First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice

Bickerstaff Brainstem Encephalitis (BBE) is a rare immunologic condition characterized by CNS inflammation, presenting with ataxia, external ophthalmoplegia, altered consciousness, and quadriplegia. A 25-year-old male with no significant medical history exhibited symptoms of blurred vision, diplopia...

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Main Authors: Ahmad Almohamed, Ayham Qatza, Haifa Alsamman, Suaad Hamsho, Mohammad Atia, Rahaf tamer, Almaya Mhd Ali, Waddah Kazkz
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2025-02-01
Series:Radiology Case Reports
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Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043324012731
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author Ahmad Almohamed
Ayham Qatza
Haifa Alsamman
Suaad Hamsho
Mohammad Atia
Rahaf tamer
Almaya Mhd Ali
Waddah Kazkz
author_facet Ahmad Almohamed
Ayham Qatza
Haifa Alsamman
Suaad Hamsho
Mohammad Atia
Rahaf tamer
Almaya Mhd Ali
Waddah Kazkz
author_sort Ahmad Almohamed
collection DOAJ
description Bickerstaff Brainstem Encephalitis (BBE) is a rare immunologic condition characterized by CNS inflammation, presenting with ataxia, external ophthalmoplegia, altered consciousness, and quadriplegia. A 25-year-old male with no significant medical history exhibited symptoms of blurred vision, diplopia, facial numbness, and imbalance following a respiratory infection. Brain MRI revealed hyperintense lesions in the cerebral peduncle and pons on T2-weighted/FLAIR sequences but not on T1-weighted sequences, indicative of demyelination. Lumbar puncture showed clear cerebrospinal fluid with lymphocytic pleocytosis (80 cells/μl, 95% lymphocytes) and normal protein levels. The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone (1000 mg/day for five days), resulting in recovery and normal follow-up MRI findings. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to minimize complications and improve outcomes. Additionally, airway management is essential for patients with impaired respiratory function, and long-term rehabilitation may be necessary for those recovering from encephalitis.
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issn 1930-0433
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publishDate 2025-02-01
publisher Elsevier
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series Radiology Case Reports
spelling doaj-art-c7b70dd806c24390ab10cff9a5abfaa62025-08-20T02:49:41ZengElsevierRadiology Case Reports1930-04332025-02-012021211121410.1016/j.radcr.2024.11.006First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practiceAhmad Almohamed0Ayham Qatza1Haifa Alsamman2Suaad Hamsho3Mohammad Atia4Rahaf tamer5Almaya Mhd Ali6Waddah Kazkz7Faculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, SyriaFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, Syria; Corresponding author.Neurology Department, Hama National Hospital, Hama, SyriaRheumatology Department, Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, SyriaFaculty of Medicine, Al-sham Private University, Damascus, SyriaFaculty of Medicine, Hama University, Hama, SyriaFaculty of Pharmacy, Aleppo University, Aleppo, SyriaNeurology Department, Hama National Hospital, Hama, SyriaBickerstaff Brainstem Encephalitis (BBE) is a rare immunologic condition characterized by CNS inflammation, presenting with ataxia, external ophthalmoplegia, altered consciousness, and quadriplegia. A 25-year-old male with no significant medical history exhibited symptoms of blurred vision, diplopia, facial numbness, and imbalance following a respiratory infection. Brain MRI revealed hyperintense lesions in the cerebral peduncle and pons on T2-weighted/FLAIR sequences but not on T1-weighted sequences, indicative of demyelination. Lumbar puncture showed clear cerebrospinal fluid with lymphocytic pleocytosis (80 cells/μl, 95% lymphocytes) and normal protein levels. The patient was treated with intravenous methylprednisolone (1000 mg/day for five days), resulting in recovery and normal follow-up MRI findings. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to minimize complications and improve outcomes. Additionally, airway management is essential for patients with impaired respiratory function, and long-term rehabilitation may be necessary for those recovering from encephalitis.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043324012731Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitisFunctional neurologic disorderMethylprednisoloneCase report
spellingShingle Ahmad Almohamed
Ayham Qatza
Haifa Alsamman
Suaad Hamsho
Mohammad Atia
Rahaf tamer
Almaya Mhd Ali
Waddah Kazkz
First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice
Radiology Case Reports
Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis
Functional neurologic disorder
Methylprednisolone
Case report
title First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice
title_full First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice
title_fullStr First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice
title_full_unstemmed First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice
title_short First case report on Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from Syria: Bridging clinical knowledge and practice
title_sort first case report on bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis in a young adult from syria bridging clinical knowledge and practice
topic Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis
Functional neurologic disorder
Methylprednisolone
Case report
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1930043324012731
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