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Biomedical subjects

J Hannerz

Publications and source records attributed to J Hannerz.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Cerebrospinal fluid pressure and venous pressure in "dynamite headache" and cluster headache attacks.

Six patients with episodic cluster headache were investigated as to blood pressure, heart rate, cerebrospinal fluid pressure (Pcsf) and frontal vein pressure (Pvf) during five nitroglycerin (NG) provoked attacks and one spontaneous attack. In a seventh studied patient the NG failed to provoke an attack. The earlier reported decrease of systolic blood pressure and increase of diastolic blood pressure and heart rate after NG administration were also found in these patients. The "dynamite headache" was related to the start and duration of an increase of the cerebrospinal fluid pressure. There was no relationship between the start or the maximum pain of the cluster headache attack and changes in Pcsf or Pvf. On breathing oxygen during a cluster headache attack, there was a decrease of Pcsf but in some patients a temporary increase of Pvf was observed, which possibly indicates that oxygen simultaneously attains constriction of arteries and veins.

Adult↗

MRI of intracranial arteries in nitroglycerin induced cluster headache attacks.

Eight patients with episodic cluster headache, five in active episode, three out of episode, were investigated as to diameters of intracranial arteries before and after nitroglycerin (NG) administration. The diameter of all intracranial carotids were increased about 10 minutes after NG, although more in the patients in episode than in patients out of episode. The dilatation remained for the next 60 minutes in the patients who did not get a cluster headache attack. There was a normalization of the diameters of the internal carotid arteries compared to the initial values, at maximum pain in all patients who got a cluster headache attack. Similar changes were also found in the basilar arteries. The findings support the hypothesis of a constriction of intracranial arteries at maximum pain in cluster headache attacks to stop the pain.

Cerebral Arteries↗

Orbital phlebography and signs of inflammation in episodic and chronic cluster headache.

One of our 7 patients (14%) with chronic cluster headache had an abnormal orbital phlebogram; this was significantly less than the 61% encountered in our 13 patients with active episodic cluster headache who had this test done. There were no pathologically increased values for serum haptoglobin or orosomucoid in our 9 patients with chronic cluster headache, again significantly less than in our 43 patients with active episodic cluster headache, 51 percent of whom had pathologically increased values of haptoglobin or orosomucoid. These inflammatory signs decreased after the episodic cluster headache was over. Episodic cluster headache we suggest to be due to temporary sympathicoplegia caused by venous vasculitis in the cavernous sinus region; chronic cluster headache we attribute to permanent post-inflammatory sympathicoplegia in the middle fossa.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗

Cluster headache and "dynamite headache": blood flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery.

Nitroglycerin (NG) induces in cluster headache patients and controls an increase in systemic diastolic blood pressure and/or heart rate and a decrease in blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (VMCA). Termination of NG induced cluster headache-like attack was correlated to an increase of VMCA compared to the VMCA before NG administration (p less than 0.01). This increase was not found in patients without attack or in controls. The NG induced "dynamite headache" in the controls subsided when blood pressure and heart rate were normalized, but the decrease of VMCA still prevailed. Orbital phlebograms have shown pathologic changes in cluster headache and in Tolosa-Hunt syndrome but not in controls. Ocular sympathetic nerves are involved in cluster headache but seldom in Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. It is suggested that the start of a cluster headache attack is due to an increase and the termination of the attack to a decrease of blood flow to the sympathoplegic phlebopathic cavernous sinus.

Adult↗

Coagulation factors in orbital venous vasculitis.

Orbital venous vasculitis has earlier been shown to be associated with spontaneous ecchymoses. With the reservation that platelet function was not investigated and fibrinolysis only partly, this study of the coagulation factors of eight patients with orbital venous vasculitis showed normal findings, suggesting immunologic etiology rather than coagulation deficiency as the cause of the spontaneous ecchymoses.

Aged↗

A case of parasellar meningioma mimicking cluster headache.

A medical history of a 46-year-old male is reported. At 23 years of age, he started having diffuse pain in the left side of his head for up to 30 min once or twice a month. At 28, the pain changed into left-sided cluster headache-like attacks with 2-3 h duration and with ipsilateral conjunctival injection, lacrimation, and rhinnorhea, but with short-lasting free intervals of about two to three weeks. At 36, the pattern of the attacks corresponded to chronic migrainous neuralgia. At 40, the symptoms changed to painful ophthalmoplegia-picture. A left-sided parasellar meningioma was then diagnosed. Removal of the tumor caused complete amelioration. The case history is suggested to support the hypothesis that the cavernous sinus region is involved in cluster headache.

Adult↗

Pathoanatomic studies in a case of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome.

