Four cases of cerebral venous sinus thrombosis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Fujitake.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We report two adult Japanese sisters with L-2-hydroxy-glutaric aciduria (acidemia), both of whom were much older (aged 57, 47 years old) than previously reported patients (from neonate to 44 years old), and who presented with differing severity. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed typical subcortical white matter lesions in both cases and showed brainstem atrophy and thickness of the calvarium in the elder sister. L-2-Hydroxyglutaric acid levels were increased in urine, plasma, and cerebrospinal fluid. These cases suggest that organic acid analysis is necessary even in elderly patients who seem to have neurodegenerative disorders.
A 38-year-old Japanese male who had traveled in China from September 13 to October 5, 1997, developed fever and severe conjunctivitis from October 20. After he was hospitalized in Kyoto City Hospital for persistent high fever on October 29, he developed muscular weakness and dysphagia which continued for two weeks. An electromyogram showed a myogenic pattern, and laboratory findings showed significant elevation of serum enzyme levels of muscle origin: CPK, 3,095 IU/l; aldorase, 195 IU/l; myoglobin, 7,570 ng/ml, and myoglobinuria, 94,700 ng/ml. The WBC was 10,800/microliter with 45% eosinophils. Muscular biopsy showed degeneration of muscle fibers with infiltration of macrophages and lymphocytes. On further inquiry, it was revealed that the patient had eaten smoked bear meat in China on September 30, three weeks prior to the onset of symptoms. A dot-ELISA serologic test for parasites was positive for Trichinella. Further, a coiled 1.2 mm long Trichinella larve was recovered from approximately 100 mg of frozen biopsied muscle by an enzyme digestion method. Mebendazole was given to the patient at a dosage of 200 mg/day for seven days. CPK levels were normalized within 3 days of the beginning of the treatment, and he was discharged without any symptoms. Physicians must be aware of trichinellosis and should include it in their differential diagnosis when examining patients with myositis and eosinophilia of unknown origin.
Magnetic resonance imaging of skeletal muscles was performed in 11 patients with polymyositis. Two types of muscle lesions were revealed. The first, inflammation, showed increased signal intensity on T2-weighted images and iso-intensity on T1-weighted images. The second, fatty replacement, showed increased signal intensity on both images. The coronal sections could elucidate the extension of the lesion in each affected muscle. Inflammation was relatively diffuse, while homogeneous fatty replacement tended to begin at the lower myotendinous junctions.
We describe a patient with idiopathic hypertrophic cranial pachymeningitis (IHCP) associated with hydrocephalus and myocarditis in whom steroids caused remission of the hypertrophic dura and enlarged ventricles. Myocarditis induced complete atrioventricular block that responded to steroids initially but later required permanent pacemaker implantation. Serum ANA and anti-dsDNA antibody were positive. Our case suggests that IHCP and myocarditis may share a common autoimmune etiology.
We describe a case of localized polymyositis accompanied by chronic thyroiditis. Computerized tomogram and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies clearly revealed the lesion localized in the left gastrocnemius muscle. MRI was useful in determining the extent and severity of the muscle lesion. Steroid administration was very effective in the treatment of this patient.
The effects of insulin-induced hypoglycemia on catecholamine secretion were investigated in patients with various neurological disorders affecting the autonomic nervous system. In control subjects, insulin-induced hypoglycemia resulted in marked increases in plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels. Heart rates were increased within 15 minutes after the insulin injection which were associated with slight elevation and depression of systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively. In patients with upper level spinal cord lesions (C1-T6) of various etiology, Shy-Drager syndrome and familial amyloidosis, insulin-induced hypoglycemia failed to increase plasma epinephrine and norepinephrine levels and resulted in falls in systolic and/or diastolic blood pressure 15 minutes after the injection. Heart rates were increased at 30-45 minutes after the injection. In patients with lower spinal cord lesions (T10-L1), neurosyphilis or brain stem tumor with orthostatic hypotension, the catecholamine responses were normal and blood pressure did not fall during insulin-induced hypoglycemia. In patients with Parkinson's disease and spinocerebellar degeneration with autonomic symptoms catecholamine responses were not impaired. These findings suggest that any lesion involving the sympathetic efferent systems of baroreflex such as the spinal descending pathway, sympathetic preganglionic neuron and peripheral nervous system causes both impairment of catecholamine secretion and a fall in blood pressure during hypoglycemia, and that lesions in sympatho-afferent system may not affect the secretion of catecholamine and neural control of blood pressure.
