The following was sent out to the NurseRes list. I wondered if anyone from
this list would be able to reply to it.
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Date: Sun, 18 Jun 1995 20:29:52 EDT
From: Chen Run-sheng <[log in to unmask]>
Subject: <No subject given>
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SOS!!!
Dear sir/madam
This is Beijing, P. R. China. A woman, Sirou Zhang, has devoted
all her life to teaching in China, a developing country, and she
is still standing in the classroom. She loves her lovely pupils
and all of them couldn't leave their respective "Grandma". But
now she has become very sick and is dying. The illness is very
rare. Though they have tried their best, doctors at the the best
hospitals in Beijing cannot cure her; may do not even know what
illness it is. So now we are asking the world---can somebody help us?
This is a description of the illness:
Our "Grandma" is a 62-year-old right-handed woman complaining
of 4 months history of progressive weakness of her extremities. She
first developed weakness of right lower limb 4 months ago. And
weakness spread to the right upper limb then to the left lower limb
in the following two months. She could't climb up stairs without
help and walked with a walkstick during the early month. About
3 weeks before she was admitted to hospital, she felt that her
voice was lower and her speech became slow and choked sometimes. And
she had to leave her lovely pupils. She lost her weight for 4kg
during the 4 months. She has no history of difficulty in urination
and bowel movement.
She was a thin woman and fully alert and oriented. Vital sign
and general physical findings were almost normal. A neurological
examination shows significantly asymmetrical limb weakness especially
in right limbs, slightly decreased tone in the four limbs, loss of
sensation at the level of T4 and a glove-stocking anethessia. The
cranial nerves examinations showed only one abnormal finding that
her tongue to the left. The vibration and joint positional sensation
are normal. Reflexes are symmetrical and brisk. There is no signs of
damage of cerebellam and pyramidal tract.
Laberatory: Full blood cell count, electrolyte levels and liver,
kidney, cardiac function are normal. The following laberatory
are normal: serum anti-nuclear antibody, anti-smooth muscle antibody,
anti-DNA, RF, ASO. T4, T3, TSH, CEA, AFP, and urinay Bence-Jones
Protein. Among the serum immunoglobulins IgM level 432Iu/ml was
slightly higher compared with the normal range from 66 to 279Iu/ml
(repeat value of 361 IU/ml). Serum CK once was higher but normal
latter.The repetitive low-freguency electical stimulation showed
amplitode of waves decreased gradually for 48%. EMG (electromyogram)
showed signs of neurogenous disease demage. The chest X-ray, an
abdoment B-ultrasomic examination and the cerviel and cranio cerebral
MRI were normal.A lumber puncture was performed and the cerebrospinal
fluid pressure was 50mmH20, with a protein level 50mg/dl. Immuno-
globulins synthetic rate of serum and CSF are nomal. The CSF and
blood gluose concentrations were 49mg\dl and 121mg\dl, respectively.
GI was negative. Two dimensional echocardiography was nomal.
If you have heard of patients with similar symptom, or have
any ideas as to what this illness could be, Please contact with us.
We were her students before and we are disparate to help our deeply
loved teacher.
Please help us!
Our E-mail address: [log in to unmask]
or [log in to unmask]
Please send back E-mail to us! We will send more complete
description of her illness to you.
Thank you very much
National lab of Biomacromelecules
Inst. Biophys. Beijing 100101
P.R.China
June 16th, 1995
