Post-traumatic epidural hematoma in two patients with long-standing “arrested” hydrocephalus

The occurrence of a post-traumatic epidural hematoma in two patients with long-standing arrested hydrocephalus is reported. There was a relatively long interval between the head injury and the onset of symptoms. The large hematoma was accommodated by the decrease in size of the markedly dilated ventricles. This report stresses the possibility of the presence of an epidural hematoma in the management of head injury in patients with long-standing arrested hydrocephalus.     

Post-traumatic diffuse brain swelling: isolated or associated with cerebral axonal injury

Eighteen children with severe head injuries and diffuse brain swelling were studied. They were separated into two groups based on the computed tomography (CT) findings. Seven patients had small ventricles in the normal location and small or absent cisterns. Eleven had these signs plus small deep-seated intraparenchymal hemorrhagic foci and/or intraventricular hemorrhage. Patients in the first group were in relatively good neurological condition; their intracranial pressure was easily controlled and all had a favourable outcome. On contrast, children in the second group had a more severe clinical presentation, frequently had uncontrollable intracranial hypertension, and more than 50% died.     

Surgical treatment of acute subdural hygroma in children

During the years 1967–1984, 91 children were operated on because of acute compressive traumatic intracranial hematoma; 16 (17%) had traumatic acute subdural hygromas. These were unilateral in 12 cases and bilateral in 4. The causes of injury were traffic accidents in 11 children, a fall in 1, and acute deceleration injuries in 5. Nine children suffered multiple injuries to the thorax, inferior extremities, and pelvis. Clinical manifestations and evolution of clinical symptoms included changes in conscious level, palsy, high fever, nystagmus, maximum dilation of either pupil and spontaneous, irregular breathing. The diagnosis was made on the basis of the clinical picture and supplementary clinical investigations: CT, EEG, echoencephalography, isotope cisternography, and arteriography. Treatment was by simple trephination of the cranium and evacuation of hygromatous liquid. All children survived the surgical treatment; 1 child died after the operation and 2 developed hydrocephalus.     

Review of 1,000 consecutive cases of severe head injury treated before the advent of CT scanning

Summary This is a review of 1,000 consecutive cases of severe head injury admitted to our Neurosurgical Department between January 1973 and August 1976, before the advent of CT scanning. All patients were comatose following head injury (GCS8) and were treated homogeneously by the same neurosurgical team by a protocol that included immediate resuscitation on arrival, diagnosis of intracranial lesions by angiography, early surgery when needed, mechanical ventilation, steroids, and mannitol. Extracranial lesions, even if preponderant, were treated by various specialists in the Neurosurgical Department, which for all practical purposes operated as an Emergency Department. Admission criteria were very broad with no preadmission selection. The overall mortality for this series was 45%. A little less than half the patients made good recoveries or remained moderately disabled (47%); 6% were severely disabled, and 2% survived in a persistent vegetative state. More than two-thirds of the patients were brought to our Neurosurgical Department after a short stay at a general hospital; 72% were admitted within 6 hours of injury; 71% were traffic accident victims; and 34% had significant associated extracranial injuries. Carotid angiography was performed in 78% of the patients and indicated the presence of an intracranial haematoma requiring surgery in 36% of the whole series. Mortality was significantly higher in operated than in unoperated patients (56% versus 39%); those treated surgically, however, were older, in worse clinical condition, and showed a higher incidence of acute subdural haematomas associated with brain contusion. Carotid angiography proved very effective in revealing the presence of an expansive lesion but failed to reflect the severity of brain damage, since the group with negative angiograms showed a high mortality (52%). Patients with a lucid interval had a higher percentage of surgical lesions than those with immediate coma (58% versus 26%); but fully 42% of them did not require surgery, and 25% had negative angiograms. From the prognostic point of view the clinical data elicited after initial resuscitation were highly predictive of the outcome: some individual neurological signs, such as mydriasis, posturing and eye movements, were not inferior to the GCS score in that respect. Age also proved a strong predictor, since elderly patients are more likely to have severe subdural and parenchymal lesions and their clinical severity is accordingly greater.Our series amounts to a data bank of cases both contemporary to and in good agreement with that collected by Jennett and his associates in their 1977 multinational study; and it affords a useful reference in the assessment of epidemiological variations and alternative management in relation to outcome.     

n-Hexane urine elimination and weighted exposure concentration

Summary The concentration of n-hexane in urine was determined in 30 subjects occupationally exposed to n-hexane (median value 59.6 mg/m³) in a shoe factory. The measurement of the substance was performed by means of a Hewlett-Packard 5880 gas chromatograph supplied with a Hewlett-Packard 5970 Mass Selective Detector. The analyses were performed by the head space method (constant volume method, after determination of the urine partition coefficient by the multiple phase equilibration method). The authors found a significant correlation between the n-hexane urine concentrations (g/1, Cu) and the n-hexane environmental concentrations (mg/m³, Ci) (r = 0.84; Cu = 0.0669 x Ci + 0.8396).This work was supported by the research funds given to Fondazione Clinica del Lavoro, Pavia by the Health Council     

The discovery of neuronopathy and neuropathy as a cause of progressive paralysis in childhood. The historical origins of modern differential diagnosis in neuromuscular disease

