Neurologic manifestations of hypereosinophilic syndrome--review of the literature.

Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a rare disorder of the hematopoietic system. The disease is characterized by continuously high number of eosinophils (>1.5 x 10(9)/L) for more than six months. Other possible causes of hypereosinophilia, such as allergic and parasitic diseases, malignant disease, Churg-Strauss disease and infection should be eliminated. The most common manifestations of hypereosinophilic syndrome are pulmonary, skin, gastrointestinal, cardiac difficulties and neurologic lesions. Numerous neurologic lesions have been described, in particular of the central and peripheral nervous systems. Review of the literature revealed the following to have been recorded so far: mononeuritis multiplex, sensory polyneuropathy, radiculopathy, myalgia, myositis and perimyositis, neuropathy, ataxia, paraplegia, ophthalmologic abnormalities, optic neuritis, hemiplegia-hemiparesis, spasmodic quadriplegia, seizures, meningitis, cerebral infarction, organic psychosyndrome, other mental changes, stroke, temporal arteritis, leptomeningeal dissemination, memory deficits and dysarthria.