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Biomedical subjects

A I Bhigjee

Publications and source records attributed to A I Bhigjee.

50 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

Multiple sclerosis in a black patient. A case report.

A patient with probable multiple sclerosis (MS), believed to be the first well-documented case in a black South African, is described. The value of laboratory tests in the diagnosis of MS, viz. evoked responses, neuro-imaging and cerebrospinal fluid immunoglobulin profiles, is discussed.

Black People↗
PubMed1987

Ulcerative colitis and interstitial myositis.

Amongst the protean extra-intestinal manifestations of inflammatory bowel disease, scant mention is made of muscle involvement. This report outlines the clinical features, electrodiagnostic and muscle biopsy findings in a patient with ulcerative colitis who developed progressive proximal muscle weakness. The demonstration of interstitial myositis is discussed in relation to his underlying disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Adult aqueduct stenosis and diencephalic epilepsy. A case report.

A white male developed severe headaches at the age of 31 years. Aqueduct stenosis with hydrocephalus was diagnosed. Some months after surgery (shunt) his behaviour altered and eventually he became mute and akinetic. Frequent episodes of marked autonomic over-activity occurred. The clinical and necropsy findings of aqueduct stenosis, hydrocephalus and periaqueductal gliosis, led us to believe that these indicated diencephalic epilepsy.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

A study of urinary sodium and potassium excretion rates among urban and rural Zulus and Indians.

A study was carried out to evaluate the relationship between blood pressure, plasma renin activity, serum aldosterone and patterns of urinary sodium and potassium excretion rates in urban Zulus, rural Zulus and Indians in order to explain the high prevalence of hypertension in the urban adult Zulu (25%) compared to the rural adult Zulu (10%). Urinary sodium and potassium were not significantly different between urban and rural Zulus. There was no association between sodium excretion and blood pressure. Urinary potassium correlated negatively with blood pressure in rural Zulus and Indians but not in urban Zulus. The urinary sodium:potassium ratio was significantly lower in rural Zulus than in urban Zulus. The sodium:potassium ratio of Indians was not significantly different from that of Zulus. Plasma renin activity levels were significantly lower in urban than in rural Zulus. This difference is an enigma but may be due to an environmental factor. Serum aldosterone correlated positively with plasma renin activity and negatively with the urinary sodium:potassium ratio.

Adult↗
PubMed1984

Reserpine plus hydrochlorothiazide and sotalol plus hydrochlorothiazide in Black and Indian hypertensive patients.

Fifty patients (25 Blacks and 25 Indians) suffering from mild-to-moderate hypertension (supine diastolic blood pressure 100 - 105 mmHg) were studied in order to compare the antihypertensive effect of a combination of a beta-blocker (sotalol hydrochloride 160 mg/d) plus a thiazide derivative (hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/d) ( Sotazide ; B-M) with that of a combination of reserpine 0,1 mg/d ( Serpasil ; Ciba) plus hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/d ( Dichlotride ; Frosst MSD). The combination of reserpine plus hydrochlorothiazide was found to be as effective as that of sotalol plus hydrochlorothiazide in lowering the blood pressure in both the Black and the Indian patients. Two patients taking the combination containing reserpine developed side-effects, but this did not occur in any of those taking the combination containing sotalol. We feel that in developing countries, where the cost of therapy is important, reserpine in a dosage of less than 0,1 mg/d plus a thiazide derivative in low dosage is preferable to a beta-blocker plus a thiazide derivative in the treatment of hypertension.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1983

Biochemical changes in black and Indian hypertensive patients on diuretic therapy.

Thirty-seven patients (19 Blacks and 18 Indians) suffering from mild hypertension were given each of five diuretics separately for 4 weeks after a 'washout' period on placebo of the same duration. The diuretics used were hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg/d (Dichlotride; Frosst MSD), hydrochlorothiazide 25 mg plus triamterene 50 mg (Dyazide; SKF) 1 tablet per day, amiloride hydrochloride 5 mg plus hydrochlorothiazide 50 mg (Moduretic; MSD) 1 tablet per day, chlorthalidone (Hygroton; Geigy) 50 mg/d and indapamide (Natrilix; Servier) 2.5 mg/d. The study showed that during the acute phase of diuretic therapy for the treatment of hypertension plasma potassium levels were decreased by thiazide and thiazide-like diuretics and increased by potassium-sparing diuretics. However, despite the decrease in plasma potassium levels produced by thiazide diuretics and indapamide these levels did not fall to 3.0 mmol/l or less. All the diuretics were effective in lowering the standing mean arterial pressure when compared with placebo values. In the absence of significant hypokalaemia, the choice of a diuretic for the Black hypertensive patient should therefore be determined by its cost.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

Shunt myelopathy. A report of 2 cases.

Portal-systemic shunts, either spontaneous or artificial, are occasionally complicated by the development of spastic paraparesis. We report on 2 young patients who developed this complication following splenorenal shunts which were made for the treatment of oesophageal varices associated with cirrhosis of the liver and portal hypertension.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme estimation and the Kveim-Siltzbach test in sarcoidosis.

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (SACE) and Kveim-Siltzbach test results were obtained in 25 patients with clinically active sarcoidosis. Twenty of these patients had elevated SACE levels and 17 had positive Kveim-Siltzbach tests. One patient had normal SACE activity and a negative Kveim-Siltzbach test. Four of the 6 patients with a normal SACE level had a positive Kveim-Siltzbach test and 7 of the 8 patients with a negative Kveim-Siltzbach test had elevated SACE levels. These results indicate that the two tests are complementary and increase the diagnostic specificity in sarcoidosis. We conclude that the concurrent use of SACE measurement and Kveim-Siltzbach tests is of value in the diagnosis of sarcoidosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme in sarcoidosis.

Serum angiotensin-converting enzyme (SACE) activity was measured in 29 patients with sarcoidosis, 51 reference subjects, 7 patients with active tuberculosis and 8 patients with other lung diseases. SACE activity was increased in 93% of the patients with sarcoidosis as compared with the reference subjects. Patients with active tuberculosis and other lung diseases did not have increased SACE activity.

Adult↗