Biomedical subjects

J Katanaka

Publications and source records attributed to J Katanaka.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1994

[Multiple sclerosis with syringomyelia--case report].

A 32-year-old woman experienced subacute onset of weakness in her left leg, urinary retention and difficulty in extending her right middle and third finger. She subsequently suffered episodes of myelopathy, optic neuritis and cerebellar ataxia over a period of several years. Brain MRI showed multiple areas of high signal intensity on T2-weighted images, consistent with multiple sclerosis (MS). However spinal MRI revealed no abnormal findings. In her most recent episode, at age 40 she developed paraparesis. Neurologic examination revealed down beat nystagmus on gazing to the right, horizontal jerk nystagmus gazing to the left, weakness of the right middle and third fingers and paraparesis associated with spasticity of the right leg. Sensory disturbance below C3 and diminished vibration and position sense in both legs were also observed. The patient could not stand or walk, and urinary disturbance was present. Spinal MRI revealed syrinx formation at the level of vertebral bodies C2 to C6. The syrinx within the cervical cord diminished in size after four months, but the patient was unable to walk unaided and had moderate sensory disturbance as before. This finding suggests that the prognosis of MS with syrinx formation following repeated episodes of myelopathy is not always favorable. We believe that functional recovery in MS with syringomyelia is affected by the severity of the demyelination and/or gliosis caused by MS rather than by the presence of the syrinx.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

Human T lymphotropic virus type I associated myelopathy with pulmonary and cutaneous lesions.

A necropsy case of human T lymphotropic virus I (HTLV-I) associated myelopathy (HAM) in a 64 year old man with serological and genetical confirmation of HTLV-I infection is reported. The spinal cord, lung, and skin were mainly affected. Severe degeneration had occurred in the spinal cord, not only in the lateral columns but also in the anterior and posterior columns. The degenerate lesions showed proliferation of capillaries, loss of myelin and axon, and perivascular and parenchymal infiltration with T lymphocytes and foamy macrophages in the white matter. T lymphocytes had infiltrated the lung and there was vascular proliferation in the peribronchus. OPD4 positive cells predominated in the lung. The patient also had erythrodermia where dense and bandlike HTLV-I infected lymphoid cell infiltration was observed, with mild atypia and epidermotropism. HTLV-I may cause multiorganic inflammatory disorders, although the definitive role of HTLV-I in the pathogenesis is still unknown.

Bronchial Diseases↗

PubMed1993

[A case of central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome associated with cerebral infarction].

Central alveolar hypoventilation syndrome (CAH), or Ondine's curse, is a very rare disease characterized by dysfunction of respiratory center in the brain stem. Here, we report a case of CAH associated with cerebral infarction. A 59-year-old man developed right facial sensory deficit at age 56. Then, the facial sensory deficit spread to the left side and dysarthria and dysphagia also developed. Since age 58, he often developed respiratory failure and consciousness disturbance. Arterial blood gas analysis revealed alveolar hypoventilation and respiratory acidosis. Disorders of peripheral organs such as lung, airway, thorax and neuromuscular diseases were ruled out. Brain MRI showed cerebral infarction in the brain stem. We diagnosed him as CAH associated with brain stem infarction.

Blood Gas Analysis↗

PubMed1992

[A case of early onset cerebellar ataxia with hearing loss, mental disturbance and primary hypogonadism].

A 14-year-old girl, whose birth and developmental history were normal till the age of 7, was admitted to our hospital because of slowly progressive difficulties in walking, speaking and hearing. She also complained of absence of menstruation. She showed poor school records since the age of 7. On neurological examination, she showed limb and truncal ataxia. There was no nystagmus but slurred speech was found. Muscular power was good and her sensory system was normal. Tendon reflexes were equally present, and plantar reflexes were flexor. Bilateral moderate nerve deafness was also present. Mental deficiency was diagnosed on an intelligence test. Brain CT and MRI showed cerebellar atrophy. Gynecological examination revealed scanty pubic hair and small uterus. Karyotype was 46XX. Endocrinological studies demonstrated high level of FSH, low level of E2, and the normal response to pituitary stimulation with LHRH, indicating the existence of primary hypogonadism. Although the etiology of this multisystem disorder is unknown, it is possible that both nervous and endocrine disorders were genetically determined.

Adolescent↗