Pathology of isolated atrial infarction: case report and review of the literature

Infarction of the cardiac atria occurs more frequently than is commonly considered. Ischemic damage to the atrial myocardium is usually associated with infarction of cardiac ventricles, but isolated infarction of an atrium can occur and may be of clinical significance.

We present an unusual case of an isolated right atrial infarct with an infarction-related endocardial thrombus that mimicked a mass lesion near the inferior vena cava. The presentation and causes of isolated atrial infarction are discussed.     

Hodgkin's disease revealed by a nephrotic syndrome: a case report with literature review

The association between paraneoplasic nephrotic syndrome and Hodgkin's disease is rare. We report a case of Hodgkin's lymphoma in a young female patient with nephrotic syndrome. A 40-year-old woman presented with the clinical symptoms of nephrotic syndrome, kidney biopsy revealed minimal change glomerulonephritis. A treatment with prednisone was started but the response was partial. Twenty-four months after the diagnostic of nephrotic syndrome was made, she presented prolonged fever and weight loss, the physical examination showed cervical lymphadenopathy, which lymph node biopsy revealed Hodgkin lymphoma of the nodular sclerosing type. The patient was treated for Hodgkin disease stage IVB with ABVD regimen, and was in complete remission of both Hodgkin's disease and nephrotic syndrome.     

Collapsing glomerulopathy in Galloway-Mowat syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

The Galloway–Mowat syndrome (GMS) (MIM251300) is described as an autosomal recessive disorder, the gene of which has not yet been identified. We report the case of a boy presenting with an early nephrotic syndrome, microcephaly, seizures, and psychomotor retardation. He died at 3 years and 11 months in a context of end-stage renal function consistent with a GMS. He was the second child of a non-consanguineous marriage. There was no family history of nephrotic syndrome or end-stage renal failure, but his mother had a moderate mental retardation complicated by seizures. He presented dysmorphologic features, including micrognathia and large and floppy ears. Renal biopsy showed a focal segmental glomerulosclerosis with a collapsing glomerulopathy and abundant visceral epithelial cell proliferation. The majority of the glomeruli were sclerotic. We report the first case of GMS associated with a collapsing glomerulopathy.     

Hodgkin s disease with nephrotic syndrome as a complication of ulcerative colitis: case report

We describe a case of a 32-year-old patient with ulcerative colitis complicated by Hodgkin s disease who presented with nephrotic syndrome. The patient had suffered from relapsing ulcerative colitis for 6 years before he developed Hodgkin s lymphoma. He was treated for Hodgkin s disease with 9 cycles of combined chemotherapy (COPP/ABV) and achieved the stabile remission of lymphoma, nephrotic syndrome, and ulcerative colitis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on ulcerative colitis associated with Hodgkin s disease and nephrotic syndrome.     

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome in a child with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome: a case report and review of literature

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRES) is a rare and serious syndrome of central nervous system that can develop in both adults and children. It is characterized by acute onset of headache, confusion, seizures or focal neurological deficits along with radiological findings of white matter abnormalities in the parietal and occipital lobes. In the past ten years, this syndrome has been described mainly in adults, rare in children. Here, we report a case of PRES presenting in a 12-year-old girl with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. Her neurological symptom was rapidly recovered after control of hypertension without discontinuation of cyclosporine A.     

Pharmacokinetics of cyclosporin - a microemulsion in children with idiopathic nephrotic syndrome

OBJECTIVE:

We present a prospective study of a microemulsion of cyclosporin to treat idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in ten children with normal renal function who presented cyclosporin trough levels between 50 and 150 ng/ml and achieved complete remission with cyclosporin. To compare the pharmacokinetic parameters of cyclosporin in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome during remission and relapse of the nephrotic state.

METHOD:

The pharmacokinetic profile of cyclosporin was evaluated with the 12-hour area under the time-concentration curve (auc0-12) using seven time-point samples. This procedure was performed on each patient during remission and relapse with the same cyclosporin dose in mg/kg/day. The 12-hour area under the time-concentration curve was calculated using the trapezoidal rule. All of the pharmacokinetic parameters and the resumed 4-hour area under the time-concentration curve were correlated with the 12-hour area under the time-concentration curve. ClinicalTrials.gov: {"type":"clinical-trial","attrs":{"text":"NCT01616446","term_id":"NCT01616446"}}NCT01616446.

RESULTS:

There were no significant differences in any parameters of the pharmacokinetic of cyclosporin during remission and relapse, even when the data were normalized by dose. The best correlation with the 12-hour area under the time-concentration curve was the 4-hour area under the time-concentration curve on remission and relapse of the disease, followed by the 2-hour level after cyclosporin (c2) dosing in both disease states.

CONCLUSIONS:

These data indicate that the same parameters used for cyclosporin therapeutic monitoring estimated during the nephrotic state can also be used during remission. Larger controlled studies are needed to confirm these findings.     

