1/18. Heterotopic ossification in childhood and adolescence.Heterotopic ossification, or myositis ossificans, denotes true bone in an abnormal place. The pathogenic mechanism is still unclear. A total of 643 patients (mean age, 9.1 years) admitted for neuropediatric rehabilitation were analyzed retrospectively with respect to the existence of neurogenic heterotopic ossification. The purpose of this study was to obtain information about incidence, etiology, clinical aspect, and consequences for diagnosis and therapy of this condition in childhood and adolescence. Heterotopic ossification was diagnosed in 32 patients (mean age, 14.8 years) with average time of onset of 4 months after traumatic brain injury, near drowning, strangulation, cerebral hemorrhage, hydrocephalus, or spinal cord injury. The sex ratio was not significant. In contrast to what has been found in adult studies, serum alkaline phosphatase was not elevated during heterotopic ossification formation. A persistent vegetative state for longer than 30 days proved to be a significant risk factor for heterotopic ossification. The incidence of neurogenic heterotopic ossification in children seems to be lower than in adults. A genetic predisposition to heterotopic ossification is suspected but not proven. As a prophylactic regimen against heterotopic ossification we use salicylates for those patients in a coma or persistent vegetative state with warm and painful swelling of a joint and consider continuous intrathecal baclofen infusion and botulinum toxin injection for those patients with severe spasticity. We prefer to wait at least 1 year after trauma before excision of heterotopic ossification.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
2/18. Prognostic value of evoked potentials and sleep recordings in the prolonged comatose state of children. Preliminary data.OBJECTIVES: sleep recordings and evoked potentials (EPs) were used in five comatose children to evaluate their predictive value for outcome following a severe comatose state. methods AND SUBJECTS: The protocol included EEG, Brainstem Evoked Responses (BERs), Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) and polysomnography. From 10 to 15 days post-coma (D10 to D15), EEG and clinical examinations were carried out every second day, then one day in four from 15 to 30 days post-coma (D15 to D30), and one day in seven from D30 to six months (M6). evoked potentials and polysomnography were recorded on D10-D15 or D30 in the second month (M2) and in M6. Of the five children, three were in anoxic coma and two in traumatic coma. All had extensive lesions and a glasgow coma scale (GCS) score of less than five. The results of the EEG, polysomnographic and EP recordings were compared to the clinical outcome. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: In the three anoxic comas we observed BER abnormalities and the absence of SEP N20 associated with wide cortical lesions with brainstem extension. sleep recordings showed major alterations of the wake-sleep cycle without any improvement in M6. Abnormalities included loss of the normal REM-sleep pattern associated with alteration of NREM sleep and periods of increase in motor activity without EEG arousal. This sleep pattern appeared to be associated with involvement of the brainstem. In the two traumatic comas, alterations of the early cortical SEP responses were less severe and the BERs were normal. Some sleep spindles were observed as well as the persistence of sleep cycles in the first weeks post-coma. The combined use of EEG, EPs and polysomnography improved the outcome prediction in comparison with the use of just one modality. EPs and sleep recordings were far superior to clinical evaluation and to GCS in the appreciation of the functional status of comatose children. The reappearance of sleep patterns is considered to be of favorable prognosis for outcome of the coma state, as is the presence of sleep spindles in post-trauma coma. This study showed that EPs and sleep recordings help to further distinguish between patients with good or bad outcomes.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
3/18. Mycotic aneurysms as lethal complication of brain pseudallescheriasis in a near-drowned child: a CT demonstration.Intracranial true mycotic aneurysms are rare and generally lethal. We report a case of a near-drowned child with brain abscesses due to pseudallescheria boydii, a saprophytic fungus, who died after subarachnoid hemorrhage occurred. CT showed contrast-enhancing lesions indicative of aneurysms of basilar and right posterior cerebral arteries that could not be appreciated 2 days before. P. boydii is often resistant to commonly used antimycotic drugs. Because CNS infection is frequently associated with near-drowning, early diagnosis and specific therapy are strongly recommended for these patients.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 5keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
4/18. December 2002: 19-year old male with febrile illness after jet ski accident.The December 2002 COM. A 19-year-old healthy male fell into stagnant water of the intercostal waterway (salt water of South florida), following a jet ski accident. He sustained minor superficial injuries but engulfed significant quantities of water and sediment. A few days later he developed bifrontal headaches, vomiting, a stiff neck and a temperature of 102 degrees F. A CT scan on admission without contrast was negative. The CSF had markedly elevated white count but bacterial and fungal cultures were negative. He became progressively lethargic. On the fifth day he developed seizure activity. He expired the next day despite antibiotics. Gross examination of the brain at autopsy revealed edema, cerebellar tonsillar herniation and purulent meningitis. Microscopic examination revealed a massive leptomeningeal inflammatory infiltrate composed of neutrophils, lymphocytes, and numerous histiocyte-like cells. The inflammatory infiltrate extended into the cerebral parenchyma in numerous areas also involving the cerebellum, brainstem and ventricular system. Given the exposure to stagnant water (later confirmed to be a man-made fresh water lake), and the numerous histiocytic-like cells, suspicion for an amebic etiology of the disease process was raised and the CDC identified the ameba as naegleria fowleri. Infection by naegleria fowleri, a free-living ameba, occurs after exposure to polluted water in man-made fresh water lakes, ponds, swimming pools, particularly during the warm weather months when the thermophilic ameba grows well. The pathologic substrate of the infection is an acute hemorrhagic, necrotizing meningo-encephalitis mainly at the base of the brain, brainstem and cerebellum occurring in young, healthy individuals.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
