scholarly journals Clinical presentation and management of hypophysitis: An observational study of case series

2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 304
Author(s):  
Marouan Karrou ◽  
Salma Benyakhlef ◽  
Achwak Alla ◽  
Najoua Messaoudi ◽  
Asmae Oulad Amar ◽  
...  

Background: Hypophysitis is described as a rare chronic inflammatory affection of the pituitary gland. However, to date, its pathogenesis has not been completely cleared up. Clinical features are polymorphic, including symptoms related to inflammatory compression and/or hypopituitarism. Laboratory tests determine hormone deficiencies orientating replacement therapy’s protocol. MRI of the hypothalamic-pituitary region is crucial in exhibiting major radiological signs such as pituitary homogeneous enlargement and gland stalk’s thickening. The etiological diagnosis is still challenging without affecting the management strategy. Corticosteroids have widely been used but a close follow-up without any treatment has also been approved. Case Description: In this report, seven patients with hypophysitis have been collected over a period of 6 years. The average age of our patients was 32.1 years ± 11.8 with a female predominance (71.4%). Panhypopituitarism was objective in 42.9% of cases, a combined deficiency of the hypothalamic-pituitary thyroid, adrenal and gonadal axes in 28.6% of cases. A central diabetes insipidus was noted in 42.9% of the patients. Idiopathic hypophysitis was the most common etiology. The use of long course corticosteroids was required in 28.6% when compressive signs were reported. Conclusion: Hypophysitis remains a rare disease with nonspecific clinical and radiological patterns. Autoimmune origin seems to be the most frequent etiology. No guidelines have been established for hypophysitis management and the evolution is still unpredictable.

2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (5) ◽  
pp. 549-557
Author(s):  
Malia McAvoy ◽  
Heather J. McCrea ◽  
Vamsidhar Chavakula ◽  
Hoon Choi ◽  
Wenya Linda Bi ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVEFew studies describe long-term functional outcomes of pediatric patients who have undergone lumbar microdiscectomy (LMD) because of the rarity of pediatric disc herniation and the short follow-up periods. The authors analyzed risk factors, clinical presentation, complications, and functional outcomes of a single-institution series of LMD patients over a 19-year period.METHODSA retrospective case series was conducted of pediatric LMD patients at a large pediatric academic hospital from 1998 to 2017. The authors examined premorbid risk factors, clinical presentation, physical examination findings, type and duration of conservative management, indications for surgical intervention, complications, and postoperative outcomes.RESULTSOver the 19-year study period, 199 patients underwent LMD at the authors’ institution. The mean age at presentation was 16.0 years (range 12–18 years), and 55.8% were female. Of these patients, 70.9% participated in competitive sports, and among those who did not play sports, 65.0% had a body mass index greater than 25 kg/m2. Prior to surgery, conservative management had failed in 98.0% of the patients. Only 3 patients (1.5%) presented with cauda equina syndrome requiring emergent microdiscectomy. Complications included 4 cases of postoperative CSF leak (2.0%), 1 case of a noted intraoperative CSF leak, and 3 cases of wound infection (1.5%). At the first postoperative follow-up appointment, minimal or no pain was reported by 93.3% of patients. The mean time to return to sports was 9.8 weeks. During a mean follow-up duration of 8.2 years, 72.9% of patients did not present again after routine postoperative appointments. The total risk of reoperation was a rate of 7.5% (3.5% of patients underwent reoperation for the same level; 4.5% underwent adjacent-level decompression, and one patient [0.5%] ultimately underwent a fusion).CONCLUSIONSMicrodiscectomy is a safe and effective treatment for long-term relief of pain and return to daily activities among pediatric patients with symptomatic lumbar disc disease in whom conservative management has failed.


Neurosurgery ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 47 (3) ◽  
pp. 778-783 ◽  
Author(s):  
Todd P. Thompson ◽  
L. Dade Lunsford ◽  
John C. Flickinger

