Clinical and imaging features of idiopathic intracranial hypertension / 中南大学学报(医学版)

OBJECTIVES@#Idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) is a syndrome that excludes secondary causes such as intracranial space-occupying lesion, hydrocephalus, cerebrovascular disease, and hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy. If not be treated promptly and effectively, IIH can cause severe, permanent vision disability and intractable, disabling headache. This study aims to explore the clinical and image features for IIH, to help clinicians to understand this disease, increase the diagnose rate, and improve the outcomes of patients.@*METHODS@#We retrospectively analyzed 15 cases of IIH that were admitted to Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, during January 2015 to September 2020. The diagnosis of IIH was based on the updated modified Dandy criteria. We analyzed clinical data of patients and did statistical analysis, including age, gender, height, weight, medical history, physical examination, auxiliary examination, treatment and outcome.@*RESULTS@#There were 10 females and 5 males. Female patients were 22 to 42 years old with median age of 39.5. Male patients were 27 to 52 years old with the median age of 44.0. The BMI was 24.14-34.17 (28.71±2.97) kg/m@*CONCLUSIONS@#IIH primarily affects women of childbearing age who are overweight. The major hazard of IIH is the severe and permanent visual loss. Typical image signs have high specificity in IIH diagnosis. Prompt diagnosis and effective treatment are significantly important to improve the outcomes of patients.

Myopathy associated with anti-signal recognition peptide antibodies: