title: Persistent multifocal pseudo-conduction blocks in vasculitic neuropathy without antiganglioside antibodies.
abstract: A woman presented with severe multifocal acute axonal neuropathy due to necrotizing vasculitis. Six years later, electrophysiological examination revealed features suggestive of persistent conduction block (CB) with increased temporal dispersion (ITD) affecting the right median and tibial nerves. A clinical case characterized by multifocal CBs that were observed several years after an initial episode of vasculitic neuropathy was recently reported. The occurrence of CBs paralleled clinical deterioration and was attributed to superimposed antiganglioside antibody-mediated demyelination. In contrast, our patient was clinically stable and did not have antiganglioside antibodies. Nerve conduction studies showed pseudo-CBs rather than true CBs. We suggest that pseudo-CBs with ITD can reveal heterogeneous axonal regeneration as a sequel of a severe multifocal vasculitic neuropathy. This condition should be distinguished from the occurrence of pseudo-CB in the acute phase of vasculitis or from superimposed immune-mediated demyelination. Muscle Nerve 40: 290-293, 2009.
authors.affiliation: Service de Physiologie - Explorations Fonctionnelles, Hôpital Henri Mondor, Assistance Publique - Hôpitaux de Paris, 51 avenue de-Lattre-de-Tassigny, 94010, Créteil, France. rechdi.ahdab@hmn.aphp.fr
authors.forename: Rechdi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Ahdab
authors.forename: Marc
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Michel
authors.forename: Danusa O
authors.initials: DO
authors.lastname: Neves
authors.forename: Chantal
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andre
authors.forename: Jean-Pascal
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Lefaucheur
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology; D000368:Aged; D000906:Antibodies / Q000378:metabolism*; D005260:Female; D005732:Gangliosides / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology*; D010523:Peripheral Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D014657:Vasculitis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology
chemical_list: D000906:Antibodies; D005732:Gangliosides