[A case of critical illness polyneuropathy in association with peritonitis after sigmoid colon perforation]

We presented a case of critical illness polyneuropathy after bacterial peritonitis. A 62-year-old male was received an emergency colectomy because of perforation of the sigmoid colon five days after the endoscopic polypectomy. He developed sepsis from peritonitis after operation in spite of the antibiotics therapy. On 15-th hospital days he developed muscle weakness and numbness of all limbs. He needed an artificial ventilator due to respiratory failure. Hematological and blood chemical findings showed a leukocytosis and metabolic acidosis with renal dysfunction because of sepsis. Serum anti-Campylobacter antibody was negative. Serial CSF examinations failed to show any abnormalities including albuminocytologic dissociation. Electrophysiological studies revealed a primary axonal degeneration, mainly in the motor, but also in the sensory nerve. Compound muscle and sensory action potentials were not elicited or markedly reduced without conduction velocity prolongation. Microscopic findings of the left sural nerve biopsy showed a primary axonal degeneration without evidence of inflammation. His prognosis was poor and three months later, he still required ventilatory assistance. Because of these clinical findings this patient was thought to have a critical illness polyneuropathy after excluding various etiologies of polyneuropathies. This case suggests that sepsis may be one of a cause of primary axonal polyneuropathy. The certain mechanism of this disease is still unknown. However cytokine, tumor necrotic factor(TNF) and/or Platelet activating factor(PAF) that secreted during sepsis may have an important role for the primary axonal degeneration.