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The aim of the present study was to analyse determinants of lung function in 7-yr-old children with different wheezing patterns (early, persistent and late onset) in a prospective cohort study. The German Multicentre Allergy Study (MAS) followed 1,314 children from birth onwards. Annual assessments included clinical check-ups, a structured interview and repeated measurement of specific immunoglobulins Ig(E) directed against food and inhalant allergens. ⋯ In the group of transient early wheezers, frequent lower respiratory tract infections early in life and maternal smoking during pregnancy were significant but weak determinants of impaired lung function. The present results indicate that determinants of pulmonary function in 7-yr-old children differ with respect to different wheezing phenotypes, demanding different therapeutic strategies. Although transient early wheezers were found to have normal-to-subnormal lung function, children with asthmatic symptoms (persistent and late-onset disease) at age 7 yrs already show significant impairment of expiratory flow volumes.
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Reduction of cerebral blood flow and vasomotor reactivity (VMR) are thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of cerebral microangiopathy. The aim of our study was to determine whether near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) can detect a reduced VMR in patients with microangiopathy, whether NIRS reactivities correlate with VMR assessed by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD), and whether the differing extents of patients' microangiopathy demonstrated on MRI or CT can be distinguished by both noninvasive techniques. ⋯ VMR is reduced in patients with cerebral microangiopathy and can be noninvasively assessed in basal arteries (with TCD) and brain parenchyma (with NIRS). Reduction of CO(2)-induced VMR, as measured by NIRS and TCD, may indicate the severity of microangiopathy.
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Intracerebral hematoma (ICH) as a result of ruptured of intracranial aneurysms often arises in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Few studies focused on risk factors for ICH and not the impact of residual hematoma after evacuation on the outcomes of the patients. Therefore, 2 questions need to be answered: does residual hematoma after evacuation have impact on the outcome of patients who present with ICH as a result of ruptured intracranial aneurysms? Is radical pursuit of the hematoma necessary? The study was a single-center longitudinal observational type. ⋯ Furthermore, our logistic regression model showed that advance age, poor Hunt-Hess grade, and vascular injury due to surgery were contributing factors for poor outcome of patients with ICH. Our data suggested that aggressive hematoma evacuation may not benefit the poor-grade patients. Majority of poor outcomes were due to surgical complications which were vascular related as a result of excessive pursuit of ICH.
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Case Reports
Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome with severe clinical course and beneficial outcome: A case report.
Opsoclonus-myoclonus syndrome (OMS) is a rare immune-mediated movement disorder, mostly of paraneoplastic or idiopathic origin. The disease usually has an acute onset, serious course and leads rapidly to disability in adult patients. To the best of our knowledge, this is the fourth presented case of OMS with a severe course and complete reversibility of neurological symptoms in a pregnant woman. This report includes videos and a literature review. ⋯ We confirm that understanding of clinical symptoms and rare causes of OMS contributes to early diagnosis and therapy, which ensures an optimal outcome. One probable cause of OMS could be a physiological change to immune system regulation during pregnancy. The relationship between OMS and pregnancy remains uncertain and needs further investigation.