EEG findings in the persistent vegetative state.

The definition of the persistent vegetative state (PVS) is relatively straightforward, but its diagnosis can be challenging. We reviewed a series of EEG performed in patients with PVS to assess the diagnostic value of EEG. We reviewed records of all hospital patients with a diagnosis of persistent vegetative PVS. EEG findings included normal, continuous generalized slowing, intermittent generalized slowing, background slowing, background suppression, alpha, generalized periodic pattern, PLEDS, and triphasic waves. EEG findings had no association with etiology and varied from one pattern to another in the same patients' EEGs obtained at different times (see table). We conclude that EEG findings in PVS are heterogeneous and too variable to be of diagnostic value.     

处女膜修补手术及麻醉方法的改进

目的；增大处女膜粘膜瓣的接触面，减少因麻醉造成的处女膜粘膜水肿，提高修复手术的成功率。方法：手术全部采用1％的卡因行粘膜表面麻醉。53例采用瓦合粘膜瓣法，3例用瓦合粘膜瓣联合阴道粘膜瓣修复法。结果：56例术后一月随访，53例处女膜孔径为一指，成功率94．64％。结论：采用1％的卡因粘膜表面麻醉，瓦合粘膜瓣法及瓦合粘膜联合阴道粘膜瓣修复法对处女膜修复是行之有效的。     

Chronic encapsulated intracerebral haematoma.

We report a rare chronic encapsulated intracerebral haematoma (CEICH). A 52-year-old man had two seizures. Unenhanced computed tomography scanning of the head revealed a hypodense tumour with clusters of calcification in the left temporal lobe. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain showed a left temporal tumour with a hypointense centre and hyperintense periphery on T(1)-weighted imaging and heterogeneous hypointensity on T(2)-weighted imaging. The tumour was heterogeneously enhanced after gadolinium injection. Craniotomy was carried out and a CEICH in the left temporal lobe was completely excised. No vascular anomaly was found. The tumour was histologically confirmed to be a CEICH. The patient recovered well after the operation. In this report, we describe this rare case and discuss the characteristics of CEICH.     

Significance of Anticardiolipin Antibodies on Short and Long Term Allograft Survival and Function following Kidney Transplantation

The significance of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACAs) prior to renal transplantation is unclear. We studied a cohort of 337 patients who underwent renal transplantation from 1996 to 2001. Follow-up continued until allograft loss, patient death or 31 December 2002. The primary outcome was a composite endpoint of death-censored allograft loss or a 25% reduction in estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR) from 1-month post-transplant. Secondary outcomes were allograft loss, a 25% reduction in GFR, acute rejection and creatinine at 1 year. IgG and IgM ACA titers were positive (> or =15) in 18.1% of recipients. There were no significant differences at baseline between recipients, except coumadin therapy in those with positive ACA titers (20% vs. 7.4%). Post-transplant, there was no increase in the primary outcome in ACA-positive patients, even after adjustment for anticoagulation with coumadin (HR = 1.42 [0.68, 2.96]). There was no difference in secondary outcomes between those with or without positive titers. Two of five patients with very high titers (>50) who were not anticoagulated had early graft loss. A positive ACA titer prior to kidney transplantation was not associated with inferior renal outcomes after transplantation, although more research is required to address the prognostic significance of very high ACA titers.     

Effect of mating behavior on luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone release in female rabbits as monitored with push-pull cannulae

To examine the effect of mating behavior on luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) release, intact New Zealand female rabbits were implanted with push-pull cannulae (PPC) aimed at the tuberal region of the hypothalamus and perfused with modified Krebs-Ringer phosphate medium at 11-13 microliters/min. In the mating experiments, does (n = 10) were initially perfused for a control period of 60-170 min followed by a mating period (100-160 min) which included the introduction of the male rabbit for an average time period of 30 min. Two groups of LHRH release patterns were observed: positive and negative responders. In the positive LHRH responders (n = 5), a clear rapid increase in LHRH release following mounting by the male occurred with a significant increase in the mean LHRH release (1.83 +/- 0.33 to 3.27 +/- 0.80 pg/10 min, p less than 0.040), in the mean LHRH amplitude (1.97 +/- 0.46 to 4.33 +/- 1.29 pg, p less than 0.022) and in the amplitude of the largest LHRH pulse (2.13 +/- 0.43 to 7.58 +/- 3.65 pg, p less than 0.022). In the negative LHRH responders (n = 5), no changes in LHRH release were detected although all rabbits ovulated, with some becoming pregnant. It appears from histological analysis that the difference between these two patterns of responses following mating are due to different cannula placements. In the positive responders, the tip of the PPC was localized in the tuberal region whereas in the negative responders, the placements were more dorsal and, in some cases, anterior.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Laryngeal tuberculosis: a review of 26 cases.

