Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy of the Thalamus in Essential Tremor Patients

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Although essential tremor (ET) is one of the most common movement disorders, its pathogenesis remains obscure. The ventral intermediate nucleus of the thalamus (VIM nucleus) is suggested to play an important role in the occurrence of disease. In this study, the authors investigated the presence of biochemical or metabolic alterations in the thalamus of patients with ET using magnetic resonance (MR) spectroscopy. METHODS: The study group included 14 patients with ET who suffered from tremor predominantly in their right arm and 9 healthy controls. All patients and controls were right handed. Following conventional cranial MR imaging, single voxel proton MR spectroscopy of the thalamus involving the VIM nuclei was performed bilaterally in both the patients with ET and controls. Metabolite peaks of choline (Cho), creatine (Cr), and Nacetylaspartate (NAA) were obtained from each spectroscopic volume of interest. The right and left thalamic NAA/Cr and Cho/ Cr ratios were compared first within the patient group and then between the control and patient groups. The differences in age and spectroscopic data between groups were assessed using the Mann-Whitney U test, whereas the comparison within groups between left thalamus and right thalamus was done by the Wilcoxon test. RESULTS: In patients with ET, the NAA/Cr ratio of the right thalamus was found to be significantly higher than the NAA/Cr ratio of the left thalamus (P= .02). However, NAA/Cr and Cho/Cr ratios were found to be similar (P> .05) when we compared the control and patient groups for the right thalamus and then the left thalamus. CONCLUSION: These data present preliminary evidence for metabolic alterations of the contralateral thalamus (namely, low NAA/Cr ratio) in ET patients with predominantly involved right arm. However, the series is small and further data are necessary to clear the subject adequately.     

Replantation after extended dry storage of avulsed permanent incisors: report of a case

Abstract –  A 15-year-old boy lost his maxillary right and left central incisor teeth in a bicycle accident. He was referred to our clinic 1 week after the injury. The crown-root integrities of both the teeth were not damaged. Although the teeth were stored under dry conditions for 1 week, reimplantation of the teeth was planned to retain the teeth in the mouth for as long a period as possible because of the patient's age. Following the debridement and sterilization of root surfaces in 2.5% NaOCl, root canals were prepared and filled with calcium hydroxide. Then, about 2 mm of the apexes were resected to ensure that the roots easily seated in the alveolar socket and the prepared cavities in root ends were obturated with the amalgam. The teeth were placed into their respective sockets and splinted temporarily. The root canal therapy was completed 5 weeks later. Ankylosis was observed radiographically after 10 months. The patient is now 23 years old and he is still able to use both the central incisors functionally. However, there is a pink appearance on the cervical buccal surface of left central incisor because of progressive replacement resorption. In this case, the new treatment plan is to perform a permanent restoration with dental implants following the extraction of both teeth. Even though the long-term prognosis is uncertain, this treatment technique has provided an advantage for the patient in his adolescent period by maintaining the height of alveolar bone and making the provision of an aesthetically acceptable permanent restoration at a later age possible.     

A comparison of four disability scales for Turkish patients with neck pain.

OBJECTIVE: The Neck Disability Index, the Northwick Park Pain Questionnaire, the Copenhagen Neck Functional Disability Scale and the Neck Pain and Disability Scale are widely used scales for assessing neck pain or disability. The aim of this study was to determine the most suitable scale for Turkish patients with neck pain. METHODS: All scales were translated into Turkish, administered to 102 patients with neck pain, then compared with regard to their construct validity, reliability, responsiveness, acceptability and usefulness. RESULTS: The scales were similar in their high validity, reliability standards and sensitivity to change, but differed in their acceptability and usefulness. The item about driving in the Neck Disability Index and the Northwick Park Pain Questionnaire was omitted by 69.6% of patients for reasons other than a neck problem. CONCLUSION: All scales were reliable, valid and sensitive instruments, with similar psychometric properties. The scale that most adequately reflects the patient should be chosen.     

Increased bone resorption in the proximal femur in patients with hemiplegia

OBJECTIVES: To investigate the relationship between the proximal femoral bone mineral density and bone resorption markers, determinants of calcium metabolism and vitamin D levels in elderly stroke patients. DESIGN: A total of 80 patients and 20 controls were enrolled in the study. Bone mineral density measurements were obtained at the proximal femur. In all subjects, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, intact parathyroid hormone, osteocalcin, deoxypyridinoline, and ionized calcium concentrations were measured. Barthel Index and Motricity Index Leg Score were recorded all patients. RESULTS: The serum concentrations of deoxypyridinoline, intact parathyroid hormone, and the mean serum ionized calcium levels were significantly higher in patients with stroke than that of the control subjects. The mean serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D and 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D concentrations in patients were significantly lower than those of the control group (P < 0.05). The bone mineral density of proximal femurs of paretic limbs was decreased significantly compared with those of the control group (P < 0.05). There were significant correlations between the Z score of the hemiplegic side and the patients' Barthel Index, Motricity Index Leg Score, 25-hydroxyvitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, calcium, and deoxypyridinoline. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides clear evidence that decreased mobility, vitamin D status, and bone turnover variables in patients after stroke are important factors in the greater bone loss in the paretic leg.     

