1/127. Chronic motor axonal neuropathy: pathological evidence of inflammatory polyradiculoneuropathy.Chronic immune and inflammatory motor neuropathies may resemble motor neuron disease, and the distinction may be particularly difficult if conduction block or GM1 antibodies are absent. The pathology of this axonal type of chronic motor neuropathy has not been characterized except in a few cases associated with paraproteinemia. We describe the clinical, electrophysiological, and pathological findings in a patient with a chronic motor axonal neuropathy, normal immunoelectrophoresis, and no GM1 antibodies. At autopsy the spinal cord was normal with the exception of chromatolytic motor neurons. All the ventral roots were greatly thinned. Of 10 mixed nerves and numerous spinal roots sampled, five showed areas of perineurial, perivascular lymphocytic infiltration. There was severe axonal loss in the motor roots that was not as evident in mixed nerves, and the sensory nerves and roots were virtually unaffected. Our findings suggest that a chronic motor axonal neuropathy without paraproteinemia or GM1 antibodies may, in some cases, result from an inflammatory process.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/127. Lesion development in Marburg's type of acute multiple sclerosis: from inflammation to demyelination.We report a patient who suffered from acute inflammatory CNS demyelination and underwent two consecutive diagnostic stereotactic brain biopsies during the early disease course. The first lesion was drawn 33 days after the onset of disseminated neurological symptoms. macrophages and T lymphocytes diffusely infiltrated small vessel walls and the white matter. mRNA for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha) and inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) was abundantly expressed. Myelin sheaths were entirely preserved. The second biopsy 76 days later showed confluent demyelinating lesions with a diffuse infiltration of macrophages that were positive for myelin debris, activation markers and TNFalpha and iNOS mRNA. IgG and C9neo deposits were found along myelin sheaths. The patient had received intravenous immunoglobulins (IVIG) prior to biopsy. Findings from this single patient affirm that demyelination follows the migration of inflammatory cells from the circulation into the white matter with subsequent inflammation and demyelination. inflammation alone may be sufficient to cause significant clinical deficits without demyelination. Inflammatory mediators such as TNFalpha and NO are involved at very early stages in the pathogenetic process. IVIG treatment may lead to the deposition of immunoglobulins and to the activation of the complement cascade, but the clinical relevance of this particular finding remains uncertain.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/127. Obstructive nephropathy as a result of retroperitoneal fibrosis: a review of its pathogenesis and associations.retroperitoneal fibrosis is a rare disease, typically with an insidious clinical course. It is thought that this disease process is perhaps an exaggerated reaction to an inciting inflammatory event. In this study, a case of retroperitoneal fibrosis is reported, in which the patient presented with typical symptoms of retroperitoneal fibrosis, along with some atypical vasculitic symptomatology. retroperitoneal fibrosis is a disease process with an unknown etiology, which has been observed to be associated with a number of different possible inciting factors. Two factors that have been documented in the literature as being associated with retroperitoneal fibrosis include the use of beta-blocking agents, and connective tissue disease processes such as systemic lupus erythematosus. The patient discussed was using beta-blocker medication and also had signs and symptoms suggestive of a lupus syndrome. There are no reported cases of the combined association of beta-blocker usage, lupus, and retroperitoneal fibrosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/127. Pseudotumor of the orbit in early childhood.orbital pseudotumor, also known as idiopathic orbital inflammation, is defined as a nonspecific, nonneoplastic inflammatory process of the orbit without identifiable local or systemic causes. The disorder, first described by Birch-Hirschfield in 1905, is more prevalent in the adult population than in the pediatric population. In our study we discuss two cases of pseudotumor of the orbit in children less than 18 months old. This report will highlight the evaluation and management of pediatric orbital pseudotumor and the importance of its inclusion in the differential diagnosis of orbital disorders in young children.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/127. Intracranial inflammatory tumors: a survey of their various etiologies by presentation of 5 cases.Due to similar clinical and neuroradiological features, intracranial inflammatory tumors (IITs) are frequently misdiagnosed as brain neoplasms, from which they notably differ in respect to therapy and prognosis. In this article, five cases of such tumors are presented. Three of the patients with brain tumors (cases 3, 4 and 5) presented a history of 'pararheumatic' syndromes but no diagnosis of defined immunopathies. On the basis of radiological findings, all processes were classified as genuine brain neoplasms, but histology showed reactive inflammatory features. The possible etiologies of these 'tumors' are discussed on the basis of all clinical and histological data of the patients. The spectrum of diseases potentially leading to the manifestation of an IIT is reviewed. Additionally, the presentation of case 5, who developed a highly malignant B-cell-lymphoma 6 months after the removal of an IIT without any histological signs of atypia, shows that this differential diagnosis always has to be kept in mind.