal atrophy on brain imaging, and a dramatic symptomatic response to steroids.

CONCLUSIONS

Steroid-responsive encephalopathy is the clinical presentation of some patients with Alzheimer's disease-related pathology at autopsy, and can be consistent with the clinical diagnoses of parkinsonism, DLB, or CJD disease in life.

Isolated angiitis in the hypothalamus mimicking brain tumor

A 64-year-old female presented with exaggerating somnolence without contributory medical and lifestyle histories. She was not aware of any preceding infection or headache. Cerebral magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated an isolated enhanced mass in the hypothalamus without meningeal enhancement. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid examinations showed no significant findings except for hypernatremia and hyperprolactinemia. She underwent an open biopsy via the interhemispheric route. Histological examination revealed marked perivascular lymphocytic aggregation with polyclonal immunostaining both for B and T lymphocytes. No findings suggestive of underlying malignancy were recognized. Extensive work-up aiming at systemic vasculitis and lymphoma revealed no signs of extracranial lesion, so the most probable diagnosis was isolated angiitis in the hypothalamus. Angiitis may originate from the hypothalamus and should be considered in the differential diagnosis of hypothalamic lesion mimicking brain tumor on neuroimaging.

Diagnosis and treatment of vasculitis of the central nervous system in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

BACKGROUND

A 23-year-old white woman with a 3-year history of systemic lupus erythematosus and a 15-month history of lupus nephritis and retinal vasculitis was successfully treated with antibiotics for Pseudomonas aeruginosa pneumonia while on moderate doses of corticosteroids. Even though her pneumonia had improved, she developed acute changes in her mental status that rapidly progressed to encephalopathy with coma.

INVESTIGATIONS

Physical examination, fundoscopic examination, laboratory tests for metabolic abnormalities, cerebrospinal fluid analysis, microbiology and serologic testing, electroencephalogram, tests for IgM and IgG anticardiolipin antibodies, neuroimaging including CT of the brain and T1-weighted MRI before and after gadolinium contrast, and flow-attenuated inversion recovery MRI.

DIAGNOSIS

Vasculitis of the central nervous system associated with systemic lupus erythematosus.

MANAGEMENT

Intravenous methylprednisolone 1,000 mg/day for 3 days, one dose of intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide 750 mg/m(2), intravenous immunoglobulin 400 mg/kg/day for 4 days, plasmapheresis on alternate days for five cycles, and prednisone 40 mg/day. She continued monthly doses of intravenous pulse cyclophosphamide and intravenous pulse methylprednisolone for 6 months, followed by maintenance infusions every 3 months over 2 years. Prednisone was tapered over 18 months. Cyclophosphamide was discontinued after 2 years because of poor bone-marrow tolerance, and was replaced with mycophenolate mofetil 3,000 mg/ day and ciclosporin 50 mg twice daily.

Multifocal Hemorrhagic Vasculopathy: Possibly a Manifestation of Central Nervous System Vasculitis

We report a patient with multiple spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages involving cortical, subcortical, and deep brain structures. Despite extensive evaluation, no etiology was identified, and the possibility of primary central nervous system (CNS) vasculitis was entertained. Brain biopsy revealed small vessels with a lymphocytic infiltrate in brain tissue adjacent to hemorrhage. Despite this nonspecific finding, the patient appeared to respond to immunosuppressive therapy. In this report we review the various presentations of CNS vasculitis and suggest that this diagnosis be considered in the setting of multiple spontaneous intracerebral hemorrhages.

Difficult to diagnose manifestations of vasculitis: Does an interdisciplinary approach help?

In the early stages of disease, primary systemic vasculitides often present with non-specific symptoms that make early diagnosis a challenge. The variety of clinical manifestations found in systemic vasculitis is huge, and some manifestations are frequently not clinically overt at first presentation. A logical implication of the often non-specific and sometimes subclinical presentation of vasculitis is that a systematic diagnostic work-up is necessary. This requires a multidisciplinary approach involving the expert opinion of specialists from many disciplines, such as neurology, radiology, respiratory medicine, pathology and microbiology. There are no generally accepted diagnostic criteria for primary systemic vasculitides, and the application of classification criteria as diagnostic criteria is not feasible and may even be misleading. The demonstration of vasculitis on biopsy is still the gold standard for the diagnosis of vasculitis. In cases where biopsies cannot be obtained, surrogate parameters of vasculitis (e.g. glomerular hematuria or mononeuritis multiplex), along with serology and imaging, can support a clinical diagnosis of vasculitis. This review discusses the approach to the diagnosis of central nervous system and pulmonary manifestations of primary systemic vasculitis. These two examples of difficult to diagnose manifestations of vasculitis illustrate the necessity of an interdisciplinary approach to the diagnostic work-up.