Risperidone versus haloperidol in children and adolescents with AD

Objective The aim of the study was to compare safety, efficacy and tolerability of risperidone with haloperidol in the treatment of Autistic Disorder (AD). Method This study was designed as a double-blind, prospective, for a 12-week period. A total of 30 subjects, between the ages of 8 and 18 with AD based on DSM IV criteria, were included in the study. Behavioral Rating Scales were performed by the investigators and the parents. Safety assessment included vital signs, electrocardiogram, electroencephalogram, adverse events, laboratory tests, extrapyramidal symptoms and the side effects. Both treatments were applied in a once daily dosage regimen of 0.01–0.08 mg/kg/day. Results The reduction from baseline in Ritvo–Freeman Real Life Rating Scale (RF-RLRS), sensory motor (subscale I) and language (subscale V) scores were significant in risperidone group (P < 0.05). Compared to haloperidol, risperidone led to a significantly greater reduction in the Aberrant Behavior Checklist (ABC) and Turgay DSM-IV Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) scale scores (P < 0.05 and P < 0.01). There was a greater increase of prolactin in the risperidone group, while alanine amino transferase (ALT) had further increased in the haloperidol group. Sensory motor behaviors (subscale I) and language at the end of the 12th week, RF-RLRS sensory motor and language subscale scores decreased in the risperidone group further than the other group (P < 0.05). Conclusions Risperidone was found to be more effective than haloperidol in the treatment of behavioral symptoms, impulsivity, language skills, and impaired social relations in children with AD. These results demonstrated that both drugs were safe and well tolerated in the treatment of AD.     

Chronic bilateral hearing loss in an immunocompetent patient: An atypical course of tuberculous meningitis

Congenital, infectious, toxic, and demyelinating disorders are common etiological causes of deafness. Tuberculous meningitis, as one of the infectious causes, should be considered in the differential diagnosis since tuberculosis represents an endemic public health problem in developing countries. Multiple cranial nerve palsies can be expected due to basal meningitis; however, presentation with bilateral hearing loss is quite rare. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to prevent mortality and residual neurologic deficits. The focus of this discussion is a 42-year-old female presenting with bilateral hearing loss and nonspecific complaints who was finally diagnosed with chronic tuberculous meningitis. We also demonstrate the characteristic radiological and histopathological findings.Congenital, infectious, toxic, vascular, tumoral, and demyelinating disorders are common etiologic factors that can result in deafness. Acoustic trauma, endolymphatic hydrops, and senility are relatively rare causes that should also be taken into account. Bilateral hearing loss is an unusual clinical presentation, resulting from any one of these conditions. Among the infectious causes, tuberculosis still represents an endemic public health problem in developing countries and tuberculous meningitis, which is the most common form of CNS involvement, accounts for 1-2% of these cases.1 Sufferers generally describe constitutional symptoms including fever and night sweats or various complaints arising from basal meningitis like headache, nausea, and/or vomiting; however, presentation with bilateral hearing loss is quite rare. The objective of this case presentation is to include tuberculous meningitis in the differential diagnosis of progressive bilateral hearing loss, and emphasize the importance of early diagnosis and treatment to prevent morbidity and mortality.     

Eosinophilic cellulitis presented with semicircular pattern

Eosinophilic cellulitis (Wells' syndrome) is a rare condition of unknown etiology and pathogenesis. It is characterized by erythematous plaques and a histological picture of dermal eosinophilic infiltration with "flame figures". The typical clinical presentation of eosinophilic cellulitis is mildly pruritic cellulite-like plaques. Urticarial, vesiculo-bullous, nodular and papulonodular variants were also reported. Herein, we describe a patient with annular and semicircular manifestations of eosinophilic cellulitis. It was treated successfully with low-dose cyclosporine A treatment.     

A large left ventricular calcification presenting with ventricular tachycardia

To the editor:A-51-year old male with no relevant medical history was admitted to our department due to palpitation lasting for a few months.Duration of tachycardia was 1-2 minutes and resulting with presyncope.Physical examination and laboratory tests were normal,blood pressure measured as 115/60 mmHg (1mmHg=0.133 kPa) and the heart rate was 85 beats per minute.     

A prospective randomized controlled trial assessing the efficacy of adjunctive hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of hidradenitis suppurativa

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) appears to enhance wound healing, increase bactericidal activity, and act synergistically with a number of antibiotics. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of HBOT as an adjunctive therapy in patients with hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) treated with a combination of systemic rifampicin and clindamycin. The study was a prospective, single‐center, single‐dose, open‐label, randomized controlled clinical study of HBOT in patients with moderate to severe HS. Efficacy was measured by modified Sartorius score (SS), HS Severity Index (HSSI), Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI), and a visual analog scale (VAS) before treatment and after the completion of 4 and 10 weeks of treatment. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C‐reactive protein (CRP) levels were also measured. Forty‐three patients were enrolled in the study. More patients in the HBOT than in the control group showed a decrease of ≥50% from baseline parameters at week 10 for SS (100%), HSSI (100%), DLQI (95.5%), VAS (100%), ESR (100%), and CRP (72.7%). Clinically and statistically significant improvements from baseline were observed at 4 and 10 weeks in HSSI (P = 0.009 at both), SS (P = 0.021 at both), and DLQI (P = 0.044 at week 4, P = 0.009 at week 10). Adjunctive HBOT was considered to be effective in significantly improving antibiotic treatment of HS. The treatment was well tolerated, and no unexpected safety issues were identified.     

Primary epithelioid sarcoma of the dura: case report

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Epithelioid sarcomas are rare mesenchymal neoplasms that occur most often in the extremities of young adults. Despite isolated reports of epithelioid sarcomas arising in the head and neck region, these lesions have not been described previously, to our knowledge, in the central nervous system. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: We present the case of an 18-year-old woman with a unique dural sarcoma that arose in the right frontotemporal region. As visualized on magnetic resonance imaging studies, the 4.5-cm tumor focally traversed the cranium to penetrate the galea, the temporal muscle, and subcutaneous tissue. No brain invasion was noted. INTERVENTION: Despite gross total removal and postoperative radiotherapy (59 Gy), a large recurrence was noted 5 months after surgery. Histologically, the partly necrotic tumor consisted of epithelioid and spindle cells showing widespread vimentin and variable cytokeratin as well as epithelial membrane antigen immunoreactivity. Ultrastructurally, the cohesive cells featured various organelles, intermediate filaments, junctions, and filopodia-containing intercellular spaces. CONCLUSION: With the inclusion of epithelioid sarcoma, the spectrum of central nervous system sarcomas continues to expand.     

Synthesis and microbiological activity of some novel N-[2-(p-substitutedphenyl)-5-benzoxazolyl]-cyclohexyl carboxamide, -cyclohexyl acetamide and -cyclohexyl propionamide derivatives

The synthesis and microbiological activity of a new series of N-[2-(p-substitutedphenyl)-5-benzoxazolyl]-cyclohexyl carboxamide, -cyclohexyl acetamide and -cyclohexyl propionamide derivatives (4-11) is described. The in vitro microbiological activity of the compounds was determined against gram-positive, gram-negative bacteria and the yeast Candida albicans in comparison with standard drugs. Microbiological results indicated that the synthesized compounds possessed a broad spectrum of activity against the tested microorganisms.