1/65. Impressive remission in a patient with locally advanced malignant pleural mesothelioma treated with gemcitabine.The results of treatment of malignant pleural mesothelioma are quite unsatisfactory regardless of the substance or schedule employed. Although some activity is proved for anthracyclines, platinum compounds and alkylating substances, no chemotherapeutic regimen has emerged as a standard of care. Response rates documented in literature are between 10 and 20% for all these regimens. We report about a patient with locally advanced, unresectable pleural mesothelioma treated with the nucleoside analog gemcitabine (2,2-difluorodeoxycytidine). A 54-year-old male patient with unresectable pleural mesothelioma confirmed by thoracoscopic biopsy was treated with seven cycles of gemcitabine (1000 mg/m2 on day 1, 8 and 15) over a period of 36 weeks. Restaging by thoracic computed tomography (CT) scan was performed after 8, 20 and 36 weeks. At week 36 after beginning of treatment, the CT scan exhibited a substantial partial remission with a reduction of tumor volume of over 50%. The adverse effects of the therapy were very moderate with a hematotoxicity not exceeding WHO grade I and a mild 'flu-like syndrome' during the first three cycles which responded quite well to steroids. The compliance of the patient was excellent and his general condition improved significantly under therapy. Gemcitabine seems to be an active drug for the treatment of pleural mesothelioma. Compared to other active regimens it is normally very well tolerated by the patients. Because of these characteristics gemcitabine seems a suitable antineoplastic substance, especially in palliative settings. It would be worthwhile to test its activity in pleural mesotheliomas in controlled trials.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = toxicity (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/65. Right atrial myxoma with extracardiac manifestations.Right atrial myxoma is a rare intracardiac tumor that is often difficult to diagnose. pulmonary embolism from tumor fragments originating from the tumor mass is a potentially fatal complication. early diagnosis of cardiac myxoma is important since surgical treatment leads to resolution with low rates of recurrence and good long-term survival. The presence of a cardiac myxoma can be heralded by nonspecific constitutional symptoms as well as by disturbances in the clotting mechanism.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16224346729804keywords = lead (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/65. Hepatic steatosis and lactic acidosis caused by stavudine in an hiv-infected patient.Lactic acidosis and hepatic steatosis caused by mitochondrial toxicity of nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI) is a rare cause of liver disease with a high mortality rate. This report describes a male, hiv-positive patient with a 4-week history of nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. His medication consisted of prednisone 5 mg od (because of auto-immune thrombocytopenia), didanosine (for 2 years) and stavudine (for 3 months). Laboratory studies showed cholestasis and elevation of aminotransferases. Lactic level was not measured. liver biopsy revealed steatosis and cholestatic hepatitis. In the absence of other causes of liver disease a probable diagnosis of stavudine-induced hepatic toxicity was made. After discontinuation of NRTI, he recovered completely. Because lactic acidosis had not been confirmed, stavudine was restarted and within 1 week the lactate level increased significantly. Therefore stavudine was discontinued again. One year later the patient is doing well on a double protease inhibitor regimen. In conclusion, clinicians treating patients with NRTI should be aware of the risk of lactic acidosis and hepatic steatosis. When this is suspected, all NRTI must be stopped. The diagnosis can be made when elevated lactate levels and hepatic steatosis are present in the absence of other causes of liver disease.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = toxicity (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/65. ondansetron in multiple sclerosis.Two young women with chronic nausea and vertigo caused by multiple sclerosis responded to the introduction and maintenance of the 5HT3 receptor antagonist, ondansetron. palliative care is a neglected aspect of management of degenerative neurological diseases and these cases highlight the approaches that may be used to manage difficult symptoms in the population with multiple sclerosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.79694540977279keywords = neurologic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/65. No neurological involvement for more than 40 years in klippel-feil syndrome with severe hypermobility of the upper cervical spine.We report the case of a 42-year-old woman with klippel-feil syndrome, who showed severe hypermobility of the upper cervical spine without neurological involvement for more than 40 years. Radiographs revealed the presence of the odontoid bone and fusion of the atlas, odontoid bone, and occiput. Congenital fusion was present from the axis to C5 as a block vertebra. Lateral flexion-extension radiographs revealed severe hypermobility at the junction between the odontoid bone and the axis. Prophylactic surgical stabilization has been recommended in patients with severe hypermobility, but adjacent disc problems may possibly occur at the unfused levels in the future. We believe that early prophylactic stabilization should not be indicated for klippel-feil syndrome without neurological involvement only because of hypermobility.