Articulatory function after resection of the tongue and floor of the mouth: palatometric and perceptual evaluation.

Linguapalatal contact patterns and the time course of changes in contacts during utterances of/asa, ata, a sa, aca/ were measured using electropalatography (EPG). The relations between these data and perceptual scores in 17 glossectomized patients after various surgical methods were examined. The linguapalatal contact patterns produced during perceptually less distorted sounds varied with the place and manner of articulation. Patterns having very few contacts or a posterior groove produced more distorted /s/ sounds; however, types of EPG patterns producing less distorted /s/ sounds were relatively frequent. Distortion of the and /c/ sounds was less often produced by variation of the EPG patterns, whereas /t/ sounds were most frequently judged to be highly distorted. Patterns that showed complete constriction along the dental arch or constriction on the anterior portion of the hard palate, as well as rapid release for plosion by the tongue tip, produced less distorted /t/ sounds. The results revealed that glossectomized patients often evidenced defective stop sounds. It was concluded that mobility rather than volume of the residual tongue is required to produce less distorted stops.     

Jejunojejunal Intussusception in a Patient with von Recklinghausen's Disease

Abstract: A 63-year-old female with von Recklinghausen's disease was referred to us because of intermittent periumbilical pain and vomiting. Abdominal ultrasonography showed a segment of the bowel with intussusception in the left ripper quadrant. After intestinal decompression, small-intestinal endoscopy was performed. Endoscopy revealed multiple protruding lesions in the esophagus, stomach, and jejunum, the largest one markedly stenosing the proximal jejunum. We were able to identify a tumor as the lead point preoperatively. Segmental jejunectomy was performed for the resection of the tumor. Pathological studies revealed that the tumor was leiomyosarcoma. Gastrointestinal involvement is well documented in von Recklinghausen 's disease. Thus attention should be paid to gastrointestinal involvement in the management of these patients. The present case had intussusception, a rare complication of von Recklinghausen 's disease. Svnall-intestinal Endoscopy played an essential vole in the diagnosis of gastrointestinal involvement in our patient.     

Chronological changes in brain MRI, SPECT, and EEG in neurosarcoidosis with stroke-like episodes

Abstract  Neurosarcoidosis with recurrent stroke-like episodes has been reported only rarely in the literature. We repeatedly measured brain magnetic resonance images (MRI), SPECT, and electroencephalograms (EEG) in a 32-year-old male patient with this condition. In the acute stage of the episodes, he showed semi-coma followed by severe dysphasia; left-frontal EEG delta wave activities and left-sided hyperperfusion SPECT were noted. Gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) MRI findings were aggravated diffusely in the convalescent stage of the disease rather than in the acute stage. The EEG and SPECT findings were clearly reflective of an early stage of acute encephalomeningitis caused by the neurosarcoidosis, and thus are more useful than MRI for evaluation of the acute inflammatory process in this condition.