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Biomedical subjects

G C Fong

Publications and source records attributed to G C Fong.

9 recordsLinked to original sources

Low molecular weight heparin-induced liver toxicity.

The authors report two cases of hepatotoxicity induced by low molecular weight heparin. A 26-year-old woman and a 33-year-old man were treated with low molecular weight heparin for pulmonary embolism and cerebral infarction, respectively. They both developed derangement in liver function tests a few days after commencement of the low molecular weight heparin. The derangement in liver function tests was associated with a decreased serum complement 3 activity. Their liver functions recovered over a period of 2 to 3 months after low molecular weight heparin was stopped. Liver biopsy in the woman demonstrated balloon degeneration with scattered foci of hepatocytic necrosis, suggesting a complement-mediated hepatocellular damage.

Adult↗

Recent advances in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy.

Epilepsy is the second most common neurological disorder in developed countries. Recent advances in the understanding of pathogenetic mechanisms and in the diagnosis and management of epilepsy over the past decade have had a significant impact on every aspect of epilepsy management. A simple diagnosis is inadequate for both patients and physicians. A full diagnostic investigation to classify the type of epilepsy is now mandatory for appropriate care. In this review, current views on pathogenetic mechanisms, controversies in classification, advances in neuroimaging techniques, the use of novel antiepileptic drugs, and non-pharmacological treatment options for intractable epilepsy will be discussed.

Anticonvulsants↗

Childhood absence epilepsy with tonic-clonic seizures and electroencephalogram 3-4-Hz spike and multispike-slow wave complexes: linkage to chromosome 8q24.

Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE), a common form of idiopathic generalized epilepsy, accounts for 5%-15% of childhood epilepsies. To map the chromosomal locus of persisting CAE, we studied the clinical and electroencephalographic traits of 78 members of a five-generation family from Bombay, India. The model-free affected-pedigree member method was used during initial screening with chromosome 6p, 8q, and 1p microsatellites, and only individuals with absence seizures and/or electroencephalogram 3-4-Hz spike- and multispike-slow wave complexes were considered to be affected. Significant P values of .00000-.02 for several markers on 8q were obtained. Two-point linkage analysis, assuming autosomal dominant inheritance with 50% penetrance, yielded a maximum LOD score (Zmax) of 3.6 for D8S502. No other locus in the genome achieved a significant Zmax. For five smaller multiplex families, summed Zmax was 2.4 for D8S537 and 1.7 for D8S1761. Haplotypes composed of the same 8q24 microsatellites segregated with affected members of the large family from India and with all five smaller families. Recombinations positioned the CAE gene in a 3.2-cM interval.

California↗

Tuberculosis meningitis in Hong Kong: experience in a regional hospital.

Tuberculous meningitis (TBM) remains common in Hong Kong. From January 1996 to June 1997, 11 adult patients with TBM presented to Queen Mary Hospital, a regional hospital in Hong Kong. The annual incidence of TBM was estimated at 1.8 per 100,000 population. Nine patients were local Chinese, and only one patient had the acquired immune-deficiency syndrome (AIDS). In contrast to the classical presentation as a chronic indolent disease, our patients presented acutely: the mean duration from onset of symptoms to presentation was 4.8 days (range 0-10). The most common presenting symptoms were headache (64%), fever (46%), or both (36%), with focal deficits occurring in 64% of patients. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) were positive in 30% and 29% of cases. Mean CSF cell count, protein and glucose levels were 340 x 10(6)/L, 267 mg/dL, and 2.3 mmol/L, respectively. Extra-neural tuberculosis occurred in 46% of cases. All patients survived and responded to treatment. Drug-induced hepatotoxicity was common; 64% of patients developed biochemical hepatitis.

Adult↗

Knowledge of stroke in Hong Kong Chinese.

A random telephone survey on knowledge of stroke was conducted in 1, 238 Hong Kong Chinese. Most respondents realized that effective treatment was available, that stroke was preventable and that it could be fatal or disabling. Sudden unilateral limb weakness, sudden speech and language disturbances, and sudden vertigo and clumsiness were better recognized than other warning symptoms of stroke. A slightly better recognition of symptoms of stroke was seen in those with a belief of knowing about stroke, providing a correct description of stroke, those with a positive household history of stroke and those with a better knowledge of potential risk factors. Most respondents would choose desirable actions if stroke was suspected in their family members or themselves. Friends and relatives, newspapers and magazines, and mass media provided the major sources of their knowledge.

Adolescent↗