ABSTRACT OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE Hemangiomas of neurosurgical interest are histologically benign vascular tumors that most often occur in the orbit or cavernous sinus. Hemangiomas can be diagnosed by their characteristic radiographic and angiographic appearance and their tendency to bleed excessively during attempted removal. Intracranial or intraorbital hemangiomas require treatment when they become symptomatic. CLINICAL PRESENTATION We report four hemangioma patients who presented with ocular symptoms or signs, such as orbital pain, ophthalmoplegia, proptosis, or impaired visual acuity. Before our evaluation, two patients had each had incomplete resections aborted because of excessive blood loss, one patient had undergone a nondiagnostic transsphenoidal biopsy, and one patient had had an unsuccessful embolization. INTERVENTION All four patients were treated with gamma knife radiosurgery. Tumors received a minimal tumor dose that ranged from 14 to 19 Gy. Follow-up evaluations were performed 6 to 24 months after radiosurgery and revealed a reduction in tumor volume in three patients and no tumor progression in the fourth. All patients had symptomatic improvement, but one had persistent diplopia. CONCLUSION In this early experience, stereotactic radiosurgery proved to be an effective management strategy that avoided the potentially serious complications associated with surgery or embolization of cavernous sinus hemangiomas.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
pp. 298
Author(s):  
Saleh Salah Safi ◽  
Khaled Murshed ◽  
Arshad Ali ◽  
Surjith Vattoth ◽  
Abdulrazzaq Haider ◽  
...  

Background: Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is an idiopathic nonneoplastic lymphadenopathy disorder which is characterized by lymph node enlargement, but it may also presents primarily involving a variety of extranodal sites, including central nerves system and craniospinal axis. This study reports five cases of craniospinal RDD, with review of epidemiology, clinical presentation, imaging, and histopathological features with current management strategies. Case Description: Five cases of RDD are diagnosed at Hamad General Hospital, Qatar, during 2013–2018. Two cases had dural-based cranial lesions with overlying cranial involvement while three cases were having extradural thoracic spine lesions. All cases underwent surgical intervention and confirmed by histopathology. Conclusion: Craniospinal RDD is a rare clinical presentation and poses significant diagnostic challenges preoperatively due to its similarity with other neoplastic or inflammatory diseases. Surgical option to remove compressive neural pathology provides a good clinical outcome with no recurrence in long-term follow-up.


Author(s):  
Dr. Shyamala Shyamala ◽  
Dr. Nina Kate ◽  
Dr. P. Sujatha

Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, a type of dilated cardiomyopathy, is a rare entity with increasing trend. The aetiology and pathogenesis of peripartum cardiomyopathy are still unknown. Although the mortality and morbidity rates are high, recognising this condition earlier and treating it with multidisciplinary approach has brought out a better outcome. We, hereby are reporting a case series of eight cases of peripartum cardiomyopathy reported in our hospital and their clinical presentation, echocardiography findings and their subsequent follow up.


2019 ◽  
Vol 50 (03) ◽  
pp. 188-192
Author(s):  
Saša Ilovar ◽  
Mirjana Benedik ◽  
Tina Vesnaver ◽  
Damjan Osredkar

Background Brain aneurysms are rare in the pediatric population. The diagnosis of a brain aneurysm in a child may be difficult because of its infrequency and often subtle or nonspecific clinical presentation. Endovascular therapy and microsurgical treatment are increasingly used approaches in treating children, possibly contributing to favorable outcomes if patients are treated in a timely manner. Objective We were interested in the clinical presentation, symptoms, diagnostics, treatment, and follow-up of pediatric patients with brain aneurysms in Slovenia. Methods This was a retrospective review of medical documentation of children with intracranial aneurysms treated at the University Children's Hospital in Ljubljana, Slovenia, from January 1998 to December 2017. Results We identified a cohort of eight children (median age: 14.9 years; range: 2.8–17.7). The estimated incidence of pediatric brain aneurysms in Slovenia is 0.12/100,000 children per year. We observed a male predominance (1.7:1). Half of the patients presented with acute onset of neurologic symptoms and three with subarachnoid hemorrhage. One of the patients had a related stroke. The presenting symptoms were tonic–clonic seizures, hemiparesis, paresthesias, speech disturbance, and cranial nerve palsy. The other half of aneurysms were identified incidentally. Five patients had anterior circulation aneurysms; the most prevalent location was the internal carotid artery. One patient was treated with surgical procedures, four patients were treated with endovascular procedures, and three patients were treated conservatively. Outcome was excellent in all patients. Conclusion Endovascular interventions and microsurgical procedures appear to be safe and effective in the treatment of brain aneurysms in the pediatric population. Asymptomatic patients with brain aneurysms need close follow-up.


Author(s):  
Colin P Hawkes ◽  
Sani M Roy ◽  
Bassem Dekelbab ◽  
Britney Frazier ◽  
Monica Grover ◽  
...  

