scholarly journals Study of clinical profile and outcome of patients with acute non-traumatic paraparesis

Author(s):  
Sanjana S. Malokar ◽  
Saurabh V. Kothari ◽  
Onkar H. Nadgouda

Background: The following study is about the clinical profile and outcome of patients with acute non traumatic paraparesis. It includes the aetiology, clinical presentation and the outcome of various cases of acute non traumatic paraparesis. Paraplegia or paraparesis could be defined as loss of function of both legs as a result of disease or injury of the spinal cord, spinal roots, peripheral nerves or myopathies. Acute non-traumatic paraparesis is a neurological emergency. Reversible causes of acute paraplegia can be treated successfully if diagnosed early.Methods: The observational study was done in the department of general medicine at D. Y. Patil Hospital, Navi Mumbai with sample size of 75 patients over 1 year.Results: With early diagnosis prognosis of acute non traumatic paraparesis can be improved which was evaluated over period of 3 months.Conclusions: Acute non-traumatic paraparesis is a neurological emergency. Reversible causes of acute paraplegia can be treated successfully if diagnosed early. It is important to diagnose and classify all cases into compressive and non-compressive lesions based on presenting symptoms because the management of the two differs.

1981 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 335-341 ◽  
Author(s):  
G. Krinke ◽  
J. Suter ◽  
R. Hess

Naturally occurring degenerative lesions of nerve fibers in the spinal cord, spinal roots and peripheral nerves in nine male rats 877 days old were swollen myelin sheaths, forming “myelin bubbles.” The myelin swellings were distributed throughout the spinal tracts and the peripheral nerves, but most frequently in the lumbar ventral spinal roots. Although most axons surrounded by swollen myelin were intact, some were constricted and degenerated, while others showed signs of remyelination.


1980 ◽  
Vol 58 (2) ◽  
pp. 227-229 ◽  
Author(s):  
I. Bishai ◽  
F. Coceani

Catabolism of prostaglandin (PG) E2 was studied in homogenates of spinal cord and spinal nerve roots of the cat. Spinal roots enzymatically converted PGE2 to a product (metabolite I) with the chromatographic mobility of 15-keto-PGE2. Little metabolic degradation occurred in the spinal cord; however, incubation of PGE2 with combined spinal cord and nerve root tissue yielded a second metabolite (metabolite II) in addition to metabolite I. Metabolite II was identified as 15-keto-13,14-dihydro-PGE2. These results prove that spinal nerve roots, unlike the spinal cord, contain 15-hydroxyprostaglandin dehydrogenase (15-PGDH) which is the major and rate-limiting enzyme in the inactivation of prostaglandins. The location and functional significance of 15-PGDH in peripheral nerves remain to be elucidated.


1983 ◽  
Vol 4 (10) ◽  
pp. 327-330
Author(s):  
John M. Freeman

CASE REPORT A 14-year-old high school student is admitted to the pediatric neurology service because of the sudden onset of inability to use her legs. When she had gotten up in the morning she was unable to stand. INTRODUCTION Acute neurologic deficit in an adolescent girl (or in anyone else) always represents an emergency requiring immediate evaluation by a physician competent to analyze the deficit, localize its source, develop a differential diagnosis of possible etiologies, organize appropriate tests, and, when indicated, initiate emergency treatment. Acute paraplegia (weakness or paralysis in the legs) is a particular emergency because acute compressive lesions of the cord are reversible. Hours of compression may result in irreversible damage. For this reason neurologic and neurosurgical consultation should be obtained promptly. EVALUATION The evaluation of an individual with an acute paraplegia is best performed with a differential diagnosis in mind. The major cause of paraplegia is spinal cord disease, and its differential diagnosis is shown in Table 1. Spinal cord disease with paraparesis (weakness) may be simulated by lesions in the parasagittal area of the brain, by muscle weakness in the legs (muscular dystrophy or polymyositis), and by conversion reaction. History In evaluating the patient with an "acute" paraplegia one must establish how acute is acute. An immediate total loss of function is almost always vascular.


