No to shinkei = Brain and nerve最新文献

We report a 64-years old man who had myasthenia gravis (MG) appearing after surgical removal of thymoma. His thymoma was not removed completely due to adhesion with other organs. Histopathologicaly, the thymoma was an invasive and predominantly epithelial type. CD45RO positive cells increased in the thymus. After five months of thymectomy, he received radiation therapy because the remaining tumor grew up slightly. The radiation was effective, and the recurrence of tumor has never been detected after that. However, nine months after the surgery, he noticed ptosis and double vision, and he was diagnosed as MG because of positive serum anti-AchR antibody and positive Tensilon test. He received oral prednisolone, and he has kept a good condition. Previous reports have shown that an extensive thymectomy tends to reduce the incidence of post-operative MG. In our case, the remaining thymoma might increase the risk of MG. And the removed thymus might contain an unknown regulatory factor that could inhibit a development of MG. The risk factor for development of post-operative MG should be investigated in future.

Schizencephalyis a rare disorder of brain development resulting in the formation of abnormal unilateral or bilateral clefts in the cerebral hemispheres. One patient is described with psychotic symptoms with unilateral schizencephaly. The implications of the association between schizencephaly and psychosis in these patients for understanding the biology of the psychoses are discussed.

A seventy-four-male with disorientation and convulsion was transferred to this hospital after three days fever which was unknown origin. Because the examination of cerebrospinal fluid were; cell count 1,560/3 (N : L = 4 : 1), protein 305 mg/dl, sugar 91 mg/dl, he was treated as encephalitis. However, MRI of the 18th hospital day revealed bilateral thalamic lesion and disseminated white matter lesions, suggesting acute disseminated encephalomyelitis. He left dementia after treatment and transferred to another hospital. Since, it is difficult to make a differential diagnosis between encephalitis and acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, early establishment of diagnostic criteria for acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is required.

Seven hundred and fifty five cases of acute non-traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage were admitted to the department of neurosurgery of our hospital from July, 1995 to March, 2004. In 555 patients cerebral angiography was conducted but initial angiography was negative in 30 patients. Except 10 general condition poor patients, in 20 initial angiogram-negative patients were undergone repeated angiography. The cause of SAH could not be demonstrated in 13 cases. The SAH in perimesencephalic and non-perimesencephalic cisturns was seen in 7 and 6 cases, respectively. Occipital and/or neck pain on admission was statistically more common among patients with perimesencephalic SAH than those with non-perimesencephalic SAH (p = 0.029), and the prognosis of perimesencephalic SAH was good. We conclude that repeat angiography should not be recommended in patients with perimesencephalic SAH. Patients with non-perimesencephalic SAH had a higher rate of complication. In the non-perimesencephalic group, 3 patients developed hydrocephalus and 3 patients had vasospasm, which were found by repeated angiography. Therefore, repeated angiography is recommended for better clinical outcome by early detection and management of serious complications in this group of patients.

We report a 66-year-old woman with a presyrinx state due to adhesive arachnoiditis. She had a history of subarachnoid hemorrhage one year ago. She became aware of gait disturbance and abnormal sensation at the chest 6 months ago. Neurological examination revealed weakness of the both lower extremities and sensory disturbance below the T6 level. MR images of the thoracic spine revealed swelling of the thoracic cord at the T3-4 level, with an intramedullary hyperintensity on T2 weighted images (WI) and hypointensity on T1-WI. The intramedullary hypointensity on T1-WI was less than the CSF intensity. In addition, the thoracic cord lower than T5 level was compressed by an arachnoid cyst in the spinal canal. The preoperative diagnosis was the presyrinx state due to adhesive arachnoiditis. An operation for detachment of arachnoidal adhesion and restoration of CSF flow pathway was performed. After one month from the operation, neurological findings were improved. Postoperative MR images revealed improvement of swelling of the thoracic cord and intramedullary abnormal intensity. The arachnoid cyst in the spinal canal was decreased in the size. The presyrinx state is recently recognized condition before the formation of syringomyelia and that is known to resolve with proper treatment. We wish to emphasize we could prevent a progression to syringomyelia by a proper treatment for the presyrinx state.

A 60-year-old man with surgically treated nocardia pyothorax was referred to our hospital since he became drowsy. Brain MRI revealed multiple brain abscesses. His cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) showed increase in polymorphonuclear cells and decrease in glucose. Since he was allergic to sulfamethoxazole * trimethoprim, ceftriaxone and then minocycline were given. Minocycline resulted in dramatic improvement of neurological symtoms, MRI findings and CSF cell count. PCR analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA using his resected thoracic wall revealed that nocardia from his tissue was strain IFM0860. Strain IFM0860 nocardia was found to be sensitive to minocycline but not to sulfamethoxazole * trimethoprim and ceftriaxone. Intravenous administration of minocycline was followed by three-year per os administration of minocycline during which he had no recurrence of brain abscess. Thus, brain nocardiosis could be successfully treated with appropriate antibiotics. The lesson from the present case is that identification of the type of nocardia by PCR analysis of 16S ribosomal DNA could help accomplish tailor-made antibiotic therapy.