We describe a patient with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) who was treated with high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone 2 days after onset of neurologic symptoms. Despite poor prognostic factors and extensive white matter lesions, the patient recovered dramatically with no need for maintenance steroid therapy. This case report of fulminant ADEM treated successfully with early high-dose intravenous methylprednisolone, although uncontrolled, suggests that this agent should be studied in other cases.
Background-Cranial nerve palsy in cerebral sinovenous thrombosis (CVT) is rare, its pathophysiology remains unclear, and data from electrophysiological examinations in such patients are missing. Case Description-We report the case of a 17-year-old woman with familial protein S deficiency who was admitted with extensive multiple CVT. Two weeks after onset of symptoms, she developed isolated right peripheral facial palsy, and MR venography showed segmental occlusion of the ipsilateral transverse sinus. Complete recovery of facial palsy occurred concomitant with recanalization of the transverse sinus. Facial neurography, including transcranial magnetic stimulation of the facial nerve and related motor cortex, ruled out a coincidental idiopathic palsy and revealed conduction block proximal to the facial canal. Conclusions-Facial palsy in our patient was caused by transient neurapraxia in the intracranial segment of the nerve. We suggest that elevated venous transmural pressure in the nerve's satellite vein, which belongs to the affected drainage territory of the transverse sinus, might have caused venous blood-brain barrier dysfunction in the intrinsic vascular system of the nerve, with leakage of fluids and ions into the endoneurial space and thus an increase in interstitial resistance. (Stroke. 2000;31:1766-1769.)
Recent studies by Cloninger suggest that the temperament dimension of harm avoidance might be related to serotonergic activity. Since serotonergic mechanisms equally play a major role in sleep regulation, we decided to use Cloninger's psychobiological model of temperament and character to assess whether there is a link between psychophysiologic insomnia and specific personality traits. Chronic insomnia is a common complaint in modern society, and it is still controversial whether insomniacs share specific personality traits. Thirty-two chronic insomniacs (< 50 years) were studied. They underwent polysomnography for two consecutive nights and filled out the 226-item self-questionnaire of Temperament and Character Inventory as well as the Hospital Anxiety and Depression scale. (1) Harm avoidance for all subscores was significantly higher in insomniac patients when compared with controls; (2) self-directedness scores were lower in insomniacs; (3) sleep latency was positively correlated to harm avoidance; (4) HA1 (anticipatory worry) was negatively correlated to REM latency. Temperament and Character Inventory is a useful tool in the investigation of chronic insomnia. Serotonergic mechanisms might explain the high incidence of harm avoidance as personality trait in psychophysiologic insomniac patients. Further studies are needed to see whether harm avoidance could be a psychological vulnerability marker for primary insomnia and be used as predictor of SSRI treatment responders.
Percutaneous cholecystostomy may provide a safe and effective alternative for the palliation of acute cholecystitis in pregnancy until a postpartum cholecystectomy can be performed.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.