1/309. Long-term follow-up of relapsed acute leukemia treated with immunotherapy after allogeneic transplantation: the inseparability of graft-versus-host disease and graft-versus-leukemia, and the problem of extramedullary relapse.Long-term outcome of 23 acute myeloid (AML, n=16) or lymphoblastic (ALL, n=7) leukemia patients who had received immunotherapy for treatment of persistent or recurrent disease 1.5-26 (median 4) months after allogeneic transplantation was studied to determine eventual survival. Immune manipulation comprised donor leukocyte infusion (n=18), interferon-alpha2b and/or interleukin-2 (n=15), and cyclosporine withdrawal (n=11) in various combinations. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) developed in 12 patients. Thirteen of 20 evaluable patients responded; 6 relapsing again. Eight patients died of toxicity, and 10 of progressive disease at 3-206 weeks (median 11). Five patients (3 AML, 2 ALL) are alive in remission with GVHD 2-46 months (median 23) after immunotherapy with Karnofsky scores of 70-100% (median 80). The overall survival of the whole group is 1-206 weeks (median 12), with an actuarial survival of 22% at 2 years. The development of GVHD was associated with superior survival in multivariate analysis (P=.007). Seven patients received immunosuppression because of the severity of GVHD (grade III/IV acute or extensive chronic): 3 died of GVHD, 3 improved but relapsed concomitantly, and 1 is alive in remission with extensive chronic GVHD. Four episodes of extramedullary relapse (granulocytic sarcomas) were seen in 3 patients with AML whose marrow remained in remission. We conclude that GVHD appears to be inseparable from graft-versus-leukemia in relapsed acute leukemia patients undergoing immunotherapy with a high proportion of patients dying due to toxicity or progressive disease, and isolated extramedullary relapse seems to be unusually common.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/309. Carotid endarterectomy and intracranial thrombolysis: simultaneous and staged procedures in ischemic stroke.PURPOSE: The feasibility and safety of combining carotid surgery and thrombolysis for occlusions of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and the middle cerebral artery (MCA), either as a simultaneous or as a staged procedure in acute ischemic strokes, was studied. methods: A nonrandomized clinical pilot study, which included patients who had severe hemispheric carotid-related ischemic strokes and acute occlusions of the MCA, was performed between January 1994 and January 1998. Exclusion criteria were cerebral coma and major infarction established by means of cerebral computed tomography scan. Clinical outcome was assessed with the modified Rankin scale. RESULTS: Carotid reconstruction and thrombolysis was performed in 14 of 845 patients (1.7%). The ICA was occluded in 11 patients; occlusions of the MCA (mainstem/major branches/distal branch) or the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) were found in 14 patients. In three of the 14 patients, thrombolysis was performed first, followed by carotid enarterectomy (CEA) after clinical improvement (6 to 21 days). In 11 of 14 patients, 0.15 to 1 mIU urokinase was administered intraoperatively, ie, emergency CEA for acute ischemic stroke (n = 5) or surgical reexploration after elective CEA complicated by perioperative intracerebral embolism (n = 6). Thirteen of 14 intracranial embolic occlusions and 10 of 11 ICA occlusions were recanalized successfully (confirmed with angiography or transcranial Doppler studies). Four patients recovered completely (Rankin 0), six patients sustained a minor stroke (Rankin 2/3), two patients had a major stroke (Rankin 4/5), and two patients died. In one patient, hemorrhagic transformation of an ischemic infarction was detectable postoperatively. CONCLUSION: Combining carotid surgery with thrombolysis (simultaneous or staged procedure) offers a new therapeutic approach in the emergency management of an acute carotid-related stroke. Its efficacy should be evaluated in interdisciplinary studies.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/309. Successful treatment of traumatic acute posterior fossa subdural hematoma: report of two cases.BACKGROUND: Acute traumatic subdural hematoma of the posterior cranial fossa after a closed-head injury, excluding those in newborns, is a very rare clinical event. Generally, the outcome is poor and the overall mortality rate is high. methods: Acute posttraumatic subdural hematomas of the posterior fossa associated with acute hydrocephalus in two patients were removed by standard suboccipital approach. Preoperatively, one patient was in a coma and the Glasgow Coma Score was 9 in another. CT scans showed obliterated mesencephalic cisterns in both cases. In the former there was a complex posterior fossa lesion, i.e., combined subdural and intracerebellar hematoma. The surgical decompression was completed 3 and 11 hours after injury, respectively. Intraoperative tapping of the lateral ventricle through a burr hole in the occipital area was performed in the latter case. RESULTS: Both patients survived; one made a good recovery, (i.e., glasgow outcome scale 4 in a patient who was comatose on admission), the other did not do as well (GOS 3). CONCLUSIONS: Our experience justifies the policy of mandatory early operation in cases of traumatic acute subdural hematoma of the posterior fossa associated with poor neurologic condition, even in patients of advanced age. In patients with obliterated mesencephalic cisterns and/or complex posterior fossa lesions the same approach must be followed. These clinical and CT features are not necessarily predictors of a poor outcome.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/309. listeria monocytogenes-induced endogenous endophthalmitis in an otherwise healthy individual: rapid PCR-diagnosis as the basis for effective treatment.PURPOSE: listeria monocytogenes is a rare cause of endogenous endophthalmitis. To date 15 cases have been published in the literature. All eyes showed similar clinical features and profound visual loss mainly due to delayed diagnosis. methods: An additional case of an otherwise healthy 73 year-old male, who was referred to our hospital because of acute iridocyclitis with secondary glaucoma, is reported. Within a few days the severity of the intraocular infection increased dramatically, resulting in the clinical picture of acute endophthalmitis. RESULTS: In contrast to most published cases, early identification of the causative pathogen in the aqueous humor after anterior chamber puncture using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and the initiation of a specific, systemic antibiotic medication, resulted in-complete recovery of visual acuity. CONCLUSIONS: PCR is very useful for the identification of the pathogen in intraocular infections.