Abstract Context The ketogenic diet is associated with progressive skeletal demineralization, hypercalciuria, and nephrolithiasis. Acute hypercalcemia has been described as a newly recognized complication of this treatment. Objective To describe the clinical characteristics of acute hypercalcemia in children on the ketogenic diet through analysis of the presentation, response to treatment, and natural history in a large cohort of patients. Design A multicenter case series was performed including children who developed acute hypercalcemia while treated with the ketogenic diet. Information on clinical presentation, treatment, and course of this complication was collated centrally. Results There were 14 patients (median (range) age 6.3 (0.9 to 18) years) who developed hypercalcemia 2.1 (range, 0.2-12) years after starting the ketogenic diet. All had low levels of parathyroid hormone and levels of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D were low in all except one. Seven (50%) had impaired renal function at presentation. All except the 2 oldest had low alkaline phosphatase levels for age. Once normocalcemia was achieved, hypercalcemia recurred in only 2 of these patients over observation of up to 9.8 years. One patient discontinued the ketogenic diet prior to achieving normocalcemia while 4 more stopped the diet during follow-up after resolution of hypercalcemia. Conclusions Ketotic hypercalcemia can occur years after starting the ketogenic diet, especially in the setting of renal impairment. The mechanism is unknown but appears to be due to reduced osteoblast activity and impaired bone formation. We recommend close attention to optimizing bone health in these children, and screening for the development of ketotic hypercalcemia.


2019 ◽  
Vol 90 (6) ◽  
pp. 695-703 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anshit Goyal ◽  
Lorenzo Rinaldo ◽  
Redab Alkhataybeh ◽  
Panagiotis Kerezoudis ◽  
Mohammed Ali Alvi ◽  
...  

ObjectiveThere is a paucity of literature investigating the clinical course of patients with spinal intramedullary cavernous malformations (ISCMs). We present a large case series of ISCMs to describe clinical presentation, natural history and outcomes of both surgical and conservative management.MethodsWe retrospectively reviewed the clinical course of patients diagnosed with ISCMs at our institution between 1995 and 2016. Haemorrhage was defined as clinical worsening in tandem with imaging changes visualised on follow-up MRI. Outcomes assessed included neurological status and annual haemorrhage rates.ResultsA total of 107 patients met inclusion criteria. Follow-up data were available for 85 patients. While 21 (24.7%) patients underwent immediate surgical resection, 64 (75.3%) were initially managed conservatively. Among this latter group, 16 (25.0%) suffered a haemorrhage during follow-up and 11 (17.2%) required surgical resection due to interval bleeding or neurological worsening. The overall annual risk of haemorrhage was 5.5% per person year. The rate among patients who were symptomatic and asymptomatic on presentation was 9.5% and 0.8%, respectively. Median time to haemorrhage was 2.3 years (0.1–12.3). Univariate analysis identified higher ISCM size (p=0.024), history of prior haemorrhage (p=0.013) and presence of symptoms (p=0.003) as risk factors for subsequent haemorrhage. Multivariable proportional hazards analysis revealed presence of symptoms to be independently associated with haemorrhage during follow-up (HR 9.39, CI 1.86 to 170.8, p=0.013).ConclusionLarge, symptomatic ISCMs appear to be at increased risk for subsequent haemorrhage. Surgery may be considered in such lesions to prevent rebleeding and subsequent neurological worsening.


2018 ◽  
Vol 8 (3) ◽  
pp. 272-275
Author(s):  
Santiago M C Lopez ◽  
Brian T Campfield ◽  
Andrew J Nowalk

Abstract Background Guidelines for pediatric Lyme meningitis recommend treatment with parenteral therapy [1, 2]. Adult studies suggest that Lyme meningitis can be successfully treated with oral therapy. Our objective was to evaluate the clinical response, side effects and outcome of oral therapy for Lyme meningitis in the pediatric population compared with parenteral therapy in an area endemic for Lyme disease. Methods We conducted a case series chart review from January 2012 to May 2017 of pediatrics patient diagnosed and treated for Lyme meningitis. We recorded clinical presentation, laboratory values, antimicrobial therapy and follow up after therapy to compare the efficacy of oral versus parenteral route of therapy. Results We identified 38 patients diagnosed with Lyme meningitis. Thirty-two patients were discharge with exclusively oral therapy with: doxycycline and amoxicillin. We had only 2 patients developed potential adverse effects from oral doxycycline therapy. All patients treated with oral antibiotics had resolution of symptoms on follow up appointments. Conclusions Oral therapy for Lyme meningitis yields no serious adverse events, was well tolerated and showed resolution of symptoms.


