Gastric Cancer and Paraneoplastic Pemphigus

Paraneoplastic pemphigus is a relatively rare but significant acquired autoimmune mucocutaneous disorder that is characterised by diffuse erythema, painful blistering and sores of the skin and mucus membranes. The underlying pathogenesis is believed to be triggered by altered immune system in response to underlying neoplasm. The manifestations can predate, occur at the same time or after the diagnosis of cancer. Associations with gastric cancer have only been reported twice. A 78-year-old lady presented with a month’s history of extensive skin lesions that started off as bullous lesions and biopsy revealed bullous pemphigus. Endoscopy for anemia revealed gastric cancer. This case reinforced the need to consider underlying malignancy in elderly patient with new onset dermatological presentation.     

化瘀汤治疗脑卒中疗效观察及对神经功能缺损康复的影响

目的:观察化瘀汤治疗脑卒中临床疗效及其对患者神经能缺损康复的影响。方法:将风痰瘀阻型缺血性脑卒中80例随机分为2组,每组40例;对照组采用西医常规治疗,观察组在对照组的基础上加用化瘀汤治疗,2组疗程均为21天;观察比较2组临床疗效、美国国立卫生研究院卒中量表(NIHSS)评分、Fugl-Meyer评分、中医证候积分。结果:总有效率观察组为95.0%,对照组为80.0%,2组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组患者NIHSS评分较治疗前明显下降(P<0.05),Fugl-Meyer评分明显升高(P<0.05);且观察组两项评分改善较对照组更显著(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组中医主症、次症积分均较治疗前明显降低(P<0.05),且观察组两项积分均明显低于对照组(P<0.05)。治疗后,2组患者SS-QOL评分均较治疗前明显升高(P<0.05),且观察组SS-QOL评分明显高于对照组(P<0.05)。结论:在西医常规治疗的基础上,加用化瘀汤治疗风痰瘀阻型缺血型脑卒中患者,能显著改善患者神经功能、肢体运动功能及生活质量,缓解临床症状,疗效优于单纯西医治疗。     

Treatment of oral manifestations of toxic epidermal necrolysis with low‐level laser therapy in a pediatric patient

Drug‐induced reactions are complications associated with high mortality and significant morbidity. Stevens–Johnson Syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) are examples of these conditions, which are characterized by skin and mucous lesions. Here, we report a case of a 9‐year‐old girl who presented with blisters associated with an extensive vesicular rash and multiple ulcerations on the lips and oral cavity. A drug‐induced hypersensitivity reaction to antibiotics was suspected, and a diagnosis of TEN was made. The patient was managed with withdrawal of the suspected causative agent, and the oral lesions were treated with low‐level laser therapy (LLLT) and oral hygiene. This case highlights that TEN requires interdisciplinary intervention with dental assistance and follow‐up to improve symptoms, nutrition, systemic condition, and quality of life.     

Auditory brainstem responses after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: Are they useful for outcome prediction?

We evaluated whether we could predict the neurologic outcome in 55 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest patients using auditory brainstem responses (ABR). ABR patterns were classified into one of 3 types by evaluation of 5 components: type 1, with all 5 components; type 2, lack of at least one response between the 2nd and 5th components; type 3, with only the first component or no response. The relation between the ABR patterns on the 3rd day following resuscitation and the neurologic outcome on hospital discharge was evaluated. The specificity that the 5 awake patients had type-1 ABR was 38%. The sensitivity that the 10 brain dead patients had type-3 ABR was 60%. In the type-1 ABR patients, the negative predictive value that the patients were awake was 100%. In the type-3 ABR patients, the negative predictive value that the patients became brain dead was 90.9%. These results suggest that ABR on the 3rd post-resuscitation day may not be useful for predicting if patients are awake or become brain dead, although the loss of components may be a sign of morbidity, and the presence of the 2nd or later components indicates possible future prevention of brain death.     

