This investigation examined the efficacy of psychostimulant therapy in alleviating neurobehavioral dysfunction attendant to pediatric brain injury. The most commonly reported neurobehavioral sequelae associated with head injury in the pediatric population involve deficits along the attentional matrix. This is also the most common objectively documented neurobehavioral finding among children as well as adults. There are several investigations in the adult literature which have employed the use of psychostimulants in treating both psychiatric and neuropsychological residua associated with head injury. Overall, the results of these studies are equivocal, but suggest a beneficial impact on general functioning. The present prospective investigation utilized a double-blind, placebo-controlled, cross-over experimental design to examine the efficacy of methylphenidate in treating children with acquired attentional disorders secondary to brain injury. A cohort of 14 children with varying degrees of head injury were recruited for participation. As expected, differences between drug and placebo conditions uniformly achieved statistical significance. Additionally, there were no differences in performance between baseline and placebo conditions on neurobehavioral tasks of attention and concentration. Current findings suggest that methylphenidate (and probably other psychostimulants such as Cylert, Adderal, Wellbutrin and dextroamphetamine sulfate) is an extremely effective agent in treating attentional disorders secondary to brain injury in children.
Rosai-Dorfman disease (RDD) is an idiopathic histioproliferative disorder usually presenting with massive, painless lymphadenopathy. Extranodal involvement has been reported including at least 50 cases affecting the central nervous system (CNS). The treatment of CNS RDD as reported in the literature has primarily involved a surgical technique. The authors report on the case of a 53-year-old man presenting with multiple skull base lesions mimicking meningiomas. The patient suffered visual deterioration and underwent a right orbitopterional craniotomy as well as optic nerve decompression. Histopathological analysis revealed histiocytic cells and emperipolesis consistent with RDD. Following surgery, corticosteroid agents were administered, leading to marked resolution of both the remaining surgically untreated lesions and the balance of the patient's symptoms. This report represents the first case of the resolution of intracranial RDD following corticosteroid therapy. Corticosteroid agents should be considered an effective option in the treatment of CNS RDD.
We describe a family with supernumerary nipples and kidney and urinary tract malformations. The proband is a 59-year-old man with a supernumerary nipple and recently identified hypoplastic kidney, bladder diverticulum, and hypotonic bladder. His mother also has a supernumerary nipple and a recently identified hypoplastic kidney. Of his three children, all male, one has a supernumerary nipple but has not been evaluated for a kidney or urinary tract malformation. This familial disorder is discussed.
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.