1/20. cluster headache-like attack as an opening symptom of a unilateral infarction of the cervical cord: persistent anaesthesia and dysaesthesia to cold stimuli.A 54 year old man experienced excruciating left retro-orbital pain with lacrimation and redness of the eye representative of a cluster headache attack. This was followed by left hemiparesis with plegia of the lower limb and left Horner's syndrome. Five days later the hemiparesis recovered while the patient developed hypoanaesthesia to cold stimuli that evoked painful burning dysaesthesia on the right side below the C4 level. MRI disclosed a discrete infarct in the left lateral aspect of the cord at C2 level concomitant to a left vertebral artery thrombosis. This limited infarct and the clinical symptoms suggest a hypoperfusion in the peripheral arterial system of the left hemicord, supplied both by the anterior and posterior spinal arteries. cluster headache-like attack and persistent dysaesthesia to cold stimuli are discussed respectively in view of the central sympathetic involvement and partial spinothalamic system dysfunction.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = aspect (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/20. Precise localization of dysfunctional areas in vertebro-basilar infarction by FDG- and O-15-H2O-PET using standardized image analysis and image registration to 3-D MR.The advantages of standardized multimodal image analysis are demonstrated in a case of symptomatic tremor after basilar thrombosis. Functionally and structurally lesioned areas were mapped in Talairach space using 3-D MRI, cerebral FDG-PET and O-15-H2O-PET. Structural lesions were found in the left midbrain, thalamus, putamen and cerebellar areas. Voxel-based statistics in comparison to a normal data base revealed hypometabolism in the left thalamus, left red nucleus, left cerebellar hemisphere including dentate nucleus and in the left inferior olivary nucleus. The O-15-H2O-PET investigation revealed metabolic uncoupling along the rubroolivocerebellar loop. Given the delicate anatomy of the structures involved, image registration and standardized image analysis techniques are essential for a synoptic multimodality analysis of morphological and functional pathology and should generally be used for cerebral PET investigations.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 11.742134449977keywords = standard (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/20. Acute-onset nontraumatic paraplegia in childhood: fibrocartilaginous embolism or acute myelitis?Fibrocartilaginous embolus causing acute spinal cord infarction is a rare cause of acute-onset paraplegia or quadriplegia. Few cases of survivors have been reported in the neurosurgical literature, with most reports involving postmortem or biopsy findings. There is little information on MRI findings in such patients. We present the youngest patient ever reported, and discuss the important differences between fibrocartilaginous embolus and acute myelitis of childhood. A 6-year-old girl with a history of back pain presented with sudden-onset nontraumatic paraplegia, with a clinical anterior spinal artery syndrome. Initial MRI scan revealed intervertebral disc disease at L1-2 and an incidental thoracic syrinx, but no cause for her acute-onset paraplegia was identified. cerebrospinal fluid and other investigations were all negative. Sequential MRI scans revealed development of spinal cord expansion from T10 to the conus medullaris, with increased cord signal in the anterior aspect of the spinal cord. The intervertebral disc disease was unchanged. The imaging and clinical findings were caused by fibrocartilaginous embolus, which meant there was no need for spinal cord biopsy. The report describes the clinical and imaging criteria for diagnosis of fibrocartilaginous embolus, highlighting the case for avoiding an unnecessary biopsy. The clinical pattern in the paediatric group is discussed, with features differentiating it from acute myelitis of childhood.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = aspect (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/20. Recombinant tissue plasminogen activator for the treatment of cutaneous infarctions in antiphospholipid antibody syndrome: a case report.Antiphospholipid antibody syndrome (APAS) commonly presents with cutaneous infarctions mimicking thromboembolic vaso-occlusive disease. Systemic anticoagulation is the standard of care for this disorder, but treatment failures can occur. The authors report the first successful treatment of cutaneous infarctions due to APAS with low-dose, intravenous tissue plasminogen activator (rTPA) in a patient who failed to improve with high-dose anticoagulation. wound healing was associated with a marked improvement in blood flow as assessed by scanning laser Doppler. The authors recommend that patients presenting with cutaneous infarctions in the absence of atherosclerosis be evaluated for APAS, and that fibrinolytic therapy be considered if cutaneous infarction persists despite anticoagulant therapy.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.9570224083296keywords = standard (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/20. Small bowel herniation and gangrene from peritoneal dialysis catheter exit site.peritoneal dialysis is one of the standard methods for blood purification. It is particularly well suited for treating children with acute renal failure. Here we report a rare case of small bowel herniation at the peritoneal catheter exit site following removal, leading to gangrenous infarction.