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Biomedical subjects

P Augustin

Publications and source records attributed to P Augustin.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1997

[Cerebrovascular complication in non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis. Value of cardiac transesophageal ultrasonography].

BACKGROUND: Non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis in patients with cancer can lead to ischemic stroke. Endocardial vegetations are usually small and may be missed at transthoracic echocardiography. CASE REPORT: Disseminated intravascular coagulation developed in a woman with ischemic stroke. Transthoracic echocardiography was normal. Four days later, transesophageal echocardiography revealed a large mitral vegetation suggesting non-bacterial thrombotic endocarditis. The diagnosis was confirmed at pathology which reported carcinoma of the colon. DISCUSSION: Transthoracic echocardiography is rarely contributed to the diagnosis of thrombotic endocarditis. In our patient transesophageal echocardiography grave the diagnosis before death instead of retrospectively at autopsy as usually occurs, demonstrating the value of transesophageal echocardiography for cancer patients who develop ischemic stroke.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1997

[Spontaneous thrombosis of cerebral arteriovenous malformation].

Complete disappearance of a cerebral arteriovenous malformation (AVM), 9 years after its discovery, is reported in a 45-year-old man. This unusual evolution was revealed by the onset of 3 seizures. CT scan and MR imaging eliminated any hemorrhage and carotid angiography showed the spontaneous thrombosis of the whole malformation. The evolution of the MRI signals demonstrates that seizures and the disappearance of the AVM were concomitant. It is suggested that the spontaneous thrombosis of the venous drainage caused the AVM disappearance with cerebral oedema responsible of seizures.

Epilepsy, Generalized↗
PubMed1996

Effect of music on ambulatory surgery patients' preoperative anxiety.

The authors investigated music as a method to reduce ambulatory surgery patients' preoperative anxiety. They assigned 42 patients to either an experimental or a control group and compared the patients' vital signs and self-reports of anxiety, which were measured using the state portion of the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory. The study results indicate that music can be more beneficial than preoperative instruction alone in reducing ambulatory surgery patients' anxiety. Patients who listened to their choice of music before surgery in addition to receiving preoperative instruction had significantly lower heart rates than patients in the control group who received only preoperative instruction. Differences in experimental and control group patients' blood pressure measurements and respiratory rates approached significance. The authors suggest that perioperative nurses offer music as a viable option to reduce anxiety in ambulatory surgery patients who believe music is a method of relaxation.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

Clozapine for the treatment of psychosis in Parkinson's disease: a review.

The occurrence of psychosis is frequent during the evolution of Parkinson's disease. The reduction of therapeutics or the use of classical neuroleptics may improve the symptoms, but usually worsens parkinsonism. Clozapine is an atypical neuroleptic with only few extrapyramidal effects, which has been proposed at low dose in this indication since 1985. A review of the literature, about more than 200 patients shows good results in approximately 90% without worsening of extrapyramidal symptoms. Some patients even noted an improvement of their motor state while treated by clozapine alone or as dopatherapy was secondarily increased. More controversial results were obtained in demented or depressed patients. Sedation is one of the most frequently encountered side-effect but rarely necessitates the withdrawal of clozapine. Even if the risk of agranulocytosis is slight, regular blood cell counts must be done.

Antiparkinson Agents↗
PubMed1996

[Saccadic latencies and unilateral spatial neglect caused by parietal lesions].

Latencies of lateral visually guided saccades were studied in 12 right handed patients who had unilateral ischaemic lesions involving the parietal lobe. The patients were divided into two groups according to the right or left side of the lesions. The severity of unilateral spatial neglect was assessed. In right parietal lesions, the asymmetry of latencies was related to the presence of unilateral spatial neglect and correlated with ist severity. According to the stimulus condition used, we suggest that the asymmetry of latency is explained in terms of an inability to disengage.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Levorotatory form of 5-hydroxytryptophan in Friedreich's ataxia. Results of a double-blind drug-placebo cooperative study.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effect of the levorotatory form of 5-hydroxytryptophan on the cerebellar symptoms of Friedreich's ataxia. DESIGN: Cooperative double-blind study of the levorotatory form of 5-hydroxytryptophan vs placebo. SETTING: Twelve centers in research hospitals. PATIENTS: Twenty-six patients were included; 19 completed the study (mean +/- SD age of patients, 25.9 +/- 8.1 years). Of these 19 patients, eight were treated with placebo and 11 were treated with the drug. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A semiquantitative scale for kinetic and static ("postural") cerebellar functions and quantitative measurements of time in standard tests that evaluated stance, speech, writing, and drawing. RESULTS: In the active treatment group, a significant decrease of the kinetic score was observed (P = .03), indicating an improvement in coordination. CONCLUSIONS: These results demonstrated that the levorotatory form of 5-hydroxytryptophan is able to modify significantly the cerebellar symptoms in patients with Friedreich's ataxia. However, the effect is only partial and not clinically major.

