1/3. Kojewnikow's epilepsia partialis continua: two cases associated with striatal necrosis.The authors report two cases of children suffering from epilepsia partialis continua (EPC). The first case concerned a boy primarily affected by abdominal neuroblastoma and secondarily by bilateral EPC; "pallidal posture" was the prominent clinical feature. An acute measles encephalitis was diagnosed and the CT scan showed necrosis of the putamina. The second case concerned a girl suffering from increased intracranial pressure due to suprasellar craniopharyngioma. Seven days after intervention, diabetes insipidus and EPC appeared. Enlargement of rolandic and sylvian spaces and lacunar necrosis of the putamen on the left side were also evident on the CT scan. The authors emphasize the significance of occasional metabolic disturbances, especially natremia, in the development of EPC.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = putamen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/3. In vivo quantitation of basal ganglia and thalamic degenerative changes in two temporal lobectomy patients with affective disorder.The authors examined the brain magnetic resonance imaging scans of two epilepsy patients who had temporal lobectomies, one on the right and one on the left, with postoperative symptoms of affective disorders. Degenerative changes of ipsilateral thalamus and putamen after surgery, with coincident affective disorder, were noted. The authors discuss a possible relationship between postlobectomy degeneration and depression.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = putamen (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/3. The syndrome of delayed posthemiplegic hemidystonia, hemiatrophy, and partial seizure: clinical, neuroimaging, and motor-evoked potential studies.Magnetic motor-evoked potential (MEP) study of patients with the syndrome of delayed posthemiplegic hemidystonia, hemiatrophy, and partial or hemi-seizures ('4-hemi' syndrome) has not been described. Among 35 patients investigated for posthemiplegic movement disorders from February 1988 to January 1995, seven showed '4-hemi' syndrome. Clinical work-up, magnetic resonance images (MRI) and/or computed tomography (CT) were performed in all. Transcranial MEP studies were done in five patients. The remote causes of '4-hemi' syndrome were neonatal stroke, trauma, and encephalitis in infancy. The dystonia may occur as long as a decade after the initial insult. MRI or CT showed destructive lesion in the contralateral putamen (five patients), caudate (four), thalamus (five), and atrophy of the contralateral hemisphere (five). Other associations were porencephalic cyst. wallerian degeneration, and asymmetric compensatory ventriculomegaly. MEP showed abnormalities in the affected upper limbs in four of five patients. The abnormalities were reduced amplitude of the compound muscle action potential following cortical stimulations with or without temporal dispersion, and with or without prolongation of its latency. The peripheral motor conductions following cervical stimulations were normal. MEP abnormalities may not be related to the hemiatrophy and the size of brain lesion per se. The hemidystonia is static after the second decade of life, and it is often difficult to treat.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = putamen (Clic here for more details about this article) |