1,721,058 research outputs found
Acute shoulder–girdle neuralgic amyotrophy (parsonage-turner syndrome) with saphenous nerve involvement.
Parsonage-Turner syndrome (PTS) is a relatively rare
cause of upper extremity weakness and pain. There is
currently no effective treatment for PTS although corticosteroids
are recommended. Here we report the case of
a man with acute PTS and exceptional involvement of both
saphenous nerves, advantageously treated with intravenous
immunoglobulin
Evaluation of brain apoptosis in a CADASIL postmortem case
OBJECTIVE:
To evaluate the role of apoptosis in the pathogenesis of brain lesions in cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarcts and leukoencephalopathy (CADASIL), a hereditary microangiopathy leading to cognitive decline and dementia, caused by mutations in the NOTCH3 gene.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Detection of apoptotic nuclei in temporal lobe, brain stem, medulla oblongata, hippocampus and basal ganglia from one young CADASIL patient was performed by terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase (TdT)-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL).
RESULTS:
Our results showed a great involvement of glial cells in apoptotic cell death in the majority of the brain regions examined; neuronal apoptosis was significantly present only in the brain stem region.
CONCLUSIONS:
We hypothesized that in the early stages of the disease neuronal involvement of apoptosis is limited to the cells of the brain stem, sparing the cortical area which is involved in neuronal apoptosis and cognitive decline later
Transient "sicca syndrome" during phenobarbital treatment.
Even after the introduction of new antiepileptic drugs, phenobarbital continues to be largely used in the treatment of epilepsy. We report the case of a 59-year-old woman with focal seizures with secondary generalization, treated with phenobarbital with normal serum levels. After thirty days she showed Sjogren-like symptoms, which resolved after the replaced of phenobarbital with oxcarbazepine. Although many antiepileptic drugs are known to induce autoimmune disorders, a "Sicca Syndrome" has never been reported as an adverse effect of phenobarbital. We think this case report leads to take into consideration the possibility of a drug-induced disorder whenever patients treated with barbiturates develop symptoms suggestive of Sjogren's Syndrome
Dilated cardiomyopathy and inclusion body myositis.
Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is the most common inflammatory myopathy after 50 years of age. In contrast to polymyositis and dermatomyositis, in which cardiac involvement is relatively common, current evidences indicate that IBM is not associated with cardiac disease. We report the case of a patient with biopsy-proven IBM who developed heart failure and major ventricular arrhythmias secondary to dilated cardiomyopathy few months after the clinical onset of IBM, and in whom no pathophysiologic causes explaining cardiac enlargement and dysfunction were found by laboratory and instrumental investigations. The hypothesis of a pathophysiologic association between the two conditions is discussed
Transient periodic lateralised epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) following internal carotid artery stenting
Background. Periodic lateralised epileptiform discharges (PLEDs) are EEG patterns consisting of periodic or pseudoperiodic unilateral, focal or hemispheric epileptiform discharges at a rate of 1-2 Hz. PLEDs may be triggered by acute brain injuries or systemic metabolic changes such as fever, hyperglycaemia or electrolyte imbalance and may result in disturbance of consciousness and/or neurological deficits. Case report. A 58-year-old female with a history of focal epilepsy and deep brain haematoma presented with acute change in awareness, associated with EEG evidence of PLEDs, three days after a left internal carotid artery stenting procedure. Clinical examination, laboratory testing and MRI were unchanged with respect to pre-stenting investigations. Conclusion. In this patient, PLEDs may have been triggered by local haemodynamic changes due to reperfusion after stenting in a previously damaged brain area
Particle number and mass exposure concentrations by commuter transport modes in Milan, Italy
There is increasing awareness amongst the general public about exposure to atmospheric pollution while travelling in urban areas especially when taking active travelling modes such as walking and cycling. This study presents a comparative investigation of ultrafine particles (UFP), PM10, PM2.5, PM1 exposure levels associated with four transport modes (i.e., walking, cycling, car, and subway) in the city of Milan measured by means of portable instruments. Significant differences in particle exposure between transport modes were found. The subway mode was characterized by the highest PM mass concentrations: PM10, PM2.5, PM1 subway levels were respectively about 2-4-3 times higher than those of the car and open air active modes (i.e. cycling and walking). Conversely, these latter modes displayed the highest UFP levels about 2 to 3 times higher than the subway and car modes, highlighting the influence of direct traffic emissions. The car mode (closed windows, air conditioning and air recirculation on) reported the lowest PM and UFP concentration levels. In particular, the open-air/car average concentration ratio varied from about 2 for UFP up to 4 for PM1 and 6 for PM10 and PM2.5, showing differences that increase with increasing particle size. This work points out that active mode travelling in Milan city centre in summertime results in higher exposure levels than the car mode. Walkers’ and cyclists’ exposure levels is expected to be even higher during wintertime, due to the higher ambient PM and UFP concentration. Interventions intended to re-design the urban mobility should therefore include dedicated routes in order to limit their exposure to PM and UFP by increasing their distance from road traffic
A case report of transient posterior internuclear ophthalmoplegia (PINO) associated with encephalitis of ponto-mesencephalic junction
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