Anomalous head posture with early-onset homonymous hemianopia

PURPOSE: We have noted the frequent finding of an ipsilateral head turn in children with early-onset homonymous hemianopia. We report a series of patients with these findings and propose a theory to explain this association. METHODS: Ten patients with early-onset homonymous hemianopia and anomalous head posture were examined. Head computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging confirmed a cerebral lesion as the cause of the hemianopia in all patients. RESULTS: All patients had onset of central nervous system disease prenatally or before age 18 months. A head turn toward the visual field defect with a gaze preference contralateral to the visual field defect was present in all patients. CONCLUSIONS: Early-onset homonymous hemianopia should be included in the differential diagnosis of anomalous head posture.     

THEORIES OF SUICIDAL BEHAVIOR APPLIED TO SYLVIA PLATH

The suicide of Sylvia Plath is examined from the perspective of 15 theories of suicidal behavior and is found to fit best with psychoanalytic and cognitive theories of suicide , in particular those of Aaron Beck , Henry Murray , and Edwin Shneidman .     

Proliferative activity of calcifying odontogenic cysts as evaluated by proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index

The calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) presents with diverse hlstologlcal features; thus, several subclasslfl-cations have been proposed. To evaluate the slgnlficance of the various histological features and subtypes of COC from the perspectlve of proliferative activity, the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) labellng index (LI; the percentage of positive nuclei) was assessed immunohistochemlcally in 25 cases of COC (21 benign and four malignant). All of the benign cases were of the cystic variety and further subclas-sified into non-proliferative subtype (NPS; four cases); proliferative subtype (PS; eight cases); and COC associated with odontoma (COCaO, nlne cases). The PCNA U of the mallgnant COC (65.2 ± 5.6) was slgnlflcantly higher than that of the benlgn COC (11.6 ± 9.0; P = 0.002). Non-proliferative subtype (6.8 ± 2.8) showed the lowest PCNA LI and PS (17.2 ± 11.2) the highest of among the three subtypes of benign cystic COC (P = 0.028). In nine cases of COCaO, six showed epithelial lining of the non-proliferative type as NPS and the other three had lining wlth proliferative features as PS. The PCNA LI of the latter COCaO group (14.3 ± 6.6) was significantly higher than that of the former (6.1 ± 4.3; P = 0.05), as Seen between PS and NPS. These results demonstrate that PCNA LI is a possible parameter for differentiating mallgnant COC from benign COC and, whatever the subtypes, the proliferative features In the lining are the main factor influencing the prollferatlng actlvity of COC.     

Decreases in arterial oxygen saturation in paediatric outpatients during transfer to the postanaesthetic recovery room

Arterial oxygen saturation was measured by pulse oximetry in two groups of paediatric outpatients breathing room air during transport from the operating room to the postanaesthetic recovery room. In Group I (n = 60) readiness for transfer from OR to PARR was decided clinically. In Group II (n = 50) additional criteria of oxygen saturation (SaOe) greater than or equal to 98 per cent with end-tidal gas N2O less than or equal to 10 per cent and CO2 less than or equal to 45 mmHg were met. A higher incidence of desaturation (SaO2 less than or equal to 90 per cent) occurred in Group I (27 per cent) than in Group II (eight per cent) (P less than 0.05). More children under 2 yr desaturated in Group I (50 per cent) than Group II (17 per cent) (P greater than 0.05 less than 0.10). Twenty-two patients in each group had a recent history of upper respiratory tract infections. In these patients, desaturation was more marked in those in Group I (32 per cent) than in Group II (five per cent) (P less than 0.05). Within each group, the incidence of desaturation during transport was similar in patients with or without a recent URI.     

Comparison of salivary calmodulin binding proteins in Sjögren''s syndrome and healthy individuals

Background: Reduction in salivary secretion is the hallmark of Sjögren's syndrome (SS). Calmodulin (CaM) and calmodulin binding proteins (CaMBPs) play a key role in the secretory process of saliva. Recent studies have suggested that SS‐B, an autoantibody associated with SS, is a CaMBP. This finding suggests that CaMBP may contribute to the loss of saliva in SS. To better understand the role(s) of these proteins in SS, the purpose of this study was to compare salivary CaMBPs in Sjögren's patients and controls. Methods: Saliva samples were collected from 20 patients and 20 age‐, race‐, and gender‐matched controls. CaM overlay was used to identify CaMBPs in saliva of patients and controls. Results: Higher number of salivary CaMBPs was observed among patients than controls. Conclusions: The increased number of salivary CaMBPs in SS may suggest a potential role for these proteins in the pathogenesis of the disease.     

Chemotherapy in intracerebrally transplanted tumors induced with transplacental administration of ethylnitrosourea in rats

Summary Four tumors of the spinal cord were induced with ethylnitrosourea in rats by transplacental administration and transplanted into the brains of animals of the same strain. One of these intracerebrally grafted tumor lines (G-XIII) was followed up over the first 10 passages and treated with CCNU and other alkylating drugs. The results were compared with findings in an earlier established line (G-XII) in passage 12 and 59, which in the first instance was sensitive to CCNU. The CCNU application prolonged survival in treated animals in various treatment schedules in the first 10 intracerebrally grafted generations of the tumor up to 59%. Induction times of tumors became increasingly shorter. The susceptibility of early passages was similar in both lines. Its loss in late passages went together with diffuse growth of the tumor and reticulin fiber production. In addition, glial fibrillary acid protein expression and formation of intermediate filaments in perivascular tumor cells was lost.     

Thoracotomy in the acute phase of staphylococcal lung disease

Two cases of staphylococcal lung disease in young infants are described. In each instance a life-threatening bronchopleural fistula in the acute phase was successfully managed by thoracotomy and suture repair. Offprint requests to: A. W. Auldist