Subacute posttraumatic ascending myelopathy (SPAM): A potential complication of subarachnoid shunt for syringomyelia?

Context: Treatment of primary spinal syringomyelia is still controversial. Among others, shunting syrinx fluid to the subarachnoid, peritoneal or pleural space has been utilized with varying success. Shunt obstruction, migration, and infection represent the most common complications of these procedures.

Findings: The authors present the case of an 81-year-old woman who developed an unusual neurological deterioration resembling a subacute posttraumatic ascending myelopathy (SPAM) after the insertion of a syringosubarachnoid shunt for the treatment of slow-growing D10 syringomyelia.

Conclusion/Clinical Relevance: To date, no cases of SPAM secondary to the insertion of a syringosubarachnoid shunt for the treatment of syringomyelia have been reported. The potential pathogenesis related to this phenomenon is discussed.     

Successful treatment of hemorrhagic bullous Henoch‐Schonlein purpura with intravenous immunoglobulins

Henoch‐Schonlein purpura (HSP) is the most common systemic vasculitis in childhood. There is no consensus about the management for isolated cutaneous manifestations in HSP. We describe a case of HSP presenting with severe skin lesions that did not respond to standard therapy with corticosteroids. The 11‐year‐old child was treated with intravenous immunoglobulins, which induced rapid and persistent resolution of symptomatology.     

Psychological characteristics and physiological reactivity to acute stress in mothers of children with autism spectrum disorder

Stress related to parenting a child with autism spectrum disorder can differently affect caregiver's physiological reactivity to acute stress. Here, parental stress levels, psychological characteristics, and coping strategies were assessed alongside measures of heart rate, heart rate variability, and cortisol during a psychosocial stress test in mothers of children with ASD (M‐ASD, n = 15) and mothers of typically developing children (n = 15). M‐ASD reported significantly higher levels of parental stress, anxiety, negative affectivity, social inhibition, and a larger preference for avoidance strategies. M‐ASD showed larger heart rate and cortisol responses to the psychosocial stress test. A positive relationship was found between parental stress levels and the magnitude of the cortisol stress response in both groups. The present findings indicate exaggerated physiological reactivity to acute psychosocial stress in M‐ASD and prompt further research to explore the role of individual differences in mediating the effects of parental stress on physiological stress responses.     

Primary and secondary lymphomas of the brain: an MRI study

Three types of lymphoma of the central nervous system are known: primary non-Hodgkin's malignant lymphoma (NHML), secondary NHML and neurological lesions of Hodgkin's disease. NHML's are rare tumours, often associated with immunodeficiency and presenting predominantly as neuropsychological disorders. In this study 8 patients were explored by CT and MRI, with pathological confirmation. None of our patients had AIDS. The most typical neuroradiological image of this type of tumour is that of a large and intensely contrast-enhanced tumoral mass which is often multifocal and periventricular with infiltration of the subarachnoidal spaces and leptomeninges. Mass effect and perifocal oedema are less pronounced than expected with tumours of that size. NHML's may totally regress under corticosteroid therapy. This tumour of obscure aetiology must be recognized as it is now increasingly frequent.     

An exceptional postoperative gastric tube bleeding after esophageal resection for cancer

A case of gastric tube bleeding after an Ivor-Lewis esophagectomy with gastroesophageal anastomosis is reported. During the early postoperative course, the patient had a gastric tube stasis that improved progressively. The subsequent onset of a serious and intermittent hematemesis, which was endoscopically deemed to be the result of a hemorrhagic gastritis, required multiple blood transfusions. The evolution to a severe hemodynamic instability obliged us to reoperate on the patient. During surgery, a band-related obstruction of the first jejunal loop with local signs of vascular hypertension was noted. As soon as the obstruction was solved, the gastric bleeding stopped. The authors discuss the clinical aspects and physiopathology of the gastric tube bleeding and, in particular, they evaluate the influence of the intestinal obstruction with vascular involvement on the development of this exceptional and severe complication.