Cerebrovascular changes in neuro-Behcet's disease and neuropsychiatric lupus by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography and magnetic resonance imaging

ABSTRACT Introduction: Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) is a technique that allows measurement of blood flow from the basal intracerebral vessels. It is relatively inexpensive, non-invasive, can be performed at the bedside, and allows monitoring in acute emergency settings and for prolonged periods with a high temporal resolution, making it ideal for studying the haemodynamics within the intracranial arteries in neuro-Behcet's disease (NBD) and neuro-psychiatric lupus (NPSLE). Our aim was to assess the cerebral haemodynamic patterns in patients with NBD and NPSLE using TCD, while brain lesions were examined using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Material and methods: Case-control prospective study of 30 neuro-Behcet's disease patients, 25 neuro-psychiatric lupus patients and 26 healthy age-matched volunteers. All patients and healthy controls were examined by TCD. Only the groups of patients underwent cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Results: Transcranial Doppler (TCD) values for middle cerebral artery (MCA), anterior cerebral artery (ACA), posterior cerebral artery (PCA), vertebral artery (VA) and basilar artery (BA) in NBD, NPSLE and control groups were measured. The results showed that there was a significant decrease in mean blood flow velocities in all the arteries examined in NBD and NPSLE patients. There was also a significant increase in the pulsatile index of PCA, VA and BA between NBD and NPSLE patients. The same results were obtained when comparing NBD versus controls. However, there was no significant difference between the NPSLE patients and the control group. The MRI lesions described were parenchymal lesions in 14 patients (46.7%), and vascular lesions in 4 patients (13.3%). Vascular lesions co-existed with parenchymal lesions (mixed lesion). Parenchymal lesions were in white matter (40%), thalamus (26.7%), brain stem (26.7%) and cerebellum (20%). While, in NPSLE, 23 patients were normal (92%) and only two patients had a vascular lesion (8%). Conclusion: There was a significant decrease in mean blood flow and a significant increase in the pulsatile index among both NBD and NPSLE patients, according to the TCD values.

Mosquito Larval Species and Geographical Information System (GIS) Mapping of Environmental Vulnerable Areas, Dakhla Oasis, Egypt

Aims: This paper investigates the spatial distribution of mosquito breeding sites within the Dakhla oasis of the Western Desert of Egypt. Study Design: GIS spatial analysis was used to map the area under risk of mosquito proliferation. Place and Duration of Study: Dakhla oases, during September 2009 to October 2010. Methodology: Landsat images, synchronized with mosquito larval survey, were processed to identify the vegetation status of the study area. Twenty-two locations distributed in Dakhla oasis were investigated as nine mosquito species were collected from drains, paddle fields, and waterlogged areas. Results: Results showed that the main vector of Malaria disease (Anopheles pharoensis and Anopheles sergentii), as well as the Culex pipiens, which is the main vector of filarial disease are abundant. Further, the geo-environmental setting and the discharge of increasing cultivated areas develop considerable waterlogging and pond areas, which are favorable breeding sites of mosquito. In Dakhla oases, the produced risk map showed that a large part of urban and cultivated regions were at risk of mosquito spread. Conclusion: It was concluded that mosquito larval populations fluctuated with the dynamics of vegetation cover in Dakhla. Multi-year data of mosquito collections are still required to provide a better characterization of the abundance of these insects from year to year which can potentially provide predictive capability of their population density based on remotely sensed ecological measurements.