[Hepatitis B associated polyarteriitis nodosa with cerebral vasculitis].
METHODS
A 53-year-old male was admitted with an acute brainstem syndrome. He developed a severe fluctuating psychosis. Because of the worsening neurological symptoms he was admitted to our neurological clinic five months after onset of the disease. On admission he showed signs of a productive psychosis in addition to akinetic-rigid parkinsonism and cerebellar symptoms.


METHODS
Laboratory tests revealed a HBeAg-negative hepatitis B. The initial neuroradiolgical studies showed multiple supratentorial and periventricular ischemic and hemorrhagic lesions. MR-angiography and conventional cerebral angiography demonstrated multiple irregularities of the intracranial vessels and vascular occlusions, findings which were compatible with cerebral vasculitis.


METHODS
The laboratory and neuroradiological studies indicated a hepatitis B-associated polyarteriitis nodosa and cerebral vasculitis. He was given oral immunsuppressive therapy (prednisolone 60 mg daily) and virostatic drug (lamivudine 100 mg daily). When the steroid dosis was reduced to 40 mg prednisolon a severe relapse of the encephalopathy occurred which was treated with the atypical antipsychotic drug risperidon, 3 mg daily, and intravenous methylprednisolone plus plasmaphereses. Later he was given prednisolone (60 mg daily) and lamivudine (100 mg daily) again which has so far stabilized the clinical course.


CONCLUSIONS
The main treatment of the rare hepatitis B-associated polyarteriitis nodosa with cerebral vasculitis consists of oral steroids in combination with antiviral drugs. Depending on the course of the disease an escalating steroid pulse administration and plasmaphereses should be considered.
Kohlhaas
K
K
Neurologische Universitäts-Klinik, Bergmannsheil GmbH, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany.
Brechmann
T
T
Vorgerd
M
M
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000998:Antiviral Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D019259:Lamivudine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010488:Polyarteritis Nodosa / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*; D011239:Prednisolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D020293:Vasculitis, Central Nervous System / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology / Q000821:virology*
D000893:Anti-Inflammatory Agents; D000998:Antiviral Agents; D006514:Hepatitis B Surface Antigens; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents; D018894:Reverse Transcriptase Inhibitors; D019259:Lamivudine; D011239:Prednisolone