PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

V Di Monda

Publications and source records attributed to V Di Monda.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

Giant congenital nevus and chronic progressive ascending hemiparesis (Mills syndrome). Report of a case.

We describe the case of a 20 year old boy with a giant congenital nevus who developed a chronic progressive ascending hemiparesis. The association of the pigmented lesion with a focal neurological deficit is pathognomonic for neurocutaneous melanosis complicated by a leptomeningeal melanoma. MR imaging at 1.5 tesla ruled out such a possibility and showed a small aspecific pontine lesion along the route of the corticospinal tract. We discuss possible etiologies.

Adult↗

Total lymphoid irradiation in chronic progressive multiple sclerosis.

6 patients with severe chronic progressive multiple sclerosis were subjected to total lymphoid irradiation (TLI) to assess clinical efficacy and side effects. During a 4 year follow-up the disability progression was continuous. Side effects during TLI were well tolerated; side effects after TLI brought about a worsening of the quality of life. One patient died of pneumonia. In this preliminary study TLI did not reduce the worsening of disability in MS patients.

Adult↗

Short-lasting unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with tearing and conjunctival injection: the first "symptomatic" case?

A 36-year-old man was suffering from brief, unilateral and short-lasting pain attacks always associated with marked homolateral tearing and conjunctival injection, both presenting in a cluster fashion. An arteriovenous malformation was subsequently discovered in the homolateral cerebellopontine angle. The clinical picture shares similarities with both cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia, although it can not be accurately placed with either of these forms. Patients with similar symptoms have previously been described in detail, and on the basis of these few descriptions a new syndrome "short-lasting" unilateral neuralgiform headache attacks with conjunctival injection, tearing, sweating, and rhinorrhoea has been postulated. Assuming the validity of this syndrome as an entity, this case is in all probability its first "symptomatic" example. Careful evaluation of the varieties of cluster headache and trigeminal neuralgia, and the reporting of similar new cases as they arise are necessary to establish the nosologic boundaries of this syndrome.

Adult↗

Stroke due to paradoxical embolism.

We present a case of stroke in a young girl, preceded by a deep vein thrombosis and pulmonary embolism, both clinically asymptomatic, and accompanied by upper limb acute ischemia. Diagnosis of paradoxical embolism through a patent foramen ovale was made on clinical grounds and with contrast echocardiography. We discuss the main points leading to diagnosis, stressing the importance of contrast echocardiography. We also suggest that paradoxical embolism could be a more frequent cause of stroke than usually suspected.

Adolescent↗

Insomnia and perceptual disturbances during flunarizine treatment.

We report two cases of sleep disturbances and perceptual disorder appearing in close temporal relationship with initiation of flunarizine therapy for migraine prophylaxis: these side effects disappeared after therapy interruption; resumption of the drug in one case was associated with symptom recurrence.

Female↗

Disulfiram neuropathy: a review (1971-1988) and report of a case.

Neuropathy is one of the most severe side effects of disulfiram therapy. We report the case of a young man who developed a neuropathy following disulfiram administration, with a virtually complete recovery in 14 months. We then discuss 37 cases of disulfiram neuropathy reported since 1971. Evidence is given that: (1) there is no numerical sex prevalence, although the incidence of the disease in women is probably disproportionately high; (2) symptom onset latency is dose-dependent, being longer at 250 mg/day or less; (3) neurological deficits are also dose-dependent, being milder at 250 mg/day or less; (4) the two previous findings and single observations suggest that disulfiram neuropathy is a dose-dependent phenomenon; (5) recovery probably follows a course which depends primarily on the initial degree of impairment; (6) the genetic mechanism probably involves carbon disulfide and a hypothesis as to the possible biochemical mechanism is proposed; (7) chloral hydrate can bear a potentiation effect on neuropathy, and the association with disulfiram is best avoided. Further, we give guidelines for the differentiation between alcoholic and disulfiram neuropathy, advise prescribing the drug at 250 mg daily or less, if possible, and stress the utmost importance of an early diagnosis.

Adult↗

[Changes in the activity of plasma beta-endorphin-like-immunoreactivity induced by transcutaneous stimulation of the brain].

A newly devised technique of electrical transcutaneous brain stimulation has been applied to a population of cephalalgic patients in order to assess its proficiency in pain relieving and in increasing the concentration of serum endorphins. A significant pain relief associated with an increase in serum endorphins has been obtained only in those patients in which clinical and instrumental evaluations had identified the headache as one of "organic" origin. By contrast both in "non organic" and in control subjects the technique has proved to be effectiveless. Our results suggest that transcutaneous electrical brain stimulation can affect the release of endogenous opioids relieving pain at least in selected patients.

Adolescent↗