Medicina clinica
-
Inflammatory neuropathies are a rare and heterogeneous group of diseases of the nervous system characterized by the dysfunction and damage of different structures of the peripheral nerves. This group includes Guillain-Barré syndrome, chronic demyelinating inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy, multifocal motor neuropathy or neuropathies associated with monoclonal gammopathy. ⋯ For all these reasons, these antibodies are useful in clinical practice. This review focuses on the diagnostic and therapeutic relevance of autoantibodies in inflammatory neuropathies.
-
To assess the usefulness of a risk scale based on serum procalcitonin (PCT) compared to the Laboratory Risk Indicator for Necrotising Fasciitis (LRINEC) scale in the early discrimination between necrotising fasciitis (NF) and cellulitis of the extremities. ⋯ PCT measurement was a more effective method than the LRINEC score for early discrimination between NF and cellulitis of the extremities. A low level of PCT, associated with the patient's clinical status and physical examination is especially useful to rule out an early diagnosis of NF.