2019 ◽  
Vol 40 (Supplement_1) ◽  
Author(s):  
G Sa Mendes ◽  
J Abecasis ◽  
A Ferreira ◽  
R Ribeiras ◽  
C Reis ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Cardiac myxomas are rare, despite being the most common primary cardiac tumours. A significant number of myxomas are discovered accidentally in asymptomatic patients (pts), as there is increased use of non-invasive cardiac imaging. Our aim was to describe the experience of a cardiac surgery centre managing cardiac myxomas during the last 28 years. Methods Single-center retrospective study of consecutive pts admitted with the diagnosis of a cardiac myxomas between 1990 and 2018. Registry data concerning clinical presentation, non-invasive imaging assessment and definitive histopathology were collected. Results From 154 pts with the diagnosis of cardiac tumours, we identified 106 (68.8%) myxomas (67% females; mean age at diagnosis 61,5±13,1 years). Myxoma diagnosis increased throughout the 3 decades (27 cases until 2000; 26 cases in the second decade; 52 cases from 2010 until present). 30% of the pts were asymptomatic at diagnosis. Obstructive symptoms (heart failure and syncope) and embolic events were the most common complaints among symptomatic pts. Transthoracic echocardiography firstly identified the tumours in 88% of the cases. Cardiac magnetic resonance and computed tomography were performed for further investigation in 7% of the cases. Presumptive pre-operative diagnosis was correct in 83.8% pts. Surgical excision was successfully achieved in all cases. 89% of the tumours were located in the left atrium with inter-atrial septum implantation (13 in right chambers; 1 valvular tumour). There were 10 multifocal tumours. At histopathology myxomas were grossly described as mucous jelly appearance (80%), solid (15%) and mixed type lesions (5%). Rare histologic findings were described in 30% of the cases (8 tumours with bone tissue; 1 with forming bone marrow; 4 with endocrine type glandular epithelium; 16 with lympho-plasmocytic infiltrates; 3 with high mitotic grade; 5 with concomitant thrombus). For a median follow up of 86 [31–214] months there were 15 deaths (2 of them with tumour related deaths). There were 3 recurrences (2 with high mitotic grade histology), mostly occurring 3 years after the first intervention. Conclusion In this case series cardiac myxomas are the most common cardiac tumours, with a significant proportion of asymptomatic lesions. Clinical heterogeneity followed polymorphic histology, with recognized differences when compared to classical descriptions of this kind of tumour.


2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (9) ◽  
pp. 2167-2173 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kemble K. Wang ◽  
Sarah D. Bixby ◽  
Donald S. Bae

Background: Osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) of the humeral trochlea is very rare. It may cause pain, mechanical symptoms, and loss of elbow motion, typically in the adolescent athlete. However, little published information is available regarding this condition. Purpose: To describe the clinical presentation, radiographic features, and prognosis of trochlear OCD. Study Design: Case series; Level of evidence, 4. Methods: Over a 10-year period, 28 patients presented to a tertiary pediatric hospital with trochlear OCD. Medical records and imaging were analyzed to characterize presentation, lesions appearances, and outcomes. Results: Mean ± SD age at presentation was 13.4 ± 1.6 years, and 13 of the 28 patients were male. The most common presenting symptom was pain (93%), followed by crepitus (54%). Evidence of trochlear OCD could be seen on initial radiographs in 94% of cases but was commonly missed. Coexisting capitellar OCD lesions were the most common associated abnormalities seen on magnetic resonance imaging (21%). Investigators noted 2 predominant patterns: “typical” trochlear OCD lesions (89%) were located on the lateral crista of the trochlea, 3.1 ± 4.4 mm lateral to the apex of the trochlear groove. This location corresponded to the medial tip of the capitellar epiphyseal ossification center and was not actually on the trochlear ossification center. “Atypical” trochlear OCD lesions (11%) were located more posteromedially. Trochlear OCD lesions in 4 elbows were managed surgically, while the remainder were managed nonoperatively. At mean ± SD follow-up of 13 ± 8 months, 12 patients (43%) were asymptomatic. A further 5 patients had ongoing crepitus but no pain (18%), and 4 patients (14%) underwent surgical treatment for their trochlear OCD (osteochondral fixation, n = 1; drilling/curettage, n = 3); 3 of the 4 patients experienced some improvement in pain. Conclusion: Although rare, trochlear OCD can cause considerable elbow problems. Clinicians should be aware of this differential diagnosis. Plain radiographs should be carefully scrutinized for subtle signs of trochlear OCD, particularly in the repetitive or overhead athlete with elbow pain. Although most patients’ symptoms will improve with activity modification, some may require surgery.


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