Author(s):  
A Yaworski ◽  
K Koujok ◽  
K Cheung ◽  
Y Ying ◽  
H McMillan

Background: Tumors affecting peripheral nerves in children are rare. Accurate diagnosis ensures that management is appropriate and timely. Methods: We review the clinical presentation and utility of investigations of children with intrinsic tumors affecting peripheral nerves at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO). Results: From 2009-2019, 14 cases were identified. Mean age of symptom onset was 8.2 years (range 0.3 to 17.3 years). Presenting symptoms included painless muscle wasting (2/14), focal muscle weakness (7/14), contracture (1/14), pain (1/14) or a painless, palpable mass (3/14). MRI was useful at differentiating benign pediatric nerve tumors. Peripheral nerve lipomatosis demonstrated a classic “spaghetti string” appearance. Patients with perineurioma showed evidence of enhancing, nodular lesions while intraneural ganglionic cysts display cystic lesion within the nerve. Neurofibromas appear like a “bag of worms” while schwannomas are more eccentrically positioned around the nerve. Nerve conduction studies (NCS) or electromyography (EMG) were performed in 11/14 patients. Biopsies were performed in 9 patients and surgical management in 4 patients. Conclusions: The rare nature of peripheral nerve tumors in children can pose diagnostic challenges. NCS/EMG are important to assist with localization, and MRI important at distinguishing benign tumors. Key MRI, clinical and NCS features can guide management, potentially avoiding invasive procedures.


2019 ◽  
Vol 6 (2) ◽  
pp. 302
Author(s):  
Alvin Treasa George ◽  
Grace George ◽  
David K. Simson ◽  
T. P. Antony

Background: The World Health Organization raised pandemic H1N1 influenza alert level to phase 6 in June 2009 due to a widespread community transmission on two continents. The recent surge in positive H1N1 cases necessitates a revisit to the clinical profile of the 2009 pandemic. This study was aimed to analyse the clinical profile and outcome of swab positive H1N1 patients.Methods: A cross sectional analysis on the clinical presentation and primary out come in the confirmed H1N1 influenza cases was done. H1N1 confirmation was done using real time reverse transcriptase-Polymerase Chain Reaction in throat swab samples. The data were analysed statistically and presented in percentage.Results: Total 31 cases of severe H1N1 were included in the study. Majority of the cases (16/31) were between15 to 30 yrs of age. Among the total cases, 27 cases were females (87.1%) of which 11 cases were pregnant (35.5%). The predominant presenting symptoms were fever (100%), breathlessness (80.6%), body ache (45.2%), headache (29%) and sore throat (29%). Twenty three of the 31 patients (74.2%) survived while 8 succumbed to the illness (25.8%). All the patients required ICU admission and 8 underwent invasive ventilation. The mortality was high among the ventilated patients (p=0.0064).Conclusions: Pregnancy was associated with higher rate of complications. Early respiratory support did not help in preventing progression to respiratory failure in most of the patients. Vaccination, early recognition of the disease and prompt initiation of treatment appear to be the only way to reduce H1N1 disease progression and mortality.


2010 ◽  
Vol 15 (3) ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Richard T. Katz

Abstract This article addresses some criticisms of the AMA Guides to the Evaluation of Permanent Impairment (AMA Guides) by comparing previously published outcome data from a group of complete spinal cord injury (SCI) persons with impairment ratings for a corresponding level of injury calculated using the AMA Guides, Sixth Edition. Results of the comparison show that impairment ratings using the sixth edition scale poorly with the level of impairments of activities of daily living (ADL) in SCI patients as assessed by the Functional Independence Measure (FIM) motor scale and the extended FIM motor scale. Because of the combinations of multiple impairments, the AMA Guides potentially overrates the impairment of paraplegics compared with that of quadriplegics. The use and applicability of the Combined Values formula should be further investigated, and complete loss of function of two upper extremities seems consistent with levels of quadriplegia using the SCI model. Some aspects of the AMA Guides contain inconsistencies. The concept of diminishing impairment values is not easily translated between specific losses of function per organ system and “overall” loss of ADLs involving multiple organ systems, and the notion of “catastrophic thresholds” involving multiple organ systems may support the understanding that variations in rating may exist in higher rating cases such as those that involve an SCI.


Author(s):  
Gabriel Guízar Sahagún

Besides the well-known loss of motor and sensory capabilities, people with spinal cord injury (SCI) experience a broad range of systemic and metabolic abnormalities including, among others, dysfunction of cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, and endocrine systems. These alterations are a significant challenge for patients with SCI because such disorders severely interfere with their daily living and can be potentially life-threatening. Most of these disorders are associated with impairment of regulation of the autonomic nervous system, arising from disruption of connections between higher brain centers and the spinal cord caudal to the injured zone. Thus, the higher and more complete the lesion, the greater the autonomic dysfunction and the severity of complications.This article summarizes the medical scientific literature on key systemic and metabolic alterations derived of SCI. It provides information primarily focused on the pathophysiology and clinical presentation of these disorders, as well as some guides to prevent and alleviate such complications. Due to the impact of these alterations, this topic must be a priority and diffuse to those involved with the care of people with SCI, including the patient himself/herself. We consider that any collaborative effort should be supported, like the development of international standards, to evaluate autonomic function after SCI, as well as the development of novel therapeutic approaches.


