Denervation pattern of three mimic muscles in Bell's palsy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore the presence and grade of denervation in three mimic muscles in facial nerve palsy. METHODS: The frontalis, orbicularis oculi (OO), and mentalis muscles were explored in 54 patients with Bell's palsy, after 30 days from the beginning of symptoms. Concentric needle electromyography, including fibrillation detection, was performed in the three muscles on the affected side. Compound muscle action potentials (CMAP) were recorded on both sides and a CMAP ratio was calculated from each muscle. The House-Brackman scale was used to assess the initial clinical evaluation and the follow-up until recovery. RESULTS: Fibrillation was recorded in 32 patients on the 30th day after the onset and was present in 100% of mentalis and in 90% of frontalis, but in only 34% of OO, a statistically significant difference. The grade of fibrillation in OO was also statistically lower from those in the other two muscles. The 32 patients were grouped according to the presence (A) or not (B) of fibrillation in OO. In group A, CMAP ratios (affected/normal side) did not differ significantly among the three muscles. However, in group B they were significantly greater in OO and frontalis than in mentalis. In between-group comparison, group B muscles had significantly higher CMAP ratios, lower degree of fibrillation, and better functional recovery. CONCLUSION: In facial palsy, the presence and grade of fibrillation in OO are lower than in frontalis and mentalis muscles and prognosis is more favorable for the non-fibrillating OO group of patients.     

A rapid and reliable procedure to localize subdural electrodes in presurgical evaluation of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate a novel method for localization of subdural electrodes in presurgical assessment of patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. METHODS: We studied eight consecutive patients with posterior epilepsy in whom subdural electrodes were implanted for presurgical evaluation. Electrodes were detected on post-implantation brain CT scans through a semiautomated procedure based on a MATLAB routine. Then, post-implantation CT scans were fused with pre-implantation MRI to localize the electrodes in relation to the underlying cortical structures. The reliability of this procedure was tested by comparing 3D-rendered MR images of the electrodes with electrode position as determined by intraoperative digital photography. RESULTS: In each patient, all electrodes could be correctly localized and visualized in a stereotactic space, thus allowing optimal surgery planning. The agreement between the procedure-generated images and the digital photographs was good according to two independent raters. The mean mismatch between the 3D images and the photographs was 2 mm. CONCLUSIONS: While our findings need confirmation on larger samples including patients with anterior epilepsy, this procedure allowed to localize subdural electrodes and to establish the spatial relationship of each electrode to the underlying brain structure, either normal or damaged, on brain convessity, basal and medial cortex. SIGNIFICANCE: Being simple, rapid, unexpensive, and reliable, this procedure holds promise to be useful to optimize epilepsy surgery planning.     

多巴胺或多巴胺复合去甲肾上腺素对肝移植术中患者血液动力学、氧代谢及肾功能的影响

目的评价原位肝脏移植术(OLT)中持续输注多巴胺或多巴胺复合去甲肾上腺素对血液动力学、组织氧代谢和肾功能的影响。方法拟行OLT的患者30例,ASAⅢ或Ⅳ级,随机分为2组 (n=15)。A组:术中持续输注多巴胺,初始输注速率为1-3μg·kg-1·min-1;B组:术中持续输注多巴胺复合去甲肾上腺素,初始输注速率分别为1-3μg·kg-1·min-1和0．03μg·kg-1·min-1,多巴胺输注速率不超过5μg·kg-1·min-1;术中两组均调节输注速率维持MAP 60-80 mm Hg。分别于切皮前即刻、切肝期1 h、无肝期1 h、新肝期1h和术毕测定血液动力学、组织代谢和肾功能指标。结果两组HR、 MAP均维持较平稳。无肝期两组CVP、MPAP、PAWP、CO、CI、DO2、VO2降低(P<0．05);SVR和SVRI升高(P<0．05),但均在正常范围内。术中PVR、PVRI、pH及SvO2均较平稳。乳酸浓度增高并持续到术毕。两组术中Cr和BUN均在正常范围,B组总尿量高于A组(P相似文献