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4.7816724586367keywords = neurologic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/65. Idiopathic "benign" intracranial hypertension: case series and review.Idiopathic "benign" intracranial hypertension is an uncommon but important cause of headache that can lead to visual loss. This study was undertaken to review our experience in the diagnosis and management of idiopathic intracranial hypertension, giving special attention to treatments used. A retrospective chart review was conducted on 32 patients diagnosed with idiopathic intracranial hypertension between 1984 and 1995. Subjects included 23 females and ranged in age from 2 to 17.5 years. headache was the most common symptom, followed by nausea and vomiting, double vision, and visual loss. papilledema was the most common sign. Others were VIth cranial nerve palsy and compromised visual acuity at or within 3 months of presentation. Management included administration of acetazolamide or corticosteroids, lumboperitoneal shunt, optic nerve fenestration, and repeat lumbar puncture. Treatment combinations were used in 40% of cases. During follow-up, headache, papilledema, and decreased visual acuity persisted for longer than 10 months in a significant number of patients. We conclude that idiopathic intracranial hypertension causes significant short- and long-term morbidity with no proven effective treatment available. A prospective study is needed to establish the indications for treatment and the efficacy of the treatments used.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16224346729804keywords = lead (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/65. Cerebral vein thrombosis in Behcet's disease.Behcet's disease is a chronic, relapsing multisystem disorder, and nervous system involvement is one of the serious manifestations. Neuro-Behcet is rarely reported in children and may present with a wide variety of symptoms because the entire neuraxis may be affected. A case of cerebral vein thrombosis secondary to Behcet's disease is presented. The patient has recovered without any visual loss and had no complaints at 1-year follow-up.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6.3606561328319keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/65. Rabbitfish ("aras"): an unusual source of ciguatera poisoning.BACKGROUND: ciguatera poisoning is the commonest fish-borne seafood intoxication. It is endemic to warm water tropical areas and is caused by consumption of bottom-dwelling shore reef fish, mostly during spring and summer. The causative agent, ciguatoxin, is a heat-stable ester complex that becomes concentrated in fish feeding on toxic dinoflagellates. The common clinical manifestations are a combination of gastrointestinal and neurologic symptoms. Severe poisoning may be associated with seizures and respiratory paralysis. OBJECTIVE: To describe a series of patients who sustained ciguatera poisoning in an uncommon region and from an unexpected source. patients: Two families complained of a sensation of "electrical currents," tremors, muscle cramps, nightmares, hallucinations, agitation, anxiety and nausea of varying severity several hours after consuming rabbitfish ("aras"). These symptoms lasted between 12 and 30 hours and resolved completely. The temporal relationship to a summer fish meal, the typical clinical manifestations along with the known feeding pattern of the rabbitfish suggested ciguatera poisoning. CONCLUSIONS: The Eastern Mediterranean basin is an unusual region and the rabbitfish an unusual source for ciguatera poisoning. There are no readily available and reliable means for detecting ciguatoxin in humans. A high index of suspicion is needed for diagnosis and a thorough differential diagnosis is essential to eliminate other poisonings, decompression sickness and encephalitis. Supportive therapy is the mainstay of treatment.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.79694540977279keywords = neurologic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/65. Gallstone ileus as a complication of cholecystolithiasis.biliary fistula and gallston ileus are rarely found. The diagnosis is difficult. Gallstone ileus requires urgent and appropriate surgical therapy. Enterolitotomy remains the gold standard of operative treatment for gallstone ileus, but additional procedures of one-stage cholecystectomy and repair of fistula are necessary. Some researchers advise first to resolve the gallstone ileus and then to perform the elective operation for gallstone disease in more ideal circumstances. Our case had clinical evidence of ileus, which was confirmed by radiological exam. Ultrasonographic examination performed before operation did not confirm the presence of gallbladder; it did not detect a large stone located in the intestine. The patient, a 75-year-old woman, was operated on. During the procedure it was shown that the second part of the duodenum was involved in a scar and displaced to the hepatic hilus. There was no gallbladder; it was probably destroyed by a long-lasting vesicoduodenal fistula. cholangiography also did not detect the gallbladder. Biliary passage through the common bile duct was sufficient. The hole in the duodenum wall was sutured, and Kehr drain was inserted into the common bile duct. The gallstone was removed by incision of the intestine down to the obstruction. The postoperative period was complicated by a small suppuration of the laparotomy wound. Vesicoduodenal fistula present for a long time can lead to atrophy of the gallbladder. The one-stage procedure seems to be appropriate if biliary fistula and gallstone ileus are found.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.16224346729804keywords = lead (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/65. Cerebellar hemangioblastoma in pregnancy. A case report.BACKGROUND: The incidence of symptomatic hemangioblastoma of the posterior fossa during pregnancy is extremely low. Previous reports have noted that pregnancy seems to aggravate the clinical course of intracranial tumors, but little is known about the possible reasons. Various theories have been proposed to explain the rapid neurologic deterioration of hemangioblastoma patients during pregnancy; however, the pathophysiologic behavior and histogenesis of this vascular tumor are still not well understood. CASE: A case of cerebellar hemangioblastoma was diagnosed during pregnancy. Urgent surgery was required due to rapid development of obstructive hydrocephalus and brainstem compression. CONCLUSION: Obstetricians and neurosurgeons should be aware of the rare clinic entity of hemangioblastoma during pregnancy. Surgery might be indicated as soon as the tumor becomes symptomatic.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 0.79694540977279keywords = neurologic (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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