Author(s):  
Hugo Farne ◽  
Edward Norris-Cervetto ◽  
James Warbrick-Smith

Oxford Cases in Medicine and Surgery, second edition, teaches students a logical step-by-step diagnostic approach to common patient presentations. This approach mirrors that used by successful clinicians on the wards, challenging students with questions at each stage of a case (history-taking, examination, investigation, management). In tackling these questions, students understand how to critically analyse information and learn to integrate their existing knowledge to a real-life scenario from start to finish. Each chapter focuses on a common presenting symptom (e.g. chest pain). By starting with a symptom, mirroring real life settings, students learn to draw on their knowledge of different physiological systems - for example, cardiology, respiratory, gastroenterology - at the same time. All the major presenting symptoms in general medicine and surgery are covered, together with a broad range of pathologies. This book is an essential resource for all medicine students, and provides a modern, well-rounded introduction to life on the wards. Ideal for those starting out in clinical medicine and an ideal refresher for those revising for OSCEs and finals.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 173-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jianjun Wang ◽  
Ying Chen ◽  
Long Chen ◽  
Yanzhi Duan ◽  
Xuejun Kuang ◽  
...  

AbstractBackgroundSpinal cord injury (SCI) causes devastating loss of function and neuronal death without effective treatment. (−)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG) has antioxidant properties and plays an essential role in the nervous system. However, the underlying mechanism by which EGCG promotes neuronal survival and functional recovery in complete spinal cord transection (ST) remains unclear.MethodsIn the present study, we established primary cerebellar granule neurons (CGNs) and a T10 ST rat model to investigate the antioxidant effects of EGCG via its modulation of protein kinase D1 (PKD1) phosphorylation and inhibition of ferroptosis.ResultsWe revealed that EGCG significantly increased the cell survival rate of CGNs and PKD1 phosphorylation levels in comparison to the vehicle control, with a maximal effect observed at 50 µM. EGCG upregulated PKD1 phosphorylation levels and inhibited ferroptosis to reduce the cell death of CGNs under oxidative stress and to promote functional recovery and ERK phosphorylation in rats following complete ST.ConclusionTogether, these results lay the foundation for EGCG as a novel strategy for the treatment of SCI related to PKD1 phosphorylation and ferroptosis.


Author(s):  
Josee Paradis ◽  
Agnieszka Dzioba ◽  
Hamdy El-Hakim ◽  
Paul Hong ◽  
Frederick K. Kozak ◽  
...  

Abstract Background To evaluate the clinical presentation of choanal atresia (CA) in tertiary centers across Canada. Methods Multi-centre case series involving six tertiary care pediatric hospitals across Canada. Retrospective chart review of patients born between 1980 and 2010 diagnosed with CA at a participating center. Results The health charts of 215 patients (59.6% female) with CA were reviewed and included in this study. The mean age of patients at time of CA presentation was 0.4 months (range 0.1 to 7.2 months) for bilateral CA and 37.8 months (range 0.1 to 164.1 months) for unilateral cases. The most common presenting symptoms for bilateral CA in decreasing order were respiratory distress (96.4%), feeding difficulties (68.2%), and rhinorrhea (65.5%), and for unilateral cases in decreasing order were rhinorrhea (92.0%), feeding difficulties (24.7%), and respiratory distress (18.0%). For the majority of patients (73.2%), the obstruction comprised mixed bony and membranous tissue, with only 10.5% presenting with a purely membranous obstruction. Familial history of CA was confirmed in only 3.3% of cases. One half of patients with CA presented with one or more associated anomalies and 30.6% had a syndrome. Conclusions The present investigation is the first national multi-institutional study evaluating the clinical presentation of CA over three decades. The present cohort of CA patients presented with a breadth of co-morbidities with highly variable presentations, with bilateral cases being more severely affected than unilateral cases. Further investigation into hereditary linkages to CA development is warranted. Graphical abstract


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