VASCULITIS MASQUERADING AS NEUROLOGIC DECOMPRESSION ILLNESS

An adult male diver developed limb pains and peripheral neurologic sig ns following a series of dives. He was treated for acute neurologic de compression illness (DCI) and responded well, but subsequently he dete riorated and developed features of a progressive multisystem disease. Investigation confirmed a clinical diagnosis of polyarteritis nodosa c omplicated by a mononeuritis multiplex. Vasculitis is uncommon and its masquerade as neurologic DCI may be unique. However, this case emphas izes the importance of careful clinical assessment and illustrates the potentially wide differential diagnosis of DCI.