Lhermitte's Sign Research Articles

Prevalence of pain in patients with multiple sclerosis and its association with anxiety, depressive symptoms and quality of life.

Pain is one of the most frequently reported symptoms of multiple sclerosis (MS). It affects the daily functioning of patients, limits the ability to work and reduces the joy of life. The aim of the study was to analyze the impact of pain on quality of life as well as symptoms of anxiety and depression in patients with MS. The study included 144 patients with diagnosed MS (mean age 41±12 years, mean illness duration 10.3±8.6 years). The study was carried out on the basis of the author's survey on current and previous pain - the Quality of Life Self-esteem Questionnaire (EuroQol5D) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Among all respondents, 117 (81.3%) reported current pain, and 120 (83.3%) declared the occurrence of pain in the past. Currently, patients have reported: pain in one or more extremities - 79 people (54.9%), headache and facial pain - 72 (50%), back pain - 72 (50%), painful muscle spasms - 54 (38.6%), ocular pain - 37 (25.7%), Lhermitte's sign - 32 (22.2%). Patients reporting pain experienced significantly more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression (HADS-L: 8.0±4.3 vs. 5.1±4.3; p< 0.01; HADS-D: 6.0±4.2 vs. 3.4±3.7; p< 0.01), and had significantly worse quality of life (EQ 5D: 8.1±1.9 vs. 6.3±1.4; p< 0.0001). An association between presence of pain and gender (p< 0.01), age (p< 0.05), the degree of disability (p< 0.05), education (p< 0.001), and the professional activity (p< 0.01) was found. Pain in MS is associated with more severe symptoms of anxiety and depression, and worse quality of life. Female sex, older age, lower level of education, greater disability, and lack of occupational work predispose to the occurrence of pain in MS.

Clinical features of long segmental myelopathy caused by nitrous oxide

To analyze the clinical and imaging characteristics of the neurological damage caused by nitrous oxide (N2O). In the study, 10 patients in the Department of Neurology of China-Japan Friendship Hospital from October 2015 to February 2018 were retrospectively analyzed for the demographic data, the history of inhaled N2O, clinical features, blood examination, electrophysiological examination, spinal magnetic resonance imaging and therapeutic efficacy profiles. The male-to-female ratio was 4:6 and it presented with an age-of-onset 17-26 years [the average age: (20.80±3.12) years]. The time from inhaled N2O to onset was 1 month to 1 year [the average time: (6.95±4.19) months]. Paralysis in all the patients and numbness in 9 patients were the main clinical features, while positive Lhermitte's sign in 3 patients, urinary and defecation disturbance in 4 patients were also found. Blood examination indicated anemia in 2 patients, giant cell anemia in 1 case and small cell hypochromic anemia in 1 case. 3 cases had been treated with vitamin B12 in an external hospital, and the other 7 cases had abnormal increase in homocysteine levels. Electrophysiological examinations showed sensory and motor nerve involvement in 9 patients, and motor nerve involvement in 1 patient. The severity of lower extremity lesion was significantly heavier than that of upper extremity. Spinal magnetic resonance imagings showed that long segmental lesions were present in the cervical spinal cord of all the patients, 3 cases with long segmental lesions of the thoracic cord and 2 cases with spinal cord swelling. In 6 cases, the horizontal axis had an "inverted V-type" T2 high signal, 1 case was classified as "crescent", and 3 cases were "eight-shaped". The symptoms in these 10 cases were alleviated in varying degrees after stopping the inhalation of nitrous oxide, actively supplementing high doses of vitamin B12 and doing early rehabilitation exercises. Myelopathy with nitrous oxide presents as paralysis and numbness in limb extremities. In imaging, cervical spinal cord damage is common, accompanied by thoracic spinal cord damage. The horizontal axis is more common in the "inverted V-type". Treatment with high doses of vitamin B12 is effective.

