Full Issue

Abstract

The combined issue (Numbers 3–4) of Volume 15 of the International Journal of Neurology (1981) was dedicated to neuritis. Edited by Víctor Soriano, it presented a comprehensive overview of inflammatory and demyelinating neuropathies, integrating clinical, experimental, and historical perspectives on peripheral nerve disorders.

The issue opened with a major review on acute and chronic inflammatory polyneuropathies (Mora, Bradley, and Berkman), outlining clinical features, diagnostic methods, and emerging therapeutic strategies for Guillain–Barré syndrome and chronic inflammatory demyelinating neuropathy. Kazuro Takahashi revisited thiamine deficiency neuropathy, offering a biochemical and pathological reappraisal of the classic “dry beriberi” presentation.

Zito, Cook, and Dowling contributed an extensive discussion of acquired demyelinating neuropathies, emphasizing immunopathological mechanisms. Tsu-Pei Hung described a polio-like syndrome in adults following acute hemorrhagic conjunctivitis, documenting a rare post-viral motor neuropathy. Rubenstein and collaborators examined acute autonomic neuropathy, analyzing its clinical course and catecholaminergic dysfunctions, while Laplane and Bousser reported on polyneuropathy associated with perhexiline maleate therapy, underscoring the neurotoxicity of this antianginal drug.

From an experimental perspective, Oded Abramsky and Israel Steiner reviewed the immunology of Guillain–Barré syndrome, exploring animal models and immune-mediated demyelination mechanisms that paved the way for later therapeutic approaches such as plasmapheresis.

The issue also featured Lawrence C. McHenry’s History of Medicine essay, “A History of Stroke,” tracing the evolution of cerebrovascular concepts, and Víctor Soriano’s reflective piece “On Vacation: Napoleon and Josephine at Malmaison.” It concluded with the customary sections for news and book reviews.

This volume provided an authoritative synthesis of early 1980s knowledge on peripheral nerve inflammation and demyelination, bridging clinical neurology, neuroimmunology, and medical history.