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Biomedical subjects

F Billé-Turc

Publications and source records attributed to F Billé-Turc.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

[Late onset myasthenia: 34 cases in patients over 65 years of age].

This study, a retrospective view of 34 patients with myasthenia gravis, compared the course of the disease for patients with onset before 65 and after 65 years. 70% of those under 65 were female while 55.8% of those over 65 were male. Bulbar symptoms were more frequent in older patients. Only 3 patients had another immune disease (rheumatoid arthritis, diabetes mellitus, thyroid pathology), and two a thymoma. All patients were treated with anticholinesterases. Prednisone was used in 44% of cases and rarely Azathioprine. In our cases and in the review of the literature there is no significant difference between age groups except for the sex ratio and the outcome in the older group in case of thymoma or respiratory failure.

Aged

A controlled one-year trial of dextromethorphan in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

In a one-year parallel group double-blind placebo-controlled study of dextromethorphan (1.5 mg/kg) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, no significant differences were observed in the rate of progression (Norris scale) in comparing 24 patients randomly assigned to the dextromethorphan group and 25 patients randomly assigned to the placebo group. Of the 24 patients in the dextromethorphan group, 17 had limb onset and 7 had bulbar onset disease; average duration of disease was 12.5 +/- 6 months and sex ratio (M:F) was 1.4:1. Of the 25 patients in the placebo group, 18 had limb onset and 7 had bulbar onset disease; average duration of disease was 9.9 +/- 6 months and sex ratio (M:F) was 1.55:1. Dextromethorphan is a weak noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) antagonist and higher doses or other potent NMDA receptor antagonists should be tested.

Adult

[Hiramaya disease: disease or syndrome?].

Hirayama's disease, a benign juvenile amyotrophy of "oblique" topography of an upper limb, has been acknowledged in the international literature. 4 cases are reported in this paper. However there present some differences: presence of antigangliosides antibodies in 1 case, cryoglobulinemia in another case developing bilaterally, conduction blocks in a third case. Finally, in the patient illustrating the typical form, the neuroradiological abnormalities considered as characteristic of cervical spine compression by Hirayama are lacking.

Adolescent

[An anatomo-clinical case of dementia in endovascular large-cell lymphoma].

Cerebral angiotropic large cell lymphoma is a rare fatal neurologic disorder characterized by multifocal intravascular proliferation of large pleomorphic cells within vessels of all caliber, predominantly skin and nervous system. Clinical manifestations in previously reported cases were dominated by focal neurologic signs, epilepsia and progressive dementia. We report a case of a 70 year-old man with subacute dementia, epileptic seizures and cerebrovascular events. There was no evidence of a systemic disease outside the nervous system. Cerebrospinal fluid contained 13 leukocytes/mm3 (49% of lymphocytic cells) and more than 100 mg/dl of protein. Cytology was negative. Cranial MRI demonstrated cerebral atrophy and an increased paraventricular signal in T 2 weighted images. A frontal brain biopsy revealed only neuronal dystrophy and astrocytic gliosis. Despite treatment with corticosteroids the patient died 18 months after the onset of the first symptoms. Autopsy was performed and revealed B cell lymphoma.

Aged

Intravenous immunoglobulin treatment in patients with motor neuron syndromes associated with anti-GM1 antibodies: a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.

We studied the effects of intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) in 12 patients with motor neuron syndromes associated with high titers of anti-GM1 antibodies. Five of the patients had conduction blocks. The study design was a double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover trial with IVIg (0.4 g/kg body weight per day injected for 5 consecutive days). We evaluated the patients before and 5, 28, and 56 days after drug administration using a computerized analyzer for muscle strength, the Norris scale for disability, motor nerve conduction velocities for patients with conduction blocks, and measurements of immunologic markers. Compared with placebo, IVIg induced a significant increase in muscle strength only in the patients with conduction blocks.

Adult