title: Acute polyneuropathy due to lightning injury.
abstract: The case of a 19 year old man struck by lightning is described. He sustained quadriplegia for several months and fully recovered. It is suggested that his weakness was due to extensive peripheral nerve damage. In addition, he displayed many well recognised medical complications of lightning injury including acute renal failure, rhabdomyolysis, respiratory distress syndrome, autonomic dysfunction, perforated ear drum, uveitis and cataract. The literature relating to the neurology of lightning strike is briefly reviewed.
authors.affiliation: Neurological Centre, Ipswich Hospital, Suffolk, UK.
authors.forename: C H
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Hawkes
authors.forename: J W
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Thorpe
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D005071:Evoked Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D015168:Lightning Injuries / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008297:Male; D009046:Motor Neurons / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000503:physiopathology; D011129:Polyradiculoneuropathy / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D011930:Reaction Time / Q000502:physiology; D009435:Synaptic Transmission / Q000502:physiology