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Biomedical subjects

S L Galetta

Publications and source records attributed to S L Galetta.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Sixth nerve palsies in children.

The causes of sixth nerve palsies in 75 children, all of whom had undergone modern neuroimaging, were reviewed. Neoplasms or their neurosurgical removal was the most common cause (n = 34 [45%]); elevated intracranial pressure (nontumor) (15%), traumatic (12%), congenital (11%), inflammatory (7%), miscellaneous (5%), and idiopathic (5%) causes represented other categories but were less commonly present. Isolated sixth nerve palsies were relatively uncommon (9%). On the basis of the relatively high risk of neoplasm, the authors suggest neuroimaging early in the clinical course of children with sixth nerve palsies, even if the palsy is isolated.

Abducens Nerve↗

Inferior division third nerve paresis from an orbital dural arteriovenous malformation.

Isolated inferior division third nerve palsies are rare. The authors report a patient with an isolated, pupil-involving inferior division third cranial nerve palsy from an intraorbital dural arteriovenous malformation. Despite spontaneous thrombosis of the malformation, the third nerve palsy persisted. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first case report of an inferior division third nerve palsy caused by an orbital dural arteriovenous malformation.

Adult↗

Optic atrophy and chronic acquired polyneuropathy.

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy (CIDP) is a chronic, multifocal disorder usually defined as limited to the peripheral nervous system. Multifocal motor neuropathy, an acquired demyelinating neuropathy with conduction block affecting motor neurons only, may be a pathogenically distinct syndrome or a predominantly motor variant of chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy. Central nervous system demyelination including optic neuropathy has been reported uncommonly previously in these entities. We report two cases and review the literature on the possible association of optic neuropathy and chronic acquired polyneuropathy.

Chronic Disease↗

Endovascular thrombolysis for symptomatic cerebral venous thrombosis.

OBJECT: The authors sought to treat potentially catastrophic intracranial dural and deep cerebral venous thrombosis by using a multimodality endovascular approach. METHODS: Six patients aged 14 to 75 years presented with progressive symptoms of thrombotic intracranial venous occlusion. Five presented with neurological deficits, and one patient had a progressive and intractable headache. All six had known risk factors for venous thrombosis: inflammatory bowel disease (two patients), nephrotic syndrome (one), cancer (one), use of oral contraceptive pills (one), and puerperium (one). Four had combined dural and deep venous thrombosis, whereas clot formation was limited to the dural venous sinuses in two patients. All patients underwent diagnostic cerebral arteriograms followed by transvenous catheterization and selective sinus and deep venous microcatheterization. Urokinase was delivered at the proximal aspect of the thrombus in dosages of 200,000 to 1,000,000 IU. In two patients with thrombus refractory to pharmacological thrombolytic treatment, mechanical wire microsnare maceration of the thrombus resulted in sinus patency. Radiological studies obtained 24 hours after thrombolysis reconfirmed sinus/vein patency in all patients. All patients' symptoms and neurological deficits improved, and no procedural complications ensued. Follow-up periods ranged from 12 to 35 months, and all six patients remain free of any symptomatic venous reocclusion. Factors including patients' age, preexisting medical conditions, and duration of symptoms had no statistical bearing on the outcome. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with both dural and deep cerebral venous thrombosis often have a variable clinical course and an unpredictable neurological outcome. With recent improvements in interventional techniques, endovascular therapy is warranted in symptomatic patients early in the disease course, prior to morbid and potentially fatal neurological deterioration.

Adolescent↗

Neuro-ophthalmologic manifestations of Maffucci's syndrome and Ollier's disease.

Patients with Ollier's disease (multiple skeletal enchondromas) and Maffucci's syndrome (multiple enchondromas associated with subcutaneous hemangiomas) may develop skull base chondrosarcomas or low-grade astrocytomas as a delayed consequence of these disorders. We report three patients with Ollier's disease and Maffucci's syndrome who had diplopia as the initial manifestation of intracranial tumors. Since patients with Maffucci's syndrome and Ollier's disease are at risk for the delayed development of brain and systemic neoplasms, neuroophthalmologists must be aware of the need for long-term surveillance in patients affected by these conditions.

Abducens Nerve↗

MR imaging of Dejerine-Sottas disease.

We report the MR findings in two patients with clinically and histologically proved Dejerine-Sottas disease. One patient had spinal involvement with multiple thickened and clumped nerve roots of the cauda equina; the second had multiple enlarged and enhancing cranial nerves. Although these findings are not specific for Dejerine-Sottas disease, they are suggestive of the diagnosis, which is further corroborated with history and confirmed with sural nerve biopsy and laboratory studies.