Longitudinally extensive vasogenic edema following spinal cord infarction

AbstractAlthough transient lesion expansion has been reported after spinal cord infarction, longitudinally extensive lesion expanding more than several vertebral segments is extremely rare. We report a 45‐year‐old man having spinal cord infarction with subsequent longitudinally extensive lesion expansion on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) 10 days after the infarction. The length of T2 hyperintense lesion was four vertebral segments on initial MRI but enlarged to span 12 vertebral segments on subsequent MRI, with Lhermitte's sign, but otherwise without neurological deterioration. The expanded lesion extended beyond the anterior spinal artery region with high apparent diffusion coefficient value in the acute phase but improved within 10 days after starting cervical collar, suggesting that lesion expansion was due to vasogenic edema. This case illustrates that transient longitudinal lesion expansion accompanied by spinal cord infarction can reach lengths of up to 12 vertebral segments. Caution should be exercised while interpreting MRI findings to avoid excessive treatment or secondary damage.

Carbamazepine: A Symptomatic Treatment of the Paresthesiae Associated with Lhermitte's Sign.

Carbamazepine (Tegretol®) was found to have an immediate and reproducible symptomatic effect on the paraesthesiae associated with Lhermitte's sign in 3 patients. The preparation was administered in a dose of 400–600 mg/day and resulted in the disappearance of the paraesthesiae within 24 hrs. When carbamazepine was withdrawn there was a recurrence of the paraesthesiae in 2 of the 3 patients. The favourable effect of the preparation was confirmed by a series of several short treatments in 2 of the patients.

Phantom limb and Lhermitte

The French neurologist and psychiatrist Jean Lhermitte (1877–1959) is most often remembered because of the phenomenon (Lhermitte's sign) that he described in three patients presenting with multiple sclerosis. 1 Lhermitte J Levy G Nicolas M Les sensations de décharge électrique symptôme précoce de la sclérose en plaque. Clinique et pathogénie. Presse Méd. 1927; 39 (in French).: 610-613 Google Scholar In the 20th century. He was a second generation student of Jean-Martin Charcot and the only one to excel in both psychiatry and neurology, while based at the Medical School of Paris and Paul Brousse Hospital (Paris, France).

Lhermitte's Sign following VMAT-Based Head and Neck Radiation-Insights into Mechanism.

Purpose/ObjectivesWe observed a number of patients who developed Lhermitte’s sign (LS) following radiation to the head and neck (H/N), since instituting volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT). We aimed to investigate the incidence of LS following VMAT-based RT without chemotherapy, and determine the dosimetric parameters that predict its development. We explored whether the role of inhomogeneous dose distribution across the spinal cord, causing a “bath-and-shower” effect, explains this finding.Methods and MaterialsFrom 1/20/2010–12/9/2013, we identified 33 consecutive patients receiving adjuvant RT using VMAT to the H/N without chemotherapy at our institution. Patients’ treatment plans were analyzed for dosimetric parameters, including dose gradients along the anterior, posterior, right, and left quadrants at each cervical spine level. Institutional Review Board approval was obtained.Results5 out of 33 (15.2%) patients developed LS in our patient group, all of whom had RT to the ipsilateral neck only. LS patients had a steeper dose gradient between left and right quadrants across all cervical spine levels (repeated-measures ANOVA, p = 0.030). Within the unilateral treatment group, LS patients received a higher mean dose across all seven cervical spinal levels (repeated-measures ANOVA, p = 0.046). Dose gradients in the anterior-posterior direction and mean doses to the cord were not significant between LS and non-LS patients.ConclusionsDose gradients along the axial plane of the spinal cord may contribute to LS development; however, a threshold dose within the high dose region of the cord may still be required. This is the first clinical study to suggest that inhomogeneous dose distributions in the cord may be relevant in humans. Further investigation is warranted to determine treatment-planning parameters associated with development of LS.

Incidence and predictors of Lhermitte's sign among patients receiving mediastinal radiation for lymphoma.

PurposeTo prospectively examine the risk of developing Lhermitte’s sign (LS) in patients with lymphoma treated with modern-era chemotherapy followed by consolidation intensity-modulated radiation therapy.MethodsWe prospectively interviewed all patients with lymphoma who received irradiation to the mediastinum from July 2011 through April 2014. We extracted patient, disease, and treatment-related variables from the medical records of those patients and dosimetric variables from treatment-planning systems and analyzed these factors to identify potential predictors of LS with Pearson chi-square tests.ResultsDuring the study period 106 patients received mediastinal radiation for lymphoma, and 31 (29 %) developed LS. No correlations were found between LS and any of the variables examined, including total radiation dose, maximum point dose to the spinal cord, volume receiving 105 % of the dose, and volumes receiving 5 or 15 Gy.ConclusionIn this group of patients, treatment with chemotherapy followed by intensity-modulated radiation therapy led to 29 % developing LS; this symptom was independent of radiation dose and seemed to be an idiosyncratic reaction. This relatively high incidence could have resulted from prospective use of a structured interview.