12例Dandy—Walker综合征的临床CT与MRI分析

目的分析Dandy—Walker综合征的临床及cT与MR!影像特征。方法采用cT与MRI常规扫描，对12例Dandy—Walker综合征的临床表现、CT与MRI征象进行回顾性分析；结果12例Dandy—Walker综合征的CT与MRI表现归纳为①小脑蚓部缺失，小脑半球发育不良、完全分离，分离的小脑半球可以不对称；②第四脑室呈囊状、扇形、三角形显著扩张或后颅窝巨大囊状阴影与第四脑室相通；③窦汇异常抬高，越过人字缝／天幕抬高；④幕上脑室对称性扩张，脑积水。结论对Dandy—Walker综合征的诊断，CT扫描能够显示后颅凹及天幕上下脑的形态与结构，其CT表现具特征性；MRI可多平面扫描，无骨质伪影，显示后颅凹优于CT，在矢状面上可显示小脑、第四脑室、导水管、后颅凹囊肿以及与天幕的关系。CT与MRI扫描对Dandy—Walker综合征能够做出定性诊断，是术前诊断的主要依据，检查无痛苦，有重要的诊断和鉴别诊断价值。     

肺心病合并脑梗死39例分析

目的:分析肺心病合并脑梗死的临床特点.方法:对39例肺心病合并脑梗死患者的临床资料进行回顾性分析.结果:肺心病合并脑梗死发病率6.2%,48小时内确诊率48.7%.结论:肺心病合并脑梗死临床表现不典型,及时确诊困难.     

Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy: Factors of Error Involved in the Diagnosis and Treatment

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), a common form of idiopathic generalized epilepsy, has a distinct clinical and electroencephalographic profile. Often JME is not recognized, with serious consequences on the sufferers. We examined factors contributing to the missed diagnosis even in an epilepsy clinic. Of 70 JME patients, 66 (91.4%) were not diagnosed on referral and 22 (33%) were not initially recognized in the epilepsy clinic. The correct diagnosis was established after a mean of 8.3 +/- 5.5 years from disease onset and an interval of 17.7 +/- 10.4 months from first evaluation in the epilepsy clinic. Myoclonic jerks, the hallmark of the disease, were not usually reported by patients. Similarly, relevant questioning may not be included in the history. Absence seizures antedating jerks by many years, myoclonic jerks reported as unilateral, generalized tonic-clonic seizures occurring during sleep and focal EEG abnormalities are other factors contributing to not recognizing JME. Our study reemphasizes the need to have not only a correct seizure diagnosis but also a correct epilepsy-disease diagnosis.     

Opitz (BBB/G) syndrome: Oral manifestations

We studied a new case of the G (Opitz BBB/G) syndrome in a 12-year-old boy. Several relatives had partial manifestations of the disorder. A comprehensive dental evaluation of the propositus was conducted; included is, to our knowledge, the first published cephalometric analysis of a G syndrome patient. We reviewed 139 cases of the G syndrome; 48 of them had at least one oral abnormality. These included clefting, micrognathia, ankyloglossia, and high-arched palate. Male G syndrome patients are more likely to have oral anomalies than affected females. © 1992 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

Predictivity of Plasma Prolactin Levels in Differentiating Epilepsy from Pseudoseizures: A Prospective Study

The predictivity of raised plasma prolactin (PRL) concentrations in differentiating seizure from syncopal attack was prospectively assessed in all patients consecutively admitted to the Clinica Neurologica of Brescia, Italy in a 12-month period who fulfilled the criteria for either a seizure or syncopal attack. Postictal plasma prolactin concentration (P1) was assessed as soon as possible after the event. Three further assessments were performed: P2 was sampled 1 h after P1, P3, and P4 were sampled in the morning for the next 2 days. Patients who had had a seizure showed significantly increased P1 concentrations, when P1 was sampled within 60 min of the attack. In seizure patients assessed >1 h after the event, P1 was not significantly different from either P2, P3, or P4. In patients who had had a syncopal attack, PRL concentration never increased. In patients assessed ≤60 min after the seizure, cutoff criterion of P1 exceeding by + 3 SD the mean calculated on P2, P3, and P4 yielded a positive predictive value of 89% and a negative predictive value of 61%. These findings confirm that plasma prolactin concentration is highly predictive of true epilepsy but barely predictive of pseudoseizures.