A rare cause of refractory ascites in a child: familial Mediterranean fever

Familial Mediterranean fever (FMF) is hereditary episodic febrile syndrome characterized by acute attacks of fever and serosal inflammation, generally lasting 1–3 days and resolves spontaneously. Apart from abdominal pain, patients may present with variety of abdominal manifestations such as acute peritonitis, mechanical intestinal obstruction, diarrhea, bowel infarction, amyloidosis and small amounts of peritoneal fluid during the acute attacks. A 6-year-old boy was admitted with massive ascites. After extensive laboratory investigations, no causative agent could be identified. On subsequent days, he developed fever and skin eruptions. Acute-phase reactants were increased. A second tomography revealed cystic fluid collection near the anterior side of spleen that invades the stomach. An exploratory was performed and histopathological examination of the all resected specimens revealed mix inflammatory cell infiltrate associated with severe myofibroblast proliferation suggesting chronic inflammatory process on the mesenteric region. A diagnosis of FMF was suspected based on the clinical, laboratory and histopathological findings, and a trial of colchicine therapy initiated. Ascites and other serosal inflammations improved within 1 week without any recurrence during the next 12-month period on colchicine treatment. Atypical presentations of FMF have been increasingly reported. Pediatricians should keep FMF in mind in the differential diagnosis of massive ascites especially in regions where hereditary inflammatory disease are common.     

A case of primary Sjögren’s syndrome with pulmonary-limited Wegener’s granulomatosis

A 60-year-old woman had a history of dyspnea for 5–6 weeks. The chest radiograph and computed tomography scans revealed bilateral patchy reticulonodular pattern. The patient had positive test results for antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody against proteinase-3 (c-ANCA), antinuclear antibody and anti-Ro antibody. According to European Study Group on Classification Criteria for Sjögren’s Syndrome, the patient was diagnosed as primary Sjögren’s syndrome based on the presence of clinical features, positive findings on Schirmer’s test and parotis scintigraphy. Lung biopsy obtained by wedge resection showed granulomatous inflammation with extensive multinuclear giant cells involving the lung parenchyma and vascular structures. There was neither upper airway nor renal involvement. Thus, the patient was simultaneously diagnosed as pulmonary-limited Wegener’s granulomatosis. With this unique case, we would like to emphasize that the awareness of ANCA-associated vasculitis as a diagnostic possibility in primary Sjögren’s syndrome is important during the work-up of lung lesions.     

Prognostic significance of micropapillary pattern in lung adenocarcinoma and expression of apoptosis-related markers: caspase-3, bcl-2, and p53

We evaluated the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic significance of lung adenocarcinoma with micropapillary pattern (MPP) and analyzed the expression of apoptosis-related markers: caspase-3, bcl-2, and p53. A series of 166 lung adenocarcinoma that had been surgically resected between 2004 and 2009 were reviewed. Histopathologic patterns, presence of tumor necrosis, mitosis, lymphovascular and perineural invasion, the status of pleura, and tumor differentiation were examined. Of the 166 patients; 71 were stage I, 35 stage II, 51 stage III, and nine stage IV. Histologically they were divided into two groups: MPP-positive (n = 55) and MPP-negative (n = 111). The following items were significantly more frequent in the MPP positive group: female gender (p = 0.03), lymph node metastasis (p = 0.031), and pleural invasion (p = 0.045). Age, smoking status, tumor stage, lymphatic invasion, perineural invasion, mitotic count, and survival rates had no statistically significant difference between groups (p > 0.05). In MPP positive tumors, visceral pleural invasion was identified significantly more frequent than in MPP negative tumors, at stage I. Tumors with MPP showed elevated expressions of caspase-3 (94.5%), p53 (60%), and bcl-2 (54.5%). In MPP positive group, the expression of these three markers had no statistically significant impact on survival. In whole population, bcl-2 expression was correlated with a better outcome. We conclude that MPP is associated with poor prognostic factors both in early and late stages in lung adenocarcinoma. Bcl-2 provides prognostic information independent from the MPP.