Optic neuritis associated with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy in a child - a case report

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is an autoimmune disorder predominantly affecting the peripheral nervous system (PNS), characterised by muscle weakness and sensory disruption which may involve all four limbs[1]. CIDP affecting children is uncommon, with a large scale review in 2013 noting 143 documented cases described in the literature [2]. Central nervous system involvement has previously been described; however, optic neuropathy is an extremely rare manifestation of CIDP, with only a small number of cases previously reported (both unilateral and bilateral) in adult patients[3-5]. This report details a child who developed optic neuropathy in association with CIDP.

Understanding Sensory Ecology

As visual creatures, humans sometimes have difficulty understanding how other organisms encounter their environments through nonvisual means. Many organisms rely predominantly or exclusively on senses other than sight, including olfaction, chemoreception, and thermoreception. This lesson will give high school students insights into how other organisms encounter their environment, the benefits and limitations of different senses, and why we should be aware of other organisms’ perceptions. Educating students about sensory ecology introduces fundamental concepts in physiology, ecology, and animal behavior. Students will learn a new vocabulary term (umwelt) and about the sensory ecology of other organisms via an active-participation presentation, collect and analyze data on sensory disruption of classmates, and put their new knowledge to work by brainstorming ways in which human activity interacts with the sensory ecology of wildlife through case studies (Common Core State Standard HS-LS2-7).