Central pontine myelinolysis and extrapontine myelinolysis: literature review and case report

Central pontine myelinolysis (CPM) is a concentrated, symmetric, non-inflammatory demyelination within the central basis pontis. In 10 % of patients with СРМ, demyelination also occurs in extrapontine regions: the mid brain, thalamus, basal nuclei, and cerebellum. Demyelination occurs in regions of compact interdigitation of white and gray matter as a result of cellular edema, which is caused by fluctuating osmotic forces, results in compression of fiber tracts. The most frequent cause of abrupt change in osmotic pressure is the rapid sodium correction of prolonged hyponatremia. In case that we report, there is a combination of central pontine and extrapontine myelinolysis, which occurs in 71-year-old woman owing to rapid sodium correction of prolonged hyponatremia which by turn developed due to salt-free diet, improper antihypertensive therapy and overheating. The diagnosis was confirmed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The treatment led to significant decrease of neurological deficit.