5-Hydroxytryptophan↗
PubMed1995

[Intermittent sea-saw nystagmus successfully treated with clonazepam].

See-saw nystagmus is a pendular nystagmus with two distinct components: a conjugate torsional component and a disjonctive vertical component. The acquired form of nystagmus is usually seen with parasellar mass and less frequently in head injury or brainstem infarction. Almost all patients with parasellar mass or head injury have associated bitemporal hemianopia. We report the case of a 27-year-old man who developed intermittent daily oscillopsia five years after a severe head injury. On neurological examination, the patient showed a congenital left eye divergence with left eye convergence paresis, an anosmia, a right optic atrophy and a bitemporal hemianopia. Visual acuity was 7/10 and 3/10 for the right and left eyes. The rest of the neurological examination was unremarkable. Electroencephalogram during oscillopsia was normal. MRI revealed bilateral orbito-frontal low signal intensity on T1 weighted images. The brainstem, the diencephalon and the ventricular system appeared to be intact. Eye movement recordings exhibited intermittent see-saw nystagmus. Clonazepam treatment resolved the see-saw nystagmus. Slowly withdrawal of clonazepam was done without return of the see-saw nystagmus.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

[Palinacousis with hemianacusia caused by left temporal lesion].

Palinacousis (auditory perseveration) is reported in a 78-year-old patient with a left temporo parietal astrocytoma. The patient complained of "echoing voice" in his right ear. Palinacousis was associated with sensitive partial seizures. Neuropsychological investigations revealed hemianacusia with normal performance for phonological discrimination and verbal repetition. We suggest that these preserved abilities allowed emergence of palinacousis.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

[Late neurologic complications of galactosemia: study of 3 cases].

Galactosemia is an autosomal recessive, inborn error of galactose metabolism due to the deficiency of galactose-I-phosphate uridyl transferase. Late-onset neurologic complications may develop despite Galactose restriction. Three adult patients are reported. They suffered from mental retardation. Two of them developed progressive cerebellar ataxia, spastic gait and postural tremor. The magnetic resonance imaging revealed moderate cortical atrophy, multifocal areas of increased signal in the periventricular white matter on T2-weighted images, and in one case, abnormal myelination. The Fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose position emission tomography showed different patterns of regional hypometabolism.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Continuous partial epilepsy disclosing diabetes mellitus].

Continuous partial epilepsy (CPE) is characterized by isolated, subintrant clonus focalized to a limited territory with critical focal electroencephalography in a concordant territory. CPE is observed in various cortical lesions but also in disorders of metabolism and notably decompensated diabetes mellitus. We report a case of CPE without focal lesion at MRI which revealed hyperglycaemia without ketosis. The 54-year old female patient was hospitalised for C.P.E.. Early CT and later MRI gave normal results. Biochemistry showed hyperglycaemia without kenoturia, acidosis or hyperosmolality. Insulin therapy rapidly brought glycaemia down to its normal level and the clonsism disappeared. Five months later, the patient had no other seizure and the EEG was normal. Epileptic seizures are frequent in hyperglycaemia without ketosis (25% of the cases) where they are mainly partial and motor (75 to 86% of the cases), rarely associated with a focal lesion (15% of the cases with CT scan). They are rare in patients with ketoacidosis. This apparent protective effect of ketoacidosis may be attributed to an increase of GABA bioavailability consecutive to acidosis. CPE is resistant to antiepileptic treatments. In CPE induced by hyperglycaemia without ketosis normalization of blood glucose level with insulin therapy is concomitant with a rapid cure of epilepsy. Thus glycaemia should be measured in all patients presenting with CPE, the aim being to diagnose hyperglycaemia without ketosis rapidly to avoid hyperosmolality and to prescribe an adequate treatment based exclusively on insulin and rehydration.

Diabetes Complications↗