Adult↗

The neuro-ophthalmologic examination.

Neurosurgical practice requires a solid foundation in the principles and interpretation of the neuro-ophthalmologic examination. In this article, the techniques used in the neuro-ophthalmologic examination to assess visual acuity, ocular motility, visual fields, the pupils, the eyelids, and the fundus are reviewed. An emphasis is placed on those techniques most relevant to neurosurgical practice.

Humans↗

Posey and Spiller and progressive supranuclear palsy: an incorrect attribution.

In 1904 and 1905, respectively, William Campbell Posey and William Spiller both described the case of a patient with progressive ophthalmoparesis and imbalance that has come to be regarded as the earliest report of progressive supranuclear palsy. No autopsy was thought to have been performed on this patient. In this report, we review the clinical history provided by Posey and Spiller. We also report on the subsequent autopsy of their patient, which was performed by Spiller in 1906. The chief finding was a tumor involving the right cerebral peduncle and periaqueductal area. The autopsy findings prove conclusively that the patient described by Spiller and Posey had a midbrain neoplasm and not progressive supranuclear palsy.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Acute visual loss and other disorders of the eyes.

This article outlines neuro-ophthalmic findings and diseases which may present in an emergency setting. The abnormal optic disc, visual loss, double-vision and disorders of gaze, skew deviation, and the neuro-ophthalmology of vascular lesions, intracerebral hemorrhage, increased intracranial pressure, neuromuscular emergencies, metabolic disturbances, and trauma are all reviewed.

Blindness↗

Visual impairment associated with mutism after posterior fossa surgery in children.

OBJECTIVE: To report four children with visual impairment associated with mutism after posterior fossa surgery. Mutism after posterior fossa surgery is a well-described phenomena, but to our knowledge, visual impairment has not been reported in association with it. METHODS: Record review of four children (age range, 3-7 yr) who underwent posterior fossa surgery (via suboccipital craniotomies) for removal of a medulloblastoma (three patients) or ependymoma (one patient). Each presented with headache, ataxia, or nausea and vomiting, but none had preoperative visual complaints other than diplopia. Postoperatively, all patients were mute, and because of apparent visual loss, neuro-ophthalmic consultation was requested. Postoperative scans and examinations were also reviewed. RESULTS: Each child was awake but appeared withdrawn without verbal output. No child blinked to threat or fixed or followed. In each case, pupillary reactivity was normal, and funduscopic examinations revealed only papilledema. One child reached for money. Within weeks or months postoperatively, the mutism spontaneously resolved, and visual behavior in general improved, roughly in parallel. During the follow-up period, papilledema resolved and the disc color was normal in each case. Magnetic resonance images obtained postoperatively revealed nothing remarkable, except surgical defects, without lesions in the retrogeniculate pathway. CONCLUSION: Impaired visual behavior, mimicking cortical visual loss, may be associated with mutism after posterior fossa surgery in children. The prognosis for recovery is excellent and parallels the return of normal speech. The mechanism is unclear.

Brain Neoplasms↗

Vertical and horizontal meridian sparing in occipital lobe homonymous hemianopias.

We report two patients with unique homonymous hemianopias from occipital lobe infarctions. One patient had vertical meridian sparing, and the other displayed horizontal meridian sparing. MRI correlation with the visual field defects confirmed that the vertical hemianopic meridian was represented along the border of the calcarine lips, and the horizontal meridian lies at the base of the calcarine banks deep within the calcarine fissure.

Adult↗

Pseudotumor cerebri and its medical treatment.

Pseudotumor cerebri is an idiopathic disorder characterized by papilledema and elevated intracranial pressure without a mass lesion. Most patients are female and young and are either overweight or have a history of recent weight gain. Other disease states, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, and drugs, such as tetracycline, have also been associated with the development of pseudotumor cerebri. The mechanism is unclear, but is likely related to decreased cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) resorption. Almost all patients have headache, but the greatest morbidity of the disorder is visual loss related to optic disc swelling. Common radiographic findings in pseudotumor cerebri include an empty sella, dilation of the optic nerve sheaths and elevation of the optic disc. The CSF, aside from elevated opening pressure, is normal without evidence of infection or inflammation. Treatment of patients with no or mild to moderate visual loss is primarily medical, with acetazolamide as the first-line agent. Acetazolamide decreases CSF production. Furosemide and corticosteroids are secondary choices. Optic nerve surgery is reserved for patients with severe visual loss or progression in visual deficits despite medical management.

Journal Article↗