OBJECTIVES: To review the clinical characteristics of laryngeal tuberculosis. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective case series. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Medical records of 26 histopathology-confirmed cases in a tertiary medical center from 1992 to 2006. RESULTS: The female patients were significantly younger than male patients. Hoarseness is the most common symptom (84.6%) because true vocal fold is most commonly involved (80.8%). Infection usually involves unilateral (66.7%) and right-side larynx but multiple subsites of the larynx (57.7%). The appearance of the affected larynx may have mixed features and change before diagnosis. Laryngeal tuberculosis is usually misdiagnosed as laryngeal cancer, especially in patients with malignant signs such as enlarged cervical lymph nodes and vocal fold immobility. Chest film is better than sputum examinations for screening. CONCLUSION: We should be especially alert about TB infection when facing young female patients with unusual laryngeal lesions. Extensive laser excision before diagnosis should be avoided because after antituberculous treatment, prognosis is usually good and vocal fold immobility could be reversible.     

Ureteral obstruction caused by L-asparaginase-induced pancreatitis in a child with acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

L-asparaginase, an effective antileukemia and antilymphoma agent, is toxic to many organ systems. We report a case of ureteral obstruction caused by L-asparaginase via the inflammatory complication of acute pancreatitis. The patient was an 11-year-old boy with acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Six days after completing a 4-week induction therapy containing 9 doses of L-asparaginase, severe left abdominal pain developed. Abdominal computed tomography showed phlegmon formation anterior to the pancreatic head and in the left posterior pararenal space. The strands of inflammatory soft tissues encased the upper third of the left ureter, causing left hydroureter and left hydronephrosis. The ureteral obstruction resolved after insertion of a double-J catheter that remained in place for 66 days. This case suggests that L-asparaginase may play a role in the pathogenesis of ureteral obstruction in children receiving chemotherapy.     

Differential risks of subsequent vascular events for transient ischaemic attack and minor ischaemic stroke.

Using a prospective hospital-based registry, 146 patients with transient ischaemic attack (TIA) were compared with 376 patients with minor first-ever ischaemic stroke with respect to the 3-month risk of subsequent vascular events, in order to clarify the distinctions between the disease entities. All patients were enrolled within 48 h of onset. The risk factor distribution for the two groups was comparable, except that the TIA patients had more previous TIAs. Large artery atherosclerosis (34%) and small vessel occlusion (32%) were the main aetiologies in the TIA group, whereas small vessel occlusion (49%) was the major cause in the stroke group. The 3-month risk of combined endpoints of stroke, myocardial infarction, and vascular death for TIA patients was higher than that for the minor stroke group (15.1% vs. 3.2%; hazard ratio 4.6, 95% confidence interval 2.3-9.3 in multivariate analysis). Large artery atherosclerosis and male sex were the other significant predictors. TIA may demand more urgent management than minor stroke. The fact that aetiology is a predictor, highlights the need for rapid diagnostic tests to establish pathogenesis.     

Analysis of clozapine response and polymorphisms of the dopamine D4 receptor gene (DRD4) in schizophrenic patients

We have examined the hypothesis that a variable number of tandem repeats in the third cytoplasmic loop of the dopamine D4 receptor influences clinical response to clozapine using a sample of 189 schizophrenic patients. Alleles of the 48-bp repeat, which range from two to ten copies in the normal human population, were analysed by the polymerase chain reaction using genomic DNA as template. Association between these alleles and response to clozapine was tested using the difference in pre-and post-treatment GAS scores as a measure of response. We found no statistically significant variation between genotypic groups and response by analysis of variance. We conclude that the variation of the number of 48-bp repeats alone does not determine response to clozapine. Larger studies are underway to determine if there is a more subtle relationship with sequence variation within the repeats or at other polymorphic sites within the gene that may provide evidence for a component of clozapine's action being at D4 receptors. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.