Amnesic syndrome in a mammillothalamic tract infarction

It is controversial whether isolated lesions of mammillothalamic tract (MTT) produce significant amnesia. Since the MTT is small and adjacent to several important structures for memory, amnesia associated with isolated MTT infarction has been rarely reported. We report a patient who developed amnesia following an infarction of the left MTT that spared adjacent memory-related structures including the anterior thalamic nucleus. The patient s memory deficit was characterized by a severe anterograde encoding deficit and retrograde amnesia with a temporal gradient. In contrast, he did not show either frontal executive dysfunction or personality change that is frequently recognized in the anterior or medial thalamic lesion. We postulate that an amnesic syndrome can develop following discrete lesions of the MTT.     

Penta X syndrome: a case report with review of the literature

We describe a 6 month-old girl with a 49, XX-XXX chromosome constitution. The patient had a characteristic round face, a low hairline, hypertelorism, epicanthus, a long philtrum, high-arched palate, short and webbed neck, small hands and feet, clinodactyly of the fifth fingers, overlapping toes, and separation between the first and the second toes. She also had atrial septal defect and patent ductus arteriosus complicated by myocarditis which exacerbated the course of her congestive heart failure. Psychomotor development was retarded with opisthotonoid posture, axial hypotonia, and with a borderline abnormal EEG. A densitometric, transmission analysis on X-linked polymorphic DNA-fragments of the Southern blots of the patient and the parents, using P20/MspI and pERT87-1/XmnI as probe/enzyme combinations, showed that the pentasomy X had resulted from 3 successive nondisjunctions at maternal meiosis. Clinical manifestations among 22 previously reported penta X syndrome patients are also reviewed.     

Cerebral infarction in IgG multiple myeloma with hyperviscosity

Cerebral infarction is an uncommon complication in multiple myeloma with hyperviscosity. Serum hyperviscosity may cause a variety of clinical manifestations including bleeding from mucosal membranes, congestive heart failure, retinopathy, and various neurologic deficits. These manifestations have been attributed to the presence of large quantities of asymmetrical molecules of high molecular weight in the serum. We recently experienced a case of multiple myeloma with acute cerebral infarction, which caused by hyperviscosity, as an initial manifestation in IgG multiple myeloma, and reviewed the relevant literature of myeloma presenting with the stroke. A 68-yr-old woman abruptly developed hypesthesia and monoplegia in the left leg. The stroke confirmed by the brain MRI and MR angiography, which revealed acute infarction at the right anterior cerebral artery territory. On admission, routine blood tests showed a slight decrease in hemoglobin and a marked increase in erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Peripheral blood smear, serum protein electrophoresis, serum visocity, and bone marrow aspiration showed that she had IgG multiple myeloma with hyperviscosity. She was treated by chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide and discharged with the improved clinical condition.     

Kartagener综合征一例并文献复习

目的探讨Kartagener综合征的临床特点、诊断标准,以提高对Kartagener综合征认识。方法 Kartagener综合征1例。患儿,女,10岁余。因反复咳嗽1年,咯血4次入院。回顾性分析该患儿临床资料,检索国内外文献,进行总结分析。结果患儿隐匿起病,主要表现为反复咳嗽,咳脓痰,伴咯血。CT示双肺支扩伴感染,全内脏反位,鼻窦炎。经抗感染对症治疗1周后,临床症状消失出院。检索国内外文献发现,Kartagener综合征以全内脏反位,支气管扩张,副鼻窦炎三联征为诊断标准。治疗以对症治疗为主。结论 Kartagener综合征是一种罕见的常染色体隐性遗传病,加强对该病的认识,有利于提高对该病的诊断率,减少误诊率。对该病的致病基因、机制的进一步研究,可能提供更好的诊断和治疗方法。     

Impact of the metabolic syndrome on the clinical outcome of patients with acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction

We sought to determine the prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MS) in patients with acute myocardial infarction and its effect on clinical outcomes. Employing data from the Korea Acute Myocardial Infarction Registry, a total of 1,990 patients suffered from acute ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) between November 2005 and December 2006 were categorized according to the National Cholesterol Education Program-Adult Treatment Panel III criteria of MS. Primary study outcomes included major adverse cardiac events (MACE) during one-year follow-up. Patients were grouped based on existence of MS: group I: MS (n=1,182, 777 men, 62.8±12.3 yr); group II: Non-MS (n=808, 675 men, 64.2±13.1 yr). Group I showed lower left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (P=0.005). There were no differences between two groups in the coronary angiographic findings except for multivessel involvement (P=0.01). The incidence of in-hospital death was higher in group I than in group II (P=0.047), but the rates of composite MACE during one-year clinical follow-up showed no significant differences. Multivariate analysis showed that low LVEF, old age, MS, low high density lipoprotein cholesterol and multivessel involvement were associated with high in-hospital death rate. In conclusion, MS is an important predictor for in-hospital death in patients with STEMI.     

