Blepharospasm-oromandibular dystonia syndrome (Brueghel's syndrome). A variant of adult-onset torsion dystonia?
(1/261)
Thirty-nine patients with the idiopathic blepharospasm-oromandibular dystonia syndrome are described. All presented in adult life, usually in the sixth decade; women were more commonly affected than men. Thirteen had blepharospasm alone, nine had oromandibular dystonia alone, and 17 had both. Torticollis or dystonic writer's camp preceded the syndrome in two patients. Eight other patients developed toritocollis, dystonic posturing of the arms, or involvement of respiratory muscles. No cause or hereditary basis for the illness were discovered. The evidence to indicate that this syndrome is due to an abnormality of extrapyramidal function, and that it is another example of adult-onset focal dystonia akin to spasmodic torticollis and dystonic writer's cramp, is discussed. (+info)
Occurrence of familial spastic paraplegia in only one of monozygous twins.
(2/261)
Three patients who suffer from spastic paraplegia are described who belong to two generations in one family. One of the patients, who has had symptoms and signs for at least 10 years, has a monozygous twin who is unaffected. Using blood groups and chromosomal polymorphisms, the probability of monozygosity is estimated to be 0.99986. The observation of nonpenetrance in familial spastic paraplegia suggests that environmental factors may be involved in provocation and emphasises the need for careful genetic counselling in this and related diseases. (+info)
A comparison of injections of botulinum toxin and topical nitroglycerin ointment for the treatment of chronic anal fissure.
(3/261)
BACKGROUND AND METHODS: Lateral internal sphincterotomy, the most common treatment for chronic anal fissure, may cause permanent injury to the anal sphincter, which can lead to fecal incontinence. We compared two nonsurgical treatments that avert the risk of fecal incontinence. We randomly assigned 50 adults with symptomatic chronic posterior anal fissures to receive treatment with either a total of 20 U of botulinum toxin injected into the internal anal sphincter on each side of the anterior midline or 0.2 percent nitroglycerin ointment applied twice daily for six weeks. RESULTS: After two months, the fissures were healed in 24 of the 25 patients (96 percent) in the botulinum-toxin group and in 15 of the 25 (60 percent) in the nitroglycerin group (P=0.005). No patient in either group had fecal incontinence. At some time during treatment, five patients in the nitroglycerin group had transient, moderate-to-severe headaches that were related to treatment. None of the patients in the botulinum-toxin group reported adverse effects. Ten patients who did not have a response to the assigned treatment - 1 in the botulinum-toxin group and 9 in the nitroglycerin group - crossed over to the other treatment; the fissures subsequently healed in all 10 patients. There were no relapses during an average of about 15 months of follow-up. CONCLUSIONS: Although treatment with either topical nitroglycerin or botulinum toxin is effective as an alternative to surgery for patients with chronic anal fissure, botulinum toxin is the more effective nonsurgical treatment. (+info)
Pseudoxanthoma elasticum with dipyridamole-induced coronary artery spasm: a case report.
(4/261)
In patients with pseudoxanthoma elasticum, severe organic coronary artery stenosis often occurs without coronary risk factors. However, this report presents the case of a 49-year-old woman with pseudoxanthoma elasticum who had coronary artery spasm with an angiographically normal coronary artery. In addition, coronary artery spasm was provoked with dipyridamole thallium-201 cardiac imaging. (+info)
Urinary catheter management.
(5/261)
The use of urinary catheters should be avoided whenever possible. Clean intermittent catheterization, when practical, is preferable to long-term catheterization. Suprapubic catheters offer some advantages, and condom catheters may be appropriate for some men. While clean handling of catheters is important, routine perineal cleaning and catheter irrigation or changing are ineffective in eliminating bacteriuria. Bacteriuria is inevitable in patients requiring long-term catheterization, but only symptomatic infections should be treated. Infections are usually polymicrobial, and seriously ill patients require therapy with two antibiotics. Patients with spinal cord injuries and those using catheters for more than 10 years are at greater risk of bladder cancer and renal complications; periodic renal scans, urine cytology and cystoscopy may be indicated in these patients. (+info)
An imbalance in plasma prostanoids in patients with Raynaud's phenomenon and pulmonary vasospasm.
(6/261)
Raynaud's phenomenon has been suggested as a predisposing factor for pulmonary vasospasm which may lead to pulmonary hypertension, but the occurrence of cold stimulus-induced pulmonary vasospasm has been inconsistent. Such inconsistent pulmonary vascular responses may be caused by differences in the production of endogenous vasodilators and vasoconstrictors among patients. Fourteen patients with Raynaud's phenomenon associated with mixed connective tissue disease (n=10) or systemic sclerosis (n=4) participated in the study. Right heart catheterization was performed before and after a cold pressor test, immersing a hand in cold water (15 degrees C) for 5 min. Plasma levels of 6-keto prostaglandin (PG)F1alpha, thromboxane (TX)B2 and endothelin (ET)-1 in the mixed venous blood were measured. Mean pulmonary artery pressure increased after the cold pressor test in five of 14 patients, and the patients were divided into those with pulmonary vasospasm (responders) and those without vasospasm (nonresponders). After the cold pressor test, levels of 6-keto PGF1alpha increased significantly in nonresponders (p<0.01) and decreased significantly in responders (p<0.05). The ratios of 6-keto PGF1alpha to TXB2 significantly increased in nonresponders (p<0.01) but not in responders and the difference between responders and nonresponders after the cold pressor test was also statistically significant (p<0.05). No significant change in plasma ET-1 levels occurred in either responders or nonresponders. The results suggest that an impaired production of prostaglandin I2 and an imbalance between prostaglandin I2 and thromboxane A2 are associated with the occurrence of pulmonary vasospasm induced by Raynaud's phenomenon. (+info)
Fogarty balloon dilatation for intraoperative arterial spasm.
(7/261)
OBJECTIVE: to describe an intraoperative technique using a Fogarty balloon to treat arterial spasm following vascular bypass and endarterectomy. DESIGN: prospective case control study. SUBJECTS AND TREATMENT: twenty-two patients following femorodistal bypass surgery and one patient following carotid endarterectomy, with arterial spasm in the distal run-off on completion angiography, were treated with Fogarty balloon dilatation. MATERIALS: Fogarty balloon catheter (Baxtertrade mark). RESULTS: twenty-three patients (100%) with arterial spasm were successfully treated by Fogarty balloon as demonstrated on completion angiography. No complications were seen. CONCLUSION: this simple technique removes vascular spasm rapidly and produces an excellent angiographic result. (+info)
A phenothiazine derivative in the treatment of spasticity.
(8/261)
The efficacy of a selective fusimotor suppressant, the phenothiazine (+/-)-10-3-dimethylamino-2-methylpropyl)-2-valeroylphenothiazine, has been assessed in a double-blind crossover trail in eight patients suffering from cerebral spasticity and one patient suffering from spinal spasticity. Dosage was 40 mg daily. Independent clinical and electromyographic methods of assessment were used. The active agent produced a small but significant reduction in spasticity, although this was of clinical value in only a few patients. There were few side-effects. It is recommended that further studies using higher dosages be undertaken. (+info)