Image-guided stereotactic management of non-AIDS-related cerebral infection.

Every neurosurgeon can appreciate Dandy's recognition that the drainage of brain abscesses causes trauma to the delicate parenchyma. Over the years, brain surgery has evolved toward management of problems by using less and less invasive techniques and thus gaining ever lower morbidity. Clearly, the advent of better imaging techniques has improved the outcome in patients afflicted with intracerebral infections. The combination of stereotaxy with these imaging techniques is contributing a "zero mortality" in the treatment of these infections. In our series of 29 consecutive patients with non-AIDS-related infections, no patient died as a direct result of a stereotactic surgical procedure. Two patients (7%) had new neurologic deficits after surgery. The only patient left with a permanent disability had a kidney allograft and subacute bacterial endocarditis. His condition deteriorated 6 hours after aspiration of a sterile abscess, when an intra-abscess hematoma was diagnosed and evacuated. In retrospect, this complication may have been avoided by less vigorous aspiration. Three of the four patients with nonviral infections who died were iatrogenically immunosuppressed for their organ transplants. These patients are difficult to treat, and given the current popularity of transplantation procedures, neurosurgeons will face more and more opportunistic infections. In general, the patients with abscesses did well. On the other hand, nonoperative mortality was extremely high for patients with viral encephalitides. This high mortality may have resulted from a delay in diagnosis and treatment or from the unavailability of highly effective antiviral agents at the time the biopsies were performed. The importance of early diagnosis and treatment of infection cannot be overemphasized. T.H. Flewett's warning about the management of HSE applies to the management of all cerebral infections: "It seems clear from everybody's published results [in the papers already given] if we wait to do biopsy until the clinical indications are unmistakable, we have waited so long that the patient, if he survives, will be left a severe neurological cripple." Because it is relatively noninvasive, stereotactic neurosurgery has been used increasingly to diagnose brain masses in patients with AIDS. We recommend its use for establishing diagnoses in all suspected cases of cerebral infection. We agree with Rosenblum et al: Empiric treatment of brain infections should be regarded as "radical." Such treatment should be reserved for patients who have an identifiable source of infection and causative organism or for patients who are clinically too unstable to undergo surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)     

Meningoencephalitis and brain abscess due to a free-living amoeba

A 47-year-old diabetic woman developed fatal meningoencephalitis due to a free-living amoeba. The responsible organism appeared to be neither Naegleria nor Acanthamoeba-Hartmannella. Both acute and chronic (granulomatous) inflammatory reactions of the brain were present, and both cysts and trophozoite forms were readily visualized. The latest classification and methods of identification of such amoebae are reviewed and their threat to public health underscored. It should be realized that a variety of free-living amoebae exist in nature, which potentially can produce meningoencephalitis in humans, and that none of these organisms should be labeled or considered as "avirulent" or "nonpathogenic" until proved otherwise.     

Twelve years and counting: California's experience with a statewide Healthy Cities and Community program

California Healthy Cities and Communities is the longest running statewide program of its kind in the nation. After providing a brief history the authors give an overview of the supporting activities and resources the Program provides to Healthy Cities and Communities initiatives throughout California.     

The influence of infection on titres of antiglobulin antibodies

The influence of acute and chronic infection and hypergammaglobulinaemia on the titres of anti-globulin antibodies was studied in 128 patients. Very high titres of serum agglutinators were found to be associated with gram positive septicaemia. This infection had no influence on the titres of rheumatoid factors. Elevated titres of serum agglutinators may be helpful in differentiating `benign' from `malignant' gammopathy.     

The effects of depowered airbags on eye injuries in frontal automobile crashes

The purpose of this study was to investigate eye injuries resulting from frontal automobile crashes and to determine the effects of depowered airbags. The National Automotive Sampling System database files from 1993 to 2000 were examined in a 3-part investigation of 22 236 individual crashes. Of the 2 103 308 occupants exposed to a full powered deployment, 3.7% sustained an eye injury compared to 1.7% of the 310 039 occupants exposed to a depowered airbag deployment. Occupants were at a significantly higher risk to sustain an airbag-induced eye injury when exposed to a full powered airbag compared with occupants exposed to a depowered airbag deployment ( P = .04). Approximately, 90% of the eye injuries in full powered airbag deployments were caused by the airbag, compared to only 35% of the depowered airbag eye injuries.