Dose Measurements of Parotid Glands and Spinal Cord in Conventional Treatment of Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma Using RANDO Phantom and Thermoluminescent Dosimeters

Introduction Radiotherapy is regarded as the first treatment of choice for nasopharyngeal carcinoma. Despite the advantages of radiotherapy, patients may suffer from a wide range of side-effects due to the presence of many sensitive normal tissues in these regions. If the absorbed dose exceeds the tolerance level in parotid glands and the spinal cord, myelopathy, Lhermitte's sign and xerostomia cannot be avoided. Materials and Methods The head and neck of a RANDO phantom (reference man), which was regarded as a hypothetical patient with nasopharyngeal carcinoma was evaluated. The full course of treatment consisted of three phases. At the beginning of each phase, an oncologist marked conventional fields on the RANDO phantom using a simulator. For measuring the absorbed dose, Thermoluminescent Dosimeters(TLD) chips (TLD-100) were utilized.The absorbed dose by TLDs was read by Harshaw 3500 TLD reader. Results The total absorbed dose was calculated by measuring the absorbed dose in each phase, multiplied by the fraction numbers of each phase; the obtained values were summed up. The results showed that the received doses by spinal cord ranged from 15.24 to 54.56 Gy. Also, the absorbed dose of parotid glands was approximately 39.23 Gy. Conclusion Considering the minimum tolerance dose the absorbed doses in the spinal cord and parotid glands were above the tolerance level. The incidence rate of xerostomia and myelopathy were higher in patients, treated by conventional methods.

Reassessment of Lhermitte's sign in multiple sclerosis.

The reliability and diagnostic value of Lhermitte's sign in multiple sclerosis (MS) has not been fully established. The purpose of this study was to determine the clinical, neurophysiological and neuroradiological correlations of Lhermitte's sign in a cohort of MS patients and reassess the relevance of this phenomenon in the clinical history of the disease. A prospective study of 694 patients with MS and 110 age-matched healthy adults was evaluated by a structured questionnaire that included basic demographic data, age of onset, clinical characteristics of the disease, and the inquiry of Lhermitte's sign. Cranial and spinal magnetic resonance imagings (MRI) and median and tibial somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEP) were performed at the same time. One hundred and twelve (16 %) patients were reported to have Lhermitte's sign; 582 (84 %) patients did not experience Lhermitte's sign during their disease duration (P < 0.026). No correlation was found between Lhermitte's sign and age, gender, EDSS, and disease duration; 88 % of patients with Lhermitte's sign had a demyelinating lesion on the cervical MRI. In negative Lhermitte's sign group, 64 % patients had a positive MRI. SSEP conductions were delayed in 92 % of patients with positive Lhermitte's sign and in 70 % of patients with negative Lhermitte's sign. Regarding the data, a significant correlation was found between MRI lesion and Lhermitte's sign (P < 0.001), and between SSEP abnormality and Lhermitte's sign as well (P < 0.001). This study underlines the relevance of this phenomenon with neuroradiological and neurophysiological abnormalities.

Transient Hyperesthesia and Radicular Pain: An Unrecognised Complication of Thoracic Radiotherapy

Radiotherapy may be associated with both permanent and transient neurological adverse effects. We report seven cases of previously undocumented type of transient hyperesthesia and radicular pain occurring after radiotherapy for thoracic malignancies and describe the potential mechanisms. This is different to Lhermitte's sign in its character, location, and duration of symptoms. Knowledge of such adverse effects will prevent inappropriate investigations and anxiety for patients.