新生儿弥漫性系膜硬化型先天性肾病综合征一例报告并文献复习

目的报道一例新生儿弥漫性系膜硬化型先天性肾病综合征,以提高对该病的认识。方法收集一例于2010年10月在中山大学附属第一医院儿科住院确诊为先天性肾病综合征弥漫性系膜硬化型的患儿临床资料,并复习文献,总结弥漫性系膜硬化型先天性肾病综合征的病因、临床表现、病理特点及预后。结果患儿生后即有水肿、大量蛋白尿等肾病综合征表现,并很快出现肾功能不全,进展至肾功能衰竭,肾活检病理符合弥漫性系膜硬化型,2个多月后死亡。结论先天性肾病综合征弥漫性系膜硬化型的临床表现为出生时或幼儿期内出现肾病综合征的特征,起病时可已有肾功能不全,进行性肾功能减退,确诊须肾穿病理,本病预后差,目前无特殊治疗。     

Stiff-person syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

We report a case of stiff-person syndrome associated with several autoimmune diseases. A 49-year-old male with type 1 diabetes presented with a 6-month history of muscle rigidity and spasms of his upper and lower extremities. Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 antibody was elevated at 609 nmol/L. Electromyography revealed continuous motor unit activity in agonist and antagonist muscles. He responded favorably to diazepam, baclofen, and intravenous immunoglobulin infusions. This case report describes stiff-person syndrome in association with pernicious anemia and diabetes mellitus. A review of the literature discusses the diagnosis and treatment of this rare entity.     

Acute aortic thrombosis associated with spinal cord infarction in nephrotic syndrome

Summary Acute aortic thrombosis associated with spinal cord infarction in a 47-year-old man with nephrotic syndrome is described. He was admitted to our hospital presenting with the nephrotic syndrome. Renal biopsy revealed mild mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. The urinary protein excretion rate transiently decreased after the start of treatment with prednisolone, but it increased again and was followed by the development of the signs and symptoms of spinal cord infarction, which was diagnosed by magnetic resonance signal abnormalities, and then symptoms of ischemia in the lower limbs. Digital subtraction angiography revealed an obstruction at the bifurcation of the abdominal aorta. Emergency thrombectomy was performed, and the arterial blood flow was reestablished. Laboratory data on the fibrinocoagulation system showed a hypercoagulable state. In this case, fibrinocoagulation abnormalities due to the nephrotic syndrome led to the hypercoagulable state, and dehydration might have triggered the thrombotic complication.Abbreviations TAT thrombin-antithrombin III complex - SFMC soluble fibrin monomeric complex - FDP fibrin degradation products - PIC plasma-₂ plasmin inhibitor complex - HD hemodialysis - MRI magnetic resonance imaging     

Recombinant Down syndrome: a case report and literature review

We report a case of a child with features of Down syndrome (DS) but with an atypical karyotype. Initial chromosome analysis was 46,XX,dup(21q).ish 21(wcp21+). The father's chromosomes were normal. However, the mother was found to have mosaicism for a pericentric inversion of chromosome 21 (19/30 cells). The revised chromosome result of the child was 46,XX,rec(21)dup(21q)inv(21)(p12q21.1)mat. A literature review of similar cases (hereafter referred to as rec dup(21q)) was conducted to aid counselling about recurrence risks and the prognosis for this child. All previous reports of rec dup(21q) were secondary to a maternal pericentric inversion. Male carriers did not seem to be at risk of having offspring with the rec dup(21q), although the number of male carriers was limited. In those with rec dup(21q), the risk of congenital heart disease was similar to that of trisomy 21. In reported cases, the facial appearance was suggestive of Down syndrome but perhaps less striking. Although the data are limited, there is an indication the developmental disabilities and short stature are milder in those with rec dup(21q) compared to trisomy 21. These observations promote the concept that the region of chromosome 21 proximal to the duplication contains genetic information contributing to the expression of some features of Down syndrome.     

Familial Prader-Willi syndrome: case report and a literature review

Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a neurobehavioural disorder arising through a number of different genetic mechanisms. All involve loss of paternal gene expression from chromosome 15q11q13. Although the majority of cases of PWS are sporadic, precise elucidation of the causative genetic mechanism is essential for accurate genetic counselling as the recurrence risk varies according to the mechanism involved. A pair of siblings affected by PWS is described. Neither demonstrates a microscopically visible deletion in 15q11q13 or maternal disomy. Methylation studies at D15S63 and at the SNRPN locus confirm the diagnosis of PWS. Molecular studies reveal biparental inheritance in both siblings with the exception of D15S128 and D15S63 where no paternal contribution is present indicating a deletion of the imprinting centre. Family studies indicate that the father of the siblings carries the deletion which, he has inherited from his mother. The recurrence risk for PWS in his offspring is 50%.     

急性脑出血与急性脑梗塞患者血液流变学改变及其临床意义

观察36例脑出血及38例脑梗塞患者血液流变学的改变与50名正常人对照,结果两组患者的10项血液流变学指标均明显高于对照组(P相似文献   

Hermansky-pudlak syndrome: report of a case and review of the literature

Hermansky-Pudlak syndrome is a rare autosomal recessive disorder characterized by excessive bleeding post surgery. Here we reported such a case and reviewed the clinicopathological features and our current understanding of this rare congenital disorder.