The concept of the differential diagnosis has a central place in all clinical medicine. In neurology and paediatrics, evolution of thought concerning the differential diagnosis of the child presenting with symptoms of neuromuscular disease was far in advance of similar diagnostic approaches to problems of infectious, infective and neoplastic disease; and as such forms a significant historical model for the development of modern clinical approaches to the sick or disabled child. The account presented in this paper provides a detailed historical review of the development of thought relating to the causes of neuromuscular disease. Nosological developments concerning diseases of the motor unit can be conveniently classified into three periods: (a) a "state of the art" period to 1850; (b) 1850-1890 - a period of parallel and interdependent advances in both normal neuro-anatomy and neurophysiology, and diseases recognized as variations from such norms. In this era Duchenne was the first to write about the differential diagnosis of the progressive muscular paralysis in childhood; and Gowers was the first to write specifically on the hereditary transmission of this group of diseases; (c) in 1891 was described the first case of childhood neuronopathy recognized as such, and with this development was ushered in the modern era of clinical differential diagnosis of childhood neuromuscular disease. The "splitters" have won the great debate concerning the clinical approach to neurological diseases. The continual further refining of an exact diagnosis is the only way in which a realistic prognosis can be forecast, correct genetic counseling can be offered, and (if the condition is treatable) optimal therapy can be introduced.     

互动式头针结合镜像疗法对脑卒中软瘫期上肢功能障碍的康复疗效

目的：探索脑卒中患者促进上肢运动功能恢复中头针与镜像疗法联合应用的临床价值。方法：选取株洲市中心医院2021年8月至2022年11月期间收治的60例脑卒中后上肢功能障碍患者,以随机分组的方式分为两组,每组30例。其中常规康复训练联合镜像治疗纳入对照组,在对照组基础上增加头针治疗纳入观察组。在治疗4周后,比较两组患者临床治疗有效性、Fugl–meyer运动功能评定量表（FMA）上肢部分评分以及Brunnstrom分期。结果：两组患者治疗后FMA评分均高于治疗前,且观察组患者治疗后FMA评分高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义（P<0.05）。观察组患者治疗后上肢Brunnstrom运动功能分期结果优于对照组,差异具有统计学意义（Z=–2.101,P <0.05）。观察组患者治疗后手Brunnstrom运动功能分期结果优于对照组,差异具有统计学意义（Z=–2.152,P <0.05）。结论：在恢复早期,头针、镜像疗法与常规康复训练有效结合,对脑卒中患者软瘫期上肢运动功能恢复具有积极作用。     

Potential Role of Probiotics in Ameliorating Psoriasis by Modulating Gut Microbiota in Imiquimod-Induced Psoriasis-Like Mice

Psoriasis is an immune-mediated systemic disease that may be treated with probiotics. In this study, probiotic strains that could or could not decrease interleukin (IL)-17 levels were applied to imiquimod (IMQ)-induced psoriasis-like mice via oral administration. Bifidobacterium adolescentis CCFM667, B. breve CCFM1078, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei CCFM1074, and Limosilactobacillus reuteri CCFM1132 ameliorated psoriasis-like pathological characteristics and suppressed the release of IL-23/T helper cell 17 (Th17) axis-related inflammatory cytokines, whereas B. animalis CCFM1148, L. paracasei CCFM1147, and L. reuteri CCFM1040 neither alleviated the pathological characteristics nor reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines. All effective strains increased the contents of short-chain fatty acids, which were negatively correlated with the levels of inflammatory cytokines. By performing 16S rRNA gene sequencing, the diversity of gut microbiota in psoriasis-like mice was found to decrease, but all effective strains made some specific changes to the composition of gut microbiota compared to the ineffective strains. Furthermore, except for B. breve CCFM1078, all other effective strains decreased the abundance of the family Rikenellaceae, which was positively correlated with psoriasis-like pathological characteristics and was negatively correlated with propionate levels. These findings demonstrated effects of strain-specificity, and how probiotics ameliorated psoriasis and provide new possibilities for the treatment of psoriasis.     

直立倾斜试验加硝酸甘油含化诊断血管迷走性晕厥的临床研究

目的评价硝酸甘油(NTG)含化加异丙肾上腺素倾斜试验(ITTT)诊断血管迷走性晕厥(VS)的价值.方法将72例VS患者和36例正常对照组随机均分成ITTT和ITTT+NTG组.结果ITTT+NTG组敏感性高于ITTT(93.1%和76%,P＜0.05)有显著性差异.结论ITTT+NTG含化是一种安全、耐受性好、敏感性高,特异性强的诊断VS的方法.     

颅脑损伤合并高渗高血糖非酮症性昏迷的诊治

目的总结颅脑损伤患者合并高渗高血糖非酮症性昏迷的诊治经验.方法回顾分析11例颅脑损伤合并出现高渗、高血糖非酮症性昏迷的诊断及治疗经过.结果6例病人纠正了高渗状态,其中恢复正常生活、工作2例,生活自理3例,长期昏迷1例.死于高渗生休克5例.结论注意防止颅脑损伤所致的高渗高血糖非酮症性昏迷是降低死亡率和病死率的重要环节之一.