Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
9880296 | Journal of the Neurological Sciences | 2005 | 4 Pages |
Abstract
Rickettsia conorii is endemic in the Mediterranean region. Infections are mostly benign and neurological involvement is unusual. We describe a case of a man who presented with acute facial nerve palsy followed by flaccid tetraparesis due to an electrophysiologically established polyneuritis with distal conduction failure. Elevated IgM antibody titres for R. conorii were documented by indirect immunofluorescent antibody test. After doxycycline therapy, the patient presented a rapid clinical improvement. Repeated electrophysiological examinations revealed significantly restored compound muscles, and sensory action potentials, corresponding to the clinical course after treatment and ex juvantibus, indicate the causative relation between R. conorii infection and the described clinical syndrome.
Related Topics
Life Sciences
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology
Ageing
Authors
Konstantinos Spengos, Georgios Stouraitis, Konstantinos Voumvourakis, Thomas Zambelis, Nikolaos Karandreas,