Measurement of variant Met30 transthyretin is diagnostic for a patients with familial amyloidotic polyneuropathy (FAP) type I. The elder brother first noticed numbness of the feet at 64 years of age, and developed weakness of the legs. A few years later, he noticed numbness of the hands, and he was admitted to the hospital at 67 years of age. He was emaciated and had hoarseness and macroglossia. He had moderate muscle atrophy and weakness of all extremities with distal predominance. Deep tendon reflexes were hypoactive in the upper limbs and absent in the lower limbs. There was marked sensory loss of pain and temperature in all 4 limbs distally, and position sense was also impaired. He had mild orthostatic hypotension, severe cardiomegaly and arrhythmia. The younger brother noticed cold sensation of the feet and sexual impotence at 59 years of age. Two years later, he had numbness of the feet and developed weakness of the legs. At 65 years of age, he was admitted to the hospital because of the micturition syncope. He was emaciated and had macroglossia. He had moderate muscle atrophy and weakness of all extremities with distal predominance. Deep tendon reflexes were absent. There was marked sensory loss in the extremities which was predominant in pain and temperature. He had severe orthostatic hypotension (112/70 mmHg in supine position, 50/30 mmHg on standing). Plasma NE value was low and showed poor response to standing. He had neither cardiomegaly nor arrhythmia. Their parents were supposed to have no neurological symptom and were not related with any other Japanese foci of FAP.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A 42-year-old woman who presented phenytoin intoxication induced by acute hypothyroidism was reported. She had a 29-year history of hypothyroidism and a 18-year history of epilepsy. She was treated with phenytoin (PHT) 100 mg, mephobarbital (MPB) 200 mg, valproic acid (VPA) 400 mg and thyroid powder 100 mg daily for 2 years. She had no medical problem until she noticed gait disturbance and diplopia which appeared 1 month after sudden withdrawal of thyroid powder. On admission, she was somnolent and somewhat disoriented. She had nystagmus in horizontal direction of gaze. Her speech was slurred and she could not sit nor stand due to trunkal ataxia. There was prominent intentional tremor in finger-nose test and heel-shin test showed severe ataxia. Blood cell count and blood chemistry examinations were normal. Serum PHT, phenobarbital (PB) levels were elevated as to 26.4, 36.4 micrograms/ml, respectively. VPA level was low. The endocrinological examinations revealed primary hypothyroidism. EEG showed generalized slow background, but cranial MRI, EMG, SEP and ECG were normal. Thyroxine (T4) administration was started soon, and in the course of thyroid hormone replacement, her cerebellar symptoms gradually improved and serum PHT level decreased even to the subtherapeutical level with the same amount of antiepileptic drugs treatment. By the 40th day of admission, thyroid function became normal and cerebellar signs disappeared, however, she needed 200 mg PHT daily to obtain good control of epilepsy. Cerebellar symptoms of this patient were thought to be PHT intoxication rather than ataxia caused by hypothyroidism itself from the viewpoint of clinical manifestations.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A case of polymyositis associated with chronic active hepatitis was reported. A 53-year-old man, who had no previous history of blood transfusion nor hepatitis, noticed proximal dominant muscle weakness on January 29, 1985. He was admitted to Kyoto National Hospital on February 7, and laboratory studies disclosed the elevation of serum enzyme levels; creatine kinase (CK) 9845 IU/L (normal 54-263), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT) 834 IU/L (9-31), glutamate pyruvate transaminase (GPT) 491 IU/L (4-34), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) 2135 IU/L (248-464). Also serum gamma globulin was high (1.8 g/dl) and LE-like cell was found. The diagnosis of polymyositis was made and prednisolone therapy (60 mg/day) was started on February 23. The elevated serum enzymes decreased gradually, but severe muscle weakness persisted for about one month. On April 3, he was admitted to our hospital. Physical examination revealed moderate proximal dominant muscle weakness without skin eruption, jaundice or hepatosplenomegaly. The serum enzymes were still high; CK 1826, GOT 173, GPT 232 (GOT less than GPT), LDH 1548. However, alkaline phosphatase (ALP) and bilirubin were normal. Hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was not detected. Antinuclear antibody was positive. The electromyogram study showed myopathic change, and the muscle biopsy demonstrated myopathic change and cell infiltration, compatible with polymyositis. These results suggested liver dysfunction associated with polymyositis. Prednisolone therapy was continued and muscle weakness decreased. From December, 1985, serum enzymes (CK, GOT, GPT, LDH) elevated again and muscle weakness also slightly increased. Anti-smooth muscle antibody was positive. It was suggested that both polymyositis and liver dysfunction deteriorated.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
The recovery of dopamine (DA) neurons in young adult mice from 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP) damage was analyzed at various times after MPTP treatment with DA and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunohistochemistry and also by chemical DA assay. A remarkable discrepancy in the recovery rate of DA and TH reactivities of the nigral neurons was observed: the TH immunoreactivities of both cell bodies in the substantia nigra and terminals in the neostriatum were markedly reduced 4 days after MPTP. However, these reactivities progressively improved and almost fully recovered after 25 days, while the DA immunoreactivities were maximally depleted 10 days after, and the depletion continued even through the 25th day. The alteration of DA levels was correlated with that of DA immunoreactivity. These findings suggest that a major effect of MPTP on the DA neurons of young adult mice is a transient neurotoxicity, and that the TH content improves more promptly than that of DA.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.