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Introduction: Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis is characterized by the occurrence of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, motor weakness with areflexia and central nervous system symptoms, with drowsiness, pyramidal syndrome and sensorial symptoms. Diagnosis is based on MR findings and GQ1b antibodies. Treatment is not well known., Observation: We report a patient aged 39 years native of Laos who presented weakness, loss of reflexes, and drowsiness. Brain MR showed hyperintense signals in the brain stem. GQ1b antibodies were positive. The course was characterized by decrease of the weakness, normalization of MR and negativity of GQ1b antibodies., Discussion: This observation underlines common features of Bickerstaff brainstem encephalitis, Miller Fisher syndrome and Guillain Barre syndrome. A favorable course and GQ1b antibodies are shared by these syndromes.

A probable diagnosis of an incomplete form of von Hippel Lindau disease was made in a case of combined cerebellar hemangioblastoma, pontobulbar cavitation and bilateral pheochromocytoma. A survey of the literature review found only 3 similar cases among 64 patients reported as having combined lesions. A wide variety of lesions are in fact encountered.

In a 6-year-period, 234 cases of subarachnoid haemorrhage were observed in a neurological intensive care unit: 74 were male and 69 were female, aged from 15 to 94 years. In 15 cases no other investigation than C.T. scan or lumbar puncture was performed. In 143 patients, cerebral angiography demonstrated a ruptured aneurysm of cerebral vessels and 99 were operated. The prognosis was poor in old age, with aneurysms located on the anterior part of the circle of Willis, severe neurological involvement and extensive subarachnoid or ventricular haemorrhage. A recurrence of the haemorrhage occurred in 18 cases and cerebral ischaemia was present in 69 patients. The mortality rate of patients with ruptured aneurysms was 47.5 p. 100 (30.4 p. 100 when operated). Seventeen patients probably had a ruptured cerebral aneurysm but cerebral angiography was not conclusive; 12 of them died. In 15 other cases, the haemorrhage was related to cerebral angiomas (3 cases), endocarditis (2), coagulation disorders (6), cranial trauma (3) and Moya-Moya disease (1). In 44 patients, the aetiology of subarachnoid haemorrhage was unknown and the mortality rate was 14 p. 100. The poor prognosis of subarachnoid haemorrhage, worse than in neurosurgical series, is emphasized. It may be explained by the lack of selection of the patients in a non-surgical department.