In an earlier study patients with symptoms of orbital venous vasculitis--that is, cases of characteristic orbital pain and pathologic orbital phlebograms--were found to have increased signs of cerebral atrophy compared with age-matched controls. One such patient with nine incidents of Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and advanced cerebral atrophy is reported, and his medical history and pathoanatomic studies are reported in detail. The cause of the atrophy was multiple small infarctions, which are suggested to be due to vasculitis. Other findings in this case support the hypothesis that the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome may be only one manifestation of a generalized vasculitis.

Aged↗

Systemic symptoms associated with orbital venous vasculitis.

Orbital venous vasculitis has been suggested to cause characteristic periorbital pain in patients with pathologic changes in their orbital phlebograms. The orbital pain is characterized by being unilateral, not shifting side, boring and pressing, but not throbbing, increasing on eye strain, exposure to cold, or weather changes, and resistant to analgesics. It is ameliorated by steroids. Fifty patients with symptoms of orbital venous vasculitis were investigated for other symptoms that could be related to the vasculitis. When the 32 female patients were compared with a randomly selected age- and sex-matched control group, there was a significant increase of symptoms of chronic fatigue, cold feet, gut problems such as constipation and/or diarrhea, arthralgia, memory impairment, rotatory vertigo, spontaneous ecchymoses (all, p less than 0.0001), back pain (p less than 0.012), and thrombophlebitis (p less than 0.022) in the patient group. These symptoms, although commonly occurring, seem in these patients to be related to the vasculitis. Blood tests of the fifty patients showed signs of inflammation which did not disagree with the hypothesis of an immunologic cause of the orbital venous vasculitis.

Adolescent↗

Effect of a carbohydrate-rich diet, low in protein-tryptophan, in classic and common migraine.

Because serotonin, released from platelets, has been suggested to initiate migraine, a decreased platelet serotonin content, attained by a reduced intake of serotonin and the serotonin precursor tryptophan, might be beneficial. In the brain, however, increased serotonin levels, achieved by a high carbohydrate intake, are probably favourable. Seven migraine patients (four with classic, three with common migraine) were placed on a carbohydrate-rich diet, low in protein-tryptophan. Three of the four classic migraineurs, but none of the common migraineurs, noted improvement in their migraine. Platelet serotonin uptake was within the normal range both before and at the end of the diet period. The apparent positive effect in the classic migraineurs could be due to a reduced intake of migraine-precipitating foods and/or increased brain serotonin levels.

Adult↗

Chronic paroxysmal hemicrania: orbital phlebography and steroid treatment. A case report.

A 62-year-old man with ankylosing spondylitis and with a 3-year history of chronic paroxysmal hemicrania is presented. Because of his ankylosing spondylitis naproxen was prescribed; this decreased the attacks of headache to about 50%. However, treatment with indomethacin and steroids eliminated the attacks completely, the former drug in 24 h but only when the drug was taken; the latter drug was completely effective after a week but with an effect that lasted half a year after the medication was stopped. Orbital phlebography showed changes similar to those previously observed in patients with Tolosa-Hunt syndrome and cluster headache. Venous vasculitis thus seems to be associated with all three disorders and may be a factor of etiologic significance.

Chronic Disease↗

Orbital phlebography in patients with cluster headache.

Thirteen patients with cluster headache in an active stage were investigated with orbital phlebography. About 60% of the patients showed pathologic changes on the phlebograms, such as changes in the appearance of the superior ophthalmic vein. Five patients had pathologic changes on both sides and three patients on one side only. All patients with unilateral pathologic findings on orbital phlebography had the attacks on the same side. The phlebographic findings in these patients with cluster headache were very similar to those of patients with the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome. There is also some similarity in the symptoms in the two disorders. It has previously been suggested that the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome is caused by venous vasculitis, and the present findings to some extent support the idea that cluster headache may have the same etiology.

Adult↗

A new etiology for visual impairment and chronic headache. The Tolosa-Hunt syndrome may be only one manifestation of venous vasculitis.

The Tolosa-Hunt syndrome is characterized by recurrent periods of painful ophthalmoplegia, dramatically ameliorated by steroid treatment. In half of the cases orbital phlebography shows characteristic changes. Ninety-six patients with orbital pain characteristic of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome were submitted to orbital phlebography regardless of the existence of other symptoms. A pathologic phlebogram with changes typical of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome was found in 50 patients. In 17 of these 50 patients the symptoms consisted of orbital pain only and no ophthalmoplegia. Twenty patients had pain and ipsilateral decrease of vision but no ophthalmoplegia, and 13 had painful ophthalmoplegia. Of 41 patients treated with steroid medication 39 responded dramatically with regard to the pain. Earlier findings indicate that the phlebographic changes are due to venous vasculitis, which thus may cause irreversible visual impairment but also chronic headache without ophthalmoplegia. It is concluded that the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome may be only one manifestation of a not uncommon disease.

