Brain-stem auditory evoked responses in diagnosis of central pontine myelinolysis.
Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) developed in association with acute adrenocortical insufficiency during correction of severe hyponatraemia in a 58-year-old woman. Repeated CT scanning and NMR imaging were normal from the onset of the illness. Electroencephalography and brain-stem auditory evoked responses showed abnormalities consistent with a brain-stem lesion, which resolved as the patient made a gradual but incomplete recovery. Our observations illustrate the value of electrophysiological monitoring in CPM and support the proposed association between this condition and the rapid correction of an electrolyte imbalance.
D000309:Adrenal Insufficiency / Q000150:complications; D001306:Auditory Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003711:Demyelinating Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005072:Evoked Potentials, Auditory; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D008875:Middle Aged; D011149:Pons / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012964:Sodium / Q000097:blood; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D012964:Sodium