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.9570224083296keywords = standard (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/20. A young man with a renal colic.We report the case of a 35-year-old man with no cardiovascular morbidity, presenting with acute flank pain, microscopic haematuria and normal blood pressure. Initially diagnosed as a ureteral colic, the patient was recovered 6 weeks later with severe hypertensive crisis. Further investigations revealed a massive renal infarction secondary to medial fibromuscular dysplasia (FMD). Several aspects of this presentation are intriguing. Renal infarcts are usually seen in older patients having cardiac problems and/or major atheromatous plaques. In addition, FMD is mainly observed in young females and rarely progresses to renal artery occlusion. Furthermore, in this case, FMD remained silent until the acute renal infarction occurred, despite a significant kidney size reduction at the time of diagnosis. Finally, the observation of a delayed hypertensive response to a major renovascular insult provides incentives to discuss possible pathophysiological mechanisms involved in renovascular hypertension.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = aspect (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/20. infarction of the uterus from subacute incomplete inversion.A patient with subacute incomplete uterine inversion was transferred to our hospital when the diagnosis was made 5 days after vaginal delivery. Intravenous injection of sodium fluorescein dye identified a clear demarcation between viable and necrotic myometrium. The superior aspect of the uterus was infarcted; therefore a hysterectomy was performed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = aspect (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/20. cocaine-induced renal infarction: report of a case and review of the literature.BACKGROUND: cocaine abuse has been known to have detrimental effects on the cardiovascular system. Its toxicity has been associated with myocardial ischemia, cerebrovascular accidents and mesenteric ischemia. The pathophysiology of cocaine-related renal injury is multifactorial and involves renal hemodynamic changes, alterations in glomerular matrix synthesis, degradation and oxidative stress, and possibly induction of renal atherogenesis. Renal infarction as a result of cocaine exposure, however, is rarely reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 48 year-old male presented with a four-day history of severe right flank pain following cocaine use. On presentation, he was tachycardic, febrile and had severe right costovertebral angle tenderness. He had significant proteinuria, leukocytosis and elevated serum creatinine and lactate dehydrogenase. Radiographic imaging studies as well as other screening tests for thromboembolic events, hypercoagulability states, collagen vascular diseases and lipid disorders were suggestive of cocaine-Induced Renal infarction (CIRI) by exclusion. CONCLUSION: In a patient with a history of cocaine abuse presenting with fevers and flank pain suggestive of urinary tract infection or nephrolithiasis, cocaine-induced renal infarction must be considered in the differential diagnosis. In this article, we discuss the prior reported cases of CIRI and thoroughly review the literature available on this disorder. This is important for several reasons. First, it will allow us to discuss and elaborate on the mechanism of renal injury caused by cocaine. In addition, this review will demonstrate the importance of considering the diagnosis of CIRI in a patient with documented cocaine use and an atypical presentation of acute renal injury. Finally, we will emphasize the need for a consensus on optimal treatment of this disease, for which therapy is not yet standardized.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.9570224083296keywords = standard (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/20. Intravenous immunoglobulin in antiphospholipid syndrome and maternal floor infarction when standard treatment fails: a case report.Obstetrical antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is associated with maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Standard treatment with low-dose acetylsalicylic acid and unfractionated heparin has achieved up to a 70 to 80% likelihood of success. Conversely, up to 30% of women with APS will have further pregnancy losses, despite treatment. Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) may be a promising adjuvant when standard treatment fails. We present a case of a 35-year-old woman with obstetrical APS and maternal floor infarction in prior pregnancy losses who continued to have further unsuccessful pregnancies despite standard treatment with acetylsalicylic acid and unfractionated heparin. On an investigational basis, she was prescribed concomitant IVIG and had two subsequent healthy newborns. IVIG appears to be promising in obstetrical patients with APS who are refractory to standard treatment. Prior history of maternal floor infarction may be a prognostic indicator for triple therapy for obstetrical APS.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 13.699156858307keywords = standard (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/20. Use of bedside laparoscopy to identify intestinal ischemia in postoperative cases of aortic reconstruction.Gangrenous bowel after aortic reconstructive surgery is associated with an exceptionally high mortality rate. Numerous diagnostic modalities have not reduced the incidence of death from infarcted bowel because of their lack of specificity and the associated delays in diagnosis. Recently, we have begun to use bedside laparoscopy to identify suspected gangrenous bowel in critically ill postoperative patients. Herein we describe a case of small-bowel infarction after aortic aneurysm surgery that was identified by the use of a laparoscope, with successful surgical repair and return of bowel function. Postoperative gangrenous bowel, standard diagnostic tests used in this setting, and the use and indications for beside laparoscopy are reviewed.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.9570224083296keywords = standard (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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