Adolescent↗

Pain characteristics of painful ophthalmoplegia (the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome).

Pain characteristics of the Tolosa-Hunt syndrome were abstracted from the observations of five patients with repeated incidents of painful ophthalmoplegia. The pain was experienced either as pressure behind the ophthalmoplegic eye or as boring pain in one orbital region, fluctuating in intensity, sometimes worsening to knife stab-like pain in the eye. The unilateral pain did not shift side during a solitary incident of painful ophthalmoplegia and was never completely absent. The pain was increased when the eyes were strained, when cold wind blew against the face, and when a change in the weather took place. It was accompanied by a feeling of swelling in the affected region, but not by nausea nor vomiting. Conventional headache drugs provided little relief. All cases experienced tenderness when pressure was applied to the ipsilateral supraorbital foramen. The pain was suggested to be related to an increased load on the impaired venous blood flow in the region of the superior orbital fissure.

Adult↗

Orbital phlebography in patients with Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome in comparison with normal subjects.

Orbital phlebography has been reported to be pathologic in some patients with Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome (recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia). A systematic study of the phlebographic findings in Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome in comparison with a normal material seems not to have been performed. In this investigation, orbital phlebography was performed in 19 patients with Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome and in a reference group of 23 persons without the disease. In 13 of 19 patients (68%) with Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome, the phlebography was pathologic (narrowing or occlusion of particularly the third segment of the superior ophthalmic vein, partial occlusion of the cavernous sinus). Orbital phlebography was normal in all but one of the subjects in the reference group. The medical history of this subject in retrospect revealed symptoms other than painful ophthalmoplegia commonly found in patients with Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome, suggesting that he suffered from a variant of the disease causing the syndrome. In one patient with recurrent painful ophthalmoplegia a biopsy from an eye muscle showed venous vasculitis, probably indicating the basic pathology behind the phlebographic changes in patients with Tolosa-Hunt's syndrome.

Adult↗

Neurological and neuroradiological examination of chronic cannabis smokers.

Twelve subjects, eight male and four female, who had smoked on average more than 1 gm of cannabis daily for 10 years, were investigated with a clinical neurological examination and computed tomography (CT) of the brain. No subject had a history of major head trauma or cerebral infection, and just one abused alcohol. Only the subject with a history of alcoholism showed any abnormal cerebral function on clinical tests or any abnormality in the CT scan, compared with normal controls.

Adult↗

The fatigue of voluntary contraction and the peripheral electrical propagation of single motor units in man.

1. Single human motor units from the short extensors of the toes were classified by their voluntary threshold and axonal conduction velocity. The voluntary discharge intervals, and the shortest discharge intervals at which action potentials were conducted to the muscle fibres, were studied during maximal voluntary effort maintained for 1 min, and were compared with the intervals calculated to be necessary for full fusion.2. Electromyographic techniques were used. High selectivity of the recordings was obtained after blocking of the main motor nerve with lidocaine in subjects with an accessory innervation of just a few motor units or 6 months after lesions to intramuscular nerve twigs, when the muscle-fibre density within the motor units was increased.3. For a whole minute of maximal voluntary effort, motor units with low threshold and low conduction velocity fired tonically at a rate that should have been sufficient for maximal tension. These intervals were longer than the intervals at which blocking occurred.4. In ordinarily motivated and untrained subjects, motor units with high threshold and high conduction velocity fired tonically at intervals sufficient for full tension for some seconds. Under these circumstances the voluntary intervals were longer than the critical ones.5. Through extraordinary motivation and training, motor units with high threshold and high conduction velocity could also be driven tonically for 20-60 s at the high rates required for full tension. The critical intervals then approached the voluntary ones. Blockings occurred and increased in frequency as the contraction continued.6. When motor units with high threshold and high conduction velocity were tetanized electrically at 20 Hz, which was the lowest discharge rate of these units in tonic voluntary contraction, blockings occurred within 60 s.7. The role of the peripheral block is discussed in relation to loss of tension in prolonged voluntary contraction.

Action Potentials↗

Experience with iohexol in lumbar myelography.

An open phase II clinical trial of iohexol for lumbar myelography in 17 patients is reported. The overall frequency of adverse reactions was exceedingly low. Special attention was paid to psychic reactions and no such were recorded. The CSF analyses and EEG recordings before and after myelography did not differ significantly. The CSF protein content could not be evaluated as the contrast medium interfered with the reagents.

Adult↗