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/127. Fibroglial proliferation in pars planitis.In a 51-year-old patient with long-standing pars planitis, light and electron microscopical examination of the intravitreal 'snowbank' revealed a fibrovascular layer adjacent to the hyperplastic nonpigmented epithelium of the pars plana and an extensive fibroglial proliferation within the vitreous base. The fibrovascular layer consisted of well-differentiated capillaries, probably emanating from the peripheral retina, interspersed with aggregated vitreous fibrils. The fibroglial portion of the 'snowbank' was composed of fibrous astrocyte-like cells which had secreted basement membranes and larger diameter collagen fibrils. This fibroglial tissue was in direct continuity with an ultrastructurally similar preretinal membrane. No significant choroiditis or cyclitis could be demonstrated. It is hypothesized that, in pars planitis, a primary inflammatory process of the peripheral retina and vitreous base may stimulate the observed preretinal and intravitreal fibroglial proliferation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/127. Clinical quality management in rheumatoid arthritis: putting theory into practice. Swiss Clinical Quality Management in Rheumatoid arthritis.Clinical quality management (CQM) in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) aims to reduce inflammatory activity and pain in the short term, and damage, and consequently disability, in the long term. Within CQM as used in switzerland rheumatologists are provided with a measurement feedback system with which they can regularly follow their patients. Inflammatory activity is measured with the Disease Activity Score (DAS28) and the Rheumatoid arthritis Disease Activity Index questionnaire (RADAI), damage with an X-ray score and disability with the Stanford health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ). feedback is used to optimize therapy, which in the short term allows the activity of the inflammatory process to be adjusted or 'titrated'. In the long term, the therapy result for the individual patient is monitored by the course of disability and damage. In this paper we present a series of cases to illustrate the usefulness of the CQM system in the management of individual RA patients. CQM in RA may be helpful when making decisions about adjustment of treatment, and to document and communicate these decisions based on quantitative data.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/127. The CINCA syndrome: a rare cause of chronic arthritis and multisystem inflammatory disorders.Chronic infantile neurological cutaneous articular (CINCA) syndrome is a rare disorder with neonatal onset characterised by a chronic progressive inflammatory process with skin rash, articular and central nervous system involvement. This primary systemic inflammatory disorder should be distinguished from juvenile rheumatoid arthritis (JRA). Although the articular findings are characteristic features of CINCA syndrome, there is a certain degree of variability in the articular involvements which are not always symmetrical nor is the degree of severity uniform. The etiology of CINCA syndrome remains unknown. No single treatment has been found to be effective. This syndrome is known in the American medical literature as infantile onset multisystem inflammatory disease (IOMID).- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/127. The spectrum and significance of primary hypophysitis.Hypophysitis can present clinically as a mass lesion of the sella turcica. Secondary hypophysitis occurs in cases where a definite etiologic agent or process inciting the inflammatory reaction can be identified. In contrast, primary hypophysitis refers to inflammation confined to the pituitary gland with no identifiable etiologic associations. We report three cases of primary hypophysitis to illustrate the spectrum of three clinicopathological entities that encompass this disease: lymphocytic hypophysitis, granulomatous hypophysitis, and xanthomatous hypophysitis. Our three patients underwent surgery, with variable response. However, conservative, supportive treatment with or without surgical decompression is generally favored over aggressive and extensive surgical resection that results in hypopituitarism. We conclude that the optimal management of patients with hyophysitis requires a high index of suspicion before extensive surgical resection. Histological confirmation of the diagnosis of hypophysitis can be obtained by performing a biopsy or by requesting an intraoperative frozen section consultation.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/127. Intravenous immunoglobulin therapy for diabetic amyotrophy.A 49-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus developed progressive weakness and atrophy of both thighs rendering her wheelchair-bound within two months. The neurological findings and electrophysiological test results were compatible with diabetic amyotrophy (DA). Immediately after intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) therapy (20 g x 3 days), she became able to walk with a cane. After the next course of the therapy, she could walk without assistance. This dramatic effect of IVIg therapy together with the recent observation of vasculitic neuropathy in DA indicates an inflammatory process in this condition, and gives support to this treatment for DA.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = process (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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