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Fluid Findings (fluid + finding)
Selected AbstractsElectroencephalographic Abnormalities in Aseptic Meningitis and Noninfectious Headache.HEADACHE, Issue 1 2001A Comparative Study Background.,The finding of abnormalities on electroencephalogram (EEG) during the course of aseptic meningitis is often considered to be indicative of parenchymal brain involvement, even in absence of clinical signs of encephalitis. Objective.,To investigate if patients with aseptic nonherpetic meningitis who have abnormal EEG recordings during the acute stage of the disease differ in clinical characteristics or cerebrospinal fluid findings from patients with aseptic meningitis and normal EEG recordings. Methods.,The EEG records of 82 patients with aseptic meningitis were reviewed. A comparative group consisted of 41 age-matched patients with severe headaches without evidence of meningeal inflammation. Results.,Significantly more patients with aseptic meningitis (28%) demonstrated abnormalities on EEG than controls (12%) (P = .048). Patients with aseptic meningitis and abnormal EEG findings (n = 23) did not differ in age, duration of symptoms, clinical course, cerebrospinal fluid cell count, or protein level from those with normal EEG findings (n = 59). However, all patients with aseptic meningitis who were confused (n = 5) also revealed EEG abnormalities (P<.00012). Patients with headache with normal EEG recordings did not differ from those with abnormal EEGs in age, sex, or duration of symptoms. Nevertheless, patients with common migraine (n = 9) showed abnormalities on EEG (P = .06) more frequently. Conclusions.,The finding of an abnormal EEG in patients with aseptic meningitis, clear mental state and absence of focal neurological signs should not be used as proof of encephalitis. Because pathological examination is usually not performed, it remains unclear if EEG abnormalities in patients with aseptic meningitis indicate a silent parenchymal inflammation, or reflect an infectious encephalopathy. [source] Uncommon skin lesion in a patient with ataxia-telangiectasiaINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF DERMATOLOGY, Issue 10 2008Chinedu Ivonye MD A 20-year-old African-American man, with a history of ataxia-telangiectasia diagnosed at the age of one year, presented to the hospital with fever, cough, and headache of 2 days' duration. The fever was of high grade, associated with chills and rigors. The headache was frontal in location, constant, pounding in nature, and associated with photophobia and phonophobia; there was no neck pain, no neck stiffness, and no blurring of vision. The patient complained of facial pain. There were no relieving or aggravating factors. The family denied any change in mental status. ,The cough was productive of yellowish sputum. There was associated rhinorrhea. The patient complained of nausea and vomiting with the headache. A review of other systems was negative. ,On presentation in the emergency room, the patient was tachypneic, febrile, and tachycardic. He was oriented to time, place, and person. His neck was supple and meningeal signs were negative. He had maxillary sinus tenderness. Neurologic examination revealed nystagmus, ocular telangiectasia (Fig. 1), ataxia, and globally decreased muscle strength. Skin examination showed hypopigmented areas on all four extremities, the face, and neck (Figs 1,4), without involvement of the trunk. The rest of the physical examination was unremarkable. Figure 1. Area of vitiligo on the neck with premature graying of the hair Figure 2. Vitiligo on the hands Figure 3. Vitiligo involving the legs Figure 4. Ocular telangiectasia ,The leukocyte count was elevated at 19,600/mcL, with a differential of neutrophils (84%), monocytes (11%), and lymphocytes (5%). Hemoglobin and hematocrit were normal. Chemistry and chest X-ray were normal. ,Computed tomography scan of the head showed acute sinusitis and cerebellar atrophy consistent with ataxia-telangiectasia. ,A lumbar puncture was performed, and cerebrospinal fluid findings were suggestive of aseptic meningitis. ,The patient was treated for aseptic meningitis and acute sinusitis with acyclovir and ceftriaxone. The leukocyte count normalized, the patient remained afebrile, and was asymptomatic after 2 days of treatment with antimicrobials. The rest of the hospital stay was uneventful. [source] Pleural fluid findings as prognostic factors for malignant pleural mesotheliomaJOURNAL