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Biomedical subjects

V Voiculescu

Publications and source records attributed to V Voiculescu.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1987

Polyneuropathy with lipid deposits in Schwann cells and axonal degeneration in cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis.

The present paper is a histological, histochemical and electron microscopic study of biopsied specimens from both right and left Achilles tendon, sural nerve and gastrocnemius muscle in a case of peripheral neuropathy with decreased sensory conduction velocity within a cerebrotendinous xanthomatosis confirmed biochemically in a 29-year-old woman. The tendon specimens contained large deposits of complex, non-homogeneous lipids, distributed intra- and extracellularly. The right sural nerve specimen showed a very severe neuropathy with massive diffuse myelinated fiber loss, presence of foamy macrophages and lipid droplets in Schwann cells. Segmental de- and remyelination was noted in 17% of the teased myelinated fibers. No onion bulbs were observed. Two years later, the left sural nerve specimen revealed a mild diffuse myelinated fiber loss, a more active segmental de- and remyelination (23%) without onion bulbs, and an active regeneration. Lipid storage aspects were absent. The gastrocnemius muscle specimens exhibited slight alterations of neurogenic origin. The pathogenesis of this neuropathy is discussed.

Achilles Tendon↗
PubMed1979

Two cases of choreatic syndrome caused by polycythemia vera.

Two patients with choreatic syndromes caused by polycythemia vera recovered after treatment of the polycythemia by only two venesections: this proves that the syndrome is due to reversible alterations. Investigations of the cerebral circulation in one of the patients showed that blood flow was lowest in the grey matter at the basal region of the brain: this suggests that the alterations might mainly occur there. However, investigation of erythrocyte rheology, glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase, serum concentrations of caeruloplasmin and serotonin, and urinary excretion of epinephrine, norepinephrine and vanillylmandelic acid gave normal results in both patients. There are therefore no indications as to the possible pathophysiology of these alterations. There are now 24 cases reported, including our 2 patients, which suggests that the association of these two diseases may not be so rare as supposed.

Adult↗
PubMed1975

Treatment with acetazolamide of brain-stem and spinal paroxysmal disturbances in multiple sclerosis.

Nine cases of multiple sclerosis with paroxysmal disorders were treated with acetazolamide. In most cases a brain-stem origin of the seizures was suggested by their particular pattern: crossed syndromes (facial spasm associated with contralateral weakness of the arm and leg, paroxysmal paraesthesiae in one side of the face and weakness of the contralateral leg), paroxysmal dysarthria, and ataxia. One patient with a Brown-Sequard syndrome complained of paroxysmal paraesthesiae in the lower limbs, for which a spinal origin was admitted. In all patients the paroxysmal disorders were promptly suppressed or markedly reduced by acetazolamide.

Acetazolamide↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of hypothermia on focal experimental seizures.

The effect of general hypothermia was investigated in 15 unanesthetized cats. The animals were immobilized with Flaxedil and maintained on mechanical respiration. An epileptogenic focus was induced by stereo-tactical injection of penicillin to the right hippocampus. Cooling of the body was followed by a marked decrease of the amplitude and frequency of the penicillin spikes. The antiepileptic effect of general hypothermia was not dependent on brain stem section as suggested by previous investigations. Seizures generated by a hippocampic penicillin focus were more resistant to hypothermia than discharges produced by penicillin applied to the visual cortex.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Recurrent cranial polyneuropathy.

General considerations on recurrent cranial polyneuropathy are made. In addition, a study carried out in 42 patients with recurrent cranial polyneuropathy (RCP) permitted the assessment of some parameters closely related to age, sex and evolution in order to elaborate an etiopathologic hypothesis. Female cases prevailed (31 females, 11 males); the interval between two episodes varied from 1 month to 39 years. 117 episodes were found (from 2 to 8 episodes in one patient). Immune, vascular and entrapment aspects are discussed.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Lidocaine kindling does not generate epilepsy.

Forty Wistar rats were injected with a solution of lidocaine (90 mg/kg s.c.) 5 days per week for 30-40 days. In 36 of the animals, attacks of stiffness were obtained. After a period of disordered movements, the animals, remained completely immobile with the hindlimbs rigidly extended. The attacks of stiffness lasted from 10 to 60 minutes. The hemisection of the spinal cord at the thoracic level suppressed the rigidity of the ipsilateral leg. Electrical recording with electrodes applied to the cortex or implanted in the depth of the temporal lobe failed to reveal paroxysmal activity. These data could not confirm the results of other authors reporting typical epileptic seizures after lidocaine kindling. Despite essential differences, epileptic kindling and lidocaine-kindled stiffness attacks are both manifestations of the central nervous system plasticity. Therefore it appears that pharmacologically induced plasticity is a more general process than epileptic kindling.

Amino Acids↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Brain amino acid levels in audiogenic seizure-susceptible rats following habituation to the auditory stimulus.

Hippocampic and brain stem levels of amino acids were determined in audiogenic seizure-susceptible rats following habituation by repeated exposure to the acoustic stimulus. The biochemical determinations were performed in the brains of 42 habituated animals and 23 not habituated seizure susceptible rats used as controls. It was found that the habituation process is associated with: a) increased levels of aspartate in hippocampus and pons; b) significantly decreased levels of glycine in the hippocampus and pons; c) decreased concentration of glutamate in the pons; d) no significant changes in the GABA concentrations in hippocampus and brain stem. The changes of the excitatory and inhibitory amino acids in the brain of the habituated rats cannot explain the fall in epileptic susceptibility associated with habituation.

Acoustic Stimulation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diabetes insipidus in a patient with suspected multiple sclerosis.

A 53-year-old man developed spastic ataxia associated with diabetes insipidus. The patient experienced frequent attacks of stiffness and numbness of the four limbs accompanied by difficulty of speech. During an eight years' follow-up a progressive deterioration of the motor function was observed but no extracerebral manifestations were noticed. The association of spastic ataxia is generally considered as diagnostic of histiocytosis X. In the present case, however, multiple sclerosis seems a more likely diagnosis in view of the late onset and the highly characteristic brain stem seizures.

Ataxia↗