5/18. Central nervous system aspergillus fumigatus infection after near drowning.AIMS: To report the case of a 26 year old white man, who developed chronic meningitis and intracerebral granulomata 15 days after an episode of near drowning in a swamp. methods: aspergillus fumigatus was isolated from cerebrospinal fluid cultures. RESULTS: The patient died 70 days after the symptoms were first noticed, and seven days after a subarachnoid haemorrhage. Aspergillus has never been reported before as a cause of intracranial infection after near drowning. CONCLUSIONS: physicians must be aware of this possibility when confronted with such a situation, because there are now effective therapeutic options for systemic aspergillosis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 1.6049941705767keywords = nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
6/18. Infection of the CNS by scedosporium apiospermum after near drowning. Report of a fatal case and analysis of its confounding factors.This report describes a fatal case of central nervous system pseudallescheriasis. A 32 year old white man presented with headache and meningismus 15 days after nearly drowning in a swine sewage reservoir. Computerised tomography and magnetic resonance imaging of the head revealed multiple brain granulomata, which vanished when steroid and broad spectrum antimicrobial and antifungal agents, in addition to dexamethasone, were started. cerebrospinal fluid analysis disclosed a neutrophilic meningitis. Treatment with antibiotics and amphotericin b, together with fluconazole and later itraconazole, was ineffective. miconazole was added through an Ommaya reservoir, but was insufficient to halt the infection. pseudallescheria boydii was finally isolated and identified in cerebrospinal fluid cultures, a few days before death, three and a half months after the symptoms began. Diagnosis was delayed because of a reduction in the lesions after partial treatment, which prevented a stereotactic biopsy. physicians should be aware of this condition, and provide prompt stereotactic biopsy. Confirmed cases should perhaps be treated with voriconazole, probably the most effective, currently available treatment for this agent.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 2.8335128246945keywords = central nervous system, brain, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
7/18. Pulmonary pseudallescheria boydii infection with cutaneous zygomycosis after near drowning.pseudallescheria boydii is a ubiquitously occurring fungus. While rarely causing opportunistic infection in humans, it is the most common cause of fungal pneumonia in cases of near drowning, and is associated with high mortality. P. boydii typically causes cutaneous mycetomas but may invade the lungs or brain. P. boydii infections are difficult to treat due to amphotericin b resistance and frequent need for surgical resection. Zygomycetous infections, often referred to as "mucormycoses," usually occur in immunocompromised hosts, trauma or burn victims. Like P. boydii, these organisms are found on decaying vegetation and in soil. Zygomycetous infections generally require debridement and prolonged amphotericin b. We report a case of P. boydii pneumonia with a simultaneous brain lesion and cutaneous mucormycosis in a near drowning patient. The pneumonia responded to treatment with voriconazole and the brain lesion resolved without surgery. The cutaneous mucormycosis responded to surgery and amphotericin b. This is the first documented case of simultaneous invasive P. boydii and cutaneous mucormycosis successfully treated with dual systemic antifungal therapy and resection.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 3keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
8/18. Effect of zolpidem on brain injury and diaschisis as detected by 99mTc HMPAO brain SPECT in humans.The study investigates the effect of zolpidem (CAS 82626-48-0) on brain injuries and cerebellar diaschisis. Four patients with varied brain injuries, three of them with cerebellar diaschisis, were imaged by 99mTc HMPAO Brain SPECT before and after application of zolpidem. The baseline SPECT before zolpidem showed poor tracer uptake in brain injury areas and cerebellar diaschisis. After zolpidem, cerebral perfusion through brain injury areas improved substantially in three patients and the cerebellar diaschisis was reversed. Observations point to a GABA based phenomenon that occurs in brain injury and diaschisis that is reversible by zolpidem.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 13keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
9/18. Successful treatment of multiple pseudallescheria boydii brain abscesses and ventriculitis/ependymitis in a 2-year-old child after a near-drowning episode.RATIONALE: We report on a cerebral infection by pseudallescheria boydii in a 21-month-old boy after a near-drowning episode. MRI revealed multiple (> 60) intracerebral abscesses. methods: The surgical therapy included CSF drainage and microsurgical resection of one abscess for microbiological diagnosis. Antimycotic therapy included terbinafine and intraventricular caspofungin in addition to voriconazole. RESULTS: Systemic side effects of chemotherapy were not observed. After placement of a ventriculoperitoneal shunt, the boy was transferred to a rehabilitation clinic and improved neurologically. After 20 months, MRI documented a continuing remission of the disease. CONCLUSION: Our case proves that an aggressive treatment should be undertaken and can be successful in CNS pseudallescheriasis.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 4keywords = brain (Clic here for more details about this article) |
10/18. scedosporium apiospermum brain abscess treated with surgery and voriconazole. Case report.scedosporium apiospermum is a fungus found in the soil and in contaminated water. Common cutaneous manifestations include Madura foot, a painless swelling on the sole of the foot. Invasive infection is usually associated with immunosuppression. The authors present a 16-month-old immunocompetent boy who had a near-drowning event. Following this, he was severely disabled with spastic quadriparesis. Early computerized tomography scans revealed diffuse hypoxic injury. Magnetic resonance images obtained 3 months after the initial event demonstrated multiple ring-enhancing lesions in the brain. Aspiration of the lesion was performed. scedosporium apiospermum, the asexual form of pseudallescheria boydii, was cultured. Conventional antifungal agents were commenced, with minimal effect. The child was subsequently treated with a new antifungal agent, voriconazole, a broad-spectrum triazole antifungal agent with good penetration into the cerebrospinal fluid. The patient improved, with a good radiological outcome and a moderate clinical outcome. The authors review the use of voriconazole for central nervous system infections and review the literature on S. apiospermum associated with near drowning.- - - - - - - - - - ranking = 6.8335128246945keywords = central nervous system, brain, nervous system (Clic here for more details about this article) |
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