OF CLINICAL LABORATORY ANALYSIS, Issue 5 2008Tanseli Efeoglu Gonlugur Abstract The aim of this study was to determine the prognostic value of pleural fluid glucose, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), albumin, total protein, and total leukocyte levels in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. We retrospectively analyzed 71 consecutive patients (33 men and 38 women) who were referred to the department of chest diseases in a university hospital. Pleural fluid glucose levels, the ratio of pleural fluid to serum LDH>1.0, and total leukocyte count were significant predictors for the survival in univariate analysis. However, none of these variables emerged as statistically significant from the multivariate Cox model. In conclusion, our results showed that there is an inverse correlation between the intensity of inflammation and survival. J. Clin. Lab. Anal. 22:334,336, 2008. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Physiologic, bronchoscopic, and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid findings in young children with recurrent wheeze and cough,PEDIATRIC PULMONOLOGY, Issue 8 2006John Saito MD Abstract Assessing airway disease in young children with wheeze and/or cough is challenging. We conducted a prospective, descriptive study of lung function in children <3 years old with recurrent wheeze and/or cough, who had failed empiric antiasthma and/or antireflux therapy and subsequently underwent flexible bronchoscopy. Our goals were to describe radiographic, anatomical, microbiological, and physiological findings in these children, and generate hypotheses about their respiratory physiology. Plethysmography and raised-volume rapid thoracoabdominal compression (RVRTC) techniques were performed prior to bronchoscopy. Mean Z-scores (n,=,19) were ,1.34 for forced expiratory volume at 0.5 sec (FEV0.5), ,2.28 for forced expiratory flows at 75% of forced vital capacity (FVC) (FEF75), ,2.25 for forced expiratory flows between 25,75% of FVC (FEF25,75), 2.53 for functional residual capacity (FRC), and 2.23 for residual volume divided by total lung capacity (RV/TLC). Younger, shorter children had markedly depressed FEF75 and FEF25,75 Z-scores (P,=,0.002 and P,=,<0.001, respectively). As expected, lower airway anatomical abnormalities, infection, and inflammation were common. Elevated FRC was associated with anatomical lower airway abnormalities (P,=,0.03). FVC was higher in subjects with neutrophilic inflammation (P,=,0.03). There was no association between other physiologic variables and bronchoscopic/bronchoalveolar lavage fluid findings. Half of those with elevated RV/TLC ratios (Z-score >2) had no evidence of chest radiograph hyperinflation. We conclude that in this population, plethysmography and RVRTC techniques are useful in identifying severity of hyperinflation and airflow obstruction, and we hypothesize that younger children may have relatively small airways caliber, significantly limiting airflow, and thus impairing secretion clearance and predisposing to lower airway infection. Pediatr Pulmonol. 2006; 41: 709,719. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Susac syndrome: Microangiopathy of the retina, cochlea and brainCLINICAL & EXPERIMENTAL OPHTHALMOLOGY, Issue 5 2000Valerie PJ Saw MBBS ABSTRACT Background: Susac syndrome is characterized by the triad of branch retinal arterial occlusions, encephalopathy and cochlear microangiopathy. The underlying process is believed to be a small vessel vasculitis causing microinfarcts in the retina, brain and cochlea. Methods: Analysis of two male and two female cases of Susac syndrome recognized in Australia. Results: In this series the epidemiology, mode of presentation, ophthalmologic features, neurologic and cochleovestibular features, radiologic characteristics, cerebrospinal fluid findings, therapeutic interventions, clinical course and outcome of Susac syndrome is examined. Key ophthalmologic differential diagnoses include systemic lupus erythematosis (SLE), Behçet's syndrome and other vasculitides such as sarcoidosis, tuberculosis, syphilis and lymphoma. Neuro-otologic features are most frequently misdiagnosed as multiple sclerosis. Conclusion: Susac syndrome, first described in 1979, is becoming an increasingly recognized condition. Early recognition of the syndrome is important because treatment with systemic immunosuppression may minimize permanent cognitive, audiologic and visual sequelae. [source] | ||||||||||