[Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis].
BACKGROUND
Bickerstaff's brainstem encephalitis represents a differential diagnostic that must be discuss with meningoencephalitis with ophtalmoplegia, ataxia and confusion.


METHODS
A 26 year-old woman presented a Bickerstaff syndrome. A severe disturbance of consciousness had lead to admission in intensive care unit with mechanical ventilation. Electrophysiological tests and the brain magnetic resonance were normal. We have not observed systemic anti-G1Qb antibody in our patient. Nevertheless, 66% of patients with Bickerstaff syndrome have anti-GQ1b antibody during the acute phase period. We observed a beneficial effect of IV Ig treatment although no significant improvement was observed with corticosteroids.


CONCLUSIONS
Controlled clinical trials are needed to established the efficacy of IV Ig or plasmapheresis as a specific therapy for this pathology.
Grézis
G
G
Service de réanimation médicale, CHU Charles-Nicolle, 1, rue de Germont, 76031 Rouen, France.
Tamion
F
F
Lamia
B
B
Girault
C
C
Delangre
T
T
Bonmarchand
G
G
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000328:Adult; D001933:Brain Stem / Q000473:pathology; D004660:Encephalitis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D008526:Medulla Oblongata / Q000473:pathology; D013577:Syndrome
D000305:Adrenal Cortex Hormones; D016756:Immunoglobulins, Intravenous