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/309. Cervical epidural rhabdomyosarcoma with a leukemia-like presentation in an aged patient--case report.A 77-year-old female presented with rhabdomyosarcoma manifesting as leukemia-like indications. Neuroimagings detected cervical and paravertebral masses. Immunohistochemical study of the surgically excised mass lesion from the cervical spine established the correct diagnosis. This leukemia-like presentation of rhabdomyosarcoma requires a multidisciplinary approach to establish the correct diagnosis and treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/309. Acute angle closure glaucoma precipitated by intranasal application of cocaine.We describe a patient who developed acute angle-closure glaucoma following the application of topical intranasal cocaine. A 46-year-old woman underwent an elective antral washout under general anaesthesia and with local application of 25 per cent cocaine paste to the nasal mucosa. Twenty-four hours post-operatively the patient developed sudden painful blindness which was found to be due to acute glaucoma. cocaine with its indirect sympathomimetic activity causes mydriasis, that can precipitate acute angle-closure glaucoma in predisposed individuals with a shallow anterior chamber. Although the incidence is rare, otolaryngologists need to be aware of this potential complication.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 7keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/309. Management of severe and complicated malaria in the intensive care unit.malaria remains today one of the major health problems in the tropics with increased morbidity and mortality. The most serious complications are caused by plasmodium falciparum, which, in contrast to the benign malarias, may progress to a life-threatening multi-system disease. Our case concerns a young woman in the 14th week of pregnancy, admitted to the ICU in a coma, with pulmonary oedema, haemolytic anaemia, renal failure and thrombocytopenia as complications of P. falciparum malaria. The case is discussed and possible explanations for the clinical picture and complications of P. falciparum malaria are given in the light of experiences from the literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/309. Acute isoniazid intoxication: seizures, acidosis and coma.isoniazid (INH) is the most widely used of the antituberculosis drugs. An acute overdose is potentially fatal and is characterized by the clinical triad of repetitive seizures unresponsive to the usual anticonvulsants, metabolic acidosis with a high anion gap and coma. The diagnosis of INH overdose should be considered in any patient who presents with an unexplained metabolic acidosis and convulsions. The cornerstone of therapy consists in pyridoxine (vitamin B6) and the dose should be equal to the amount of INH ingested. When conservative therapy fails or in case of renal insufficiency, dialysis must be considered. Severe central nervous toxicity can also be caused by chronic ingestion of higher than therapeutic doses of INH. In those cases pyridoxine-therapy can be useful as well. In the present paper a case of acute overdose of INH is reported, followed by a review of the literature.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/309. Fulminant septicaemic syndrome of bacillus cereus: three case reports.Three patients with acute leukaemia, who were severely neutropenic and iatrogenically immunosuppressed post-chemotherapy, developed rapidly fatal septicaemic shock and coma caused by bacillus cereus (B. cereus). The illness was marked by two phases: a mild febrile illness lasting 6-14 h and accompanied by subtle symptoms of autonomic sympathetic nervous system overactivity, and a second short fulminant one, marked by high fever of 40-41 degrees C accompanied by major central nervous system disturbances, and ending with deep coma and brain stem dysfunction. One patient developed the sepsis in spite of 4 days of coverage with amikacin. In the other two patients, amikacin was commenced at the earliest phase of the infection, but failed to influence the outcome. This form of B. cereus sepsis in neutropenic patients seems to be caused by strains capable of causing bacteraemia and meningitis and has the ability to produce a substance that causes leptomeningeal and neuronal necrosis. Lack of early clinical and laboratory markers inevitably leads to death. Use of antibiotics effective against B. cereus and capable of achieving high concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid. and identification and neutralization of the necrotizing substance may hopefully help to reverse this fatal illness.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/309. Elevated serum creatine kinase activity in a patient with acute pancreatitis.A 62-year-old man presented with a five-day history of a 'flu-like' illness, epigastric pain and a state of increasing confusion. His serum values for amylase and glucose were grossly elevated, as was the creatine kinase (CK) activity, being 23 times above the upper limit of normal. CK-MB was less than 5% of his total CK activity. There was no past history of diabetes or recent history of intramuscular injections or injury. A diagnosis of acute pancreatitis complicated by hyperosmolar non-ketotic (HONK) diabetic pre-coma was made. The patient was treated with intravenous fluids, insulin and subcutaneous heparin. Normal values for serum amylase and CK activity were recorded with convalescence. This case indicates a possible association of a rise in total CK activity with acute pancreatitis complicated by HONK diabetic pre-coma. This observation was made in the absence of clinically evident muscle pathology.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = coma (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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