Case 5

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HPI: A 28 yo female presented to the ED with a two to three day history of progressive difficulty walking, double vision, and slurred speech. She complains of a very mild diffuse headache and reports paresthesias of the face, hands, and feet. Her husband states they were exposed to a cleaning solvent containing trichlorethane in the last two days.

Review of systems: She reports having some cold symptoms during the preceding week. There is no history of fever, cough, chest pain, SOB, trauma, abdominal/GI symptoms, or urinary symtoms. Denies any unusual ingestions or recent travel. Immunizations are up to date.

LMP: 9 days prior-normal.

Past Medical Hx: Negative.

Past Surgical Hx: None.

Medications: None

Allergies: None

Social Hx: Married, nonsmoker, physician

Physical Exam:

Vital Signs: T 98.5, p 96, r 20, bp160/100

general: alert, cooperative, in mild distress

skin: warm, dry, (-) cyanosis

HEENT (-) conjunctival pallor, (-) scleral icterus, mucous membranes moist

NECK:(-)tenderness, (-) meningeal signs

CHEST (-) rales, (-) rhonchi, (-) wheezes; breath sounds equal bilaterally

HEART: regular; (-) murmur, (-) gallop

ABDOMEN: Soft; (-) tenderness

EXTREMITIES: (-) edema

NEURO: PERRL, (+) diplopia in all fields, EOMI, no obvious dysconjugate gaze, tongue midline,(+) slurred speech, no facial asymmetry, hearing nl, 5/5 strength in arms and legs, sensory exam nl, somewhat ataxic finger to nose, equally present in both hands, Rhomberg drifted to the right, too unsteady to walk, muscle tone wnl, reflexes 3+ and symmetrical, babinski's plantar bilaterally.


Laboratory Tests

Na 141, K 3.6, Cl 105, BUN 11, GLU 105, SGOT 39, Cr 0.9, PT 12, Hgb 16, WBC 11,200

ESR 5

LP was performed, initially bloody, but cleared...

CSF: glucose 54mg/dl (45-74), total protein 59 mg/dl(15-45), tube 3 -clear, colorless,cell count rbc 51, wbc 1 (a lymphocyte), oligoclonal band absent, IGG 4.4mg//dl (13.4- 23.7) /serum 3870 (3350-4765) = CSF IGG index 0.47 (0.3-0.7), smear neg for organisms, cultures neg, cryptoccocal AG neg.

Stat MRI was negative

The next day the patient a left lateral gaze palsy.

What is your diagnosis?

Answer is due by May 10th.


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