An analysis of clinical and imaging characteristics of atopic myelitis

To study the clinical and imaging characteristics of Chinese atopic myelitis (AM) patients. Three diagnosed AM patients were retrospectively analyzed for the clinical data, serum IgE level, antigen specific IgE, cerebrospinal fluid, spinal MRI and therapeutic efficacy profiles. All the three patients were male and presented as subacute AM with the onset at 25, 47 and 49 years old respectively. Two patients were allergic to pollen and other drugs, while another patient suffered from allergic rhinitis. Elevated serum total IgE and mite antigen specific IgE were found in all cases. Paraesthesia in limb extremities and positive Lhermitte sign were the main clinical features, while no optic, motor, urinary and defecation disturbance were found. Oligoclonal banding of cerebrospinal fluid and serum aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody were both negative in all cases. Spinal MRI showed lesions were hypointense on T1 and hyperintense on T2 at the posterior column of T2-3 segment with abnormal enhancement in case 1, hypointense on T1 and hyperintense on T2 at C2/3 segment with mild swelling in case 2 and hypointense on T1 and hyperintense on T2 at C3-5 segments with swelling and abnormal enhancement in case 3. Vitamin B were used in one patient, while the other two patients improved after the treatment with high-dose corticosteroids. Subacute myelitis predominantly presents as paraesthesia in limb extremities with elevated serum total IgE and mite antigen specific IgE, while severe motor disorders are rare. Swelling and abnormal enhancement lesions at the posterior column of cervical cord are the common imaging features. Treatment with corticosteroids is recommended to be sustained for 3-6 months.

Lhermitte's Sign: The Current Status.

Lhermitte's sign was described by Marie and Chatelin and named after Jean Lhermitte. This sign is mostly described as an electric shock like condition by some patients of multiple sclerosis. This sensation occurs when the neck is moved in a wrong way or rather flexed. It can also travel down to the spine, arms, and legs, and sometimes the trunk. Demyelination and hyperexcitability are the main pathophysiological reasons depicted for the Lhermitte's sign. Other causes for Lhermitte's sign include transverse myelitis, behçet's disease, trauma, etc. This article reviews the Lhermitte's sign, its history, and its etiopathophysiology. Very few studies are available on Lermitte's sign and more research need to be done on the same to ensure its sensitivity and specificity.

A clinical Pandora: Unusual manifestations of Vitamin B12 deficiency

A middle-aged male presented with gradually progressive fatigue and dementia. He was anemic, jaundiced, had cardiomegaly, a multinodular goiter, diffuse muscle wasting, Lhermitte's sign, and features of neuropathy. Patient was found to be Vitamin B12 deficient as a part of anemia evaluation with associated subclinical hyperthyroidism. Anti-thyroid peroxidase antibody was positive. Pernicious anemia as a part of polyglandular syndrome could not be proven as Schilling's, and other tests were not available. Magnetic resonance imaging of the spinal cord was done to evaluate the muscle wasting which showed myelopathic changes. B12 correction was started which reversed jaundice and anemia. Echocardiogram showed dilated cardiomyopathy probably due to chronic anemia and subclinical hyperthyroidism. The patient was symptomatically better at discharge. On follow-up, the patient had markedly improved symptomatically as well as biochemically. The fact remains that a simple problem might be compounded by a multitude of findings while a major diagnosis and its management would solve a majority of problems faced by the patient.

Lhermitte Sign as a Presenting Symptom of Thoracic Spinal Pathology: A Case Study

A 54-year-old male with ankylosing spondylitis presented with complaints of progressively worsening bilateral leg weakness and difficulty ambulating of 2-week duration. He also felt a sharp, electric, shock-like sensation radiating from his lower back into his legs upon flexing the trunk. There was no history of trauma or other inciting events within the 2 weeks prior to presentation. Thoracic MRI at this visit showed a three-column fracture at T11-T12. He underwent spinal fusion surgery and within 2 days after surgery the radiating electrical sensation with spinal flexion had completely resolved.

Current symptomatology in multiple sclerosis and neuromyelitis optica.

Several symptoms and signs are characteristic of multiple sclerosis (MS) such as Lhermitte's sign, Uhthoff's phenomenon and painful tonic seizure. Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) is another inflammatory disease of the central nervous system, and most of the opticospinal form of MS is thought to be NMO. This study aimed to investigate the frequencies of symptoms and signs, previously regarded as characteristic of MS, in NMO and MS patients. Consecutive Japanese NMO-plus patients [NMO (n = 30) or partial NMO (n = 18)] and MS patients (n = 128) seen at Chiba University Hospital between 2011 and 2012 were investigated for the frequencies of symptoms and signs characteristic of MS. Logistic regression analyses were used to identify factors that distinguished NMO-plus from MS. Univariate analyses revealed that tonic seizures, Lhermitte's sign, persistent pain, fatigue and girdle sensation were more frequent in NMO-plus patients than in MS patients. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that paroxysmal itching, Uhthoff's phenomenon, Lhermitte's sign and girdle sensation were more characteristic of NMO-plus than of MS. Several classical MS symptoms and signs are more frequent in NMO patients than MS patients, which may be caused by the differences in the severity of inflammation, and localization and extensiveness of demyelinated lesions.

Lhermitte Sign After VMAT-Based Radiation of Head and Neck Cancer: Incidence, Clinical Features, and Dosimetry

Lhermitte Sign After VMAT-Based Radiation of Head and Neck Cancer: Incidence, Clinical Features, and Dosimetry

Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment: Modern Radiation Therapy, Lower Dose, Smaller Field, But the Risk of Lhermitte Sign Is Still There

Hodgkin Lymphoma Treatment: Modern Radiation Therapy, Lower Dose, Smaller Field, But the Risk of Lhermitte Sign Is Still There

THU0388 Demyelinating Lesions in BehÇEt's Diseas as A Form of Parenchymal Involvement

BackgroundNeurologic involvement in Behçet's disease ocurrs in 5-10% of cases. There are two patterns: parenchymal o non parenchymal involvement. Demyelinating lesions is a rare form of parenchymal afectation.ObjectivesOur objective is...

Resolution of Lhermitte's sign with Spinal Cord Stimulation

Dear Editor, No specific treatment exists for Lhermitte's sign or an electric shock-like sensation that extends down the spine and shoots into the limbs lasting just a few seconds elicited during movement of cervical spine, particularly flexion of the neck. This symptom has been reported in various medical-like cervical spondylosis, multiple sclerosis, vitamin B12 deficiency, and pernicious anemia ⇓. Many times, this transient symptom is self-limiting and will resolve over a period of 6 months. However, for those patients whose symptoms are not so fortunate, few options are available. Pharmacological treatment is initially analgesics, short-course opioid medications, muscle relaxants, and tapering doses of oral steroids. Persistent symptoms may be improved with neuropathic pain medications like gabapentin, pregabalin, tricyclic antidepressants, clonazepam, baclofen, carbamazepine, amitriptyline, and phenytoin ⇓. The following case report utilizes neuromodulation after all other conservative methods failed to provide pain relief for this patient. The patient is a 60-year-old man with a history of worsening chronic neck pain without incident and reported “electricity running down my back and legs” when turning his head downward. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan demonstrated severe spondylosis at C5-6, a moderate degree of cervical stenosis, and a concern for development of myelopathy. As the thoracic and lumbar MRI was absent of disease, the patient's neurosurgeon diagnosed the traveling electric shock pain down the patient's legs as …

Unusual Symptoms and Syndromes in Multiple Sclerosis

In multiple sclerosis (MS), symptoms vary widely from patient to patient. Certain events in MS are well recognized (eg, optic neuritis, brainstem and spinal cord relapses) and do not lead to much clinical confusion. However, other events that occur in MS may be less expected and may be underrecognized by some clinicians and may lead to an extensive and potentially unnecessary investigation for what is a known problem in MS. This article reviews Lhermitte sign, Pulfrich phenomenon, Uhthoff phenomenon, and the useless hand of Oppenheim, along with the underrecognized phenomena of transient neurologic events (including tonic spasms). Disorders of temperature regulation in MS (likely based on hypothalamic involvement) which can present with bizarre behavioral change and evade diagnosis, are also discussed. The article concludes with a review of epilepsy and sleep disorders in MS, both of which appear to occur at an increased frequency in the MS population and may have implications for therapy. This article is meant to help clinicians recognize and treat this fascinating set of underrecognized phenomena in MS and perhaps save patients trips to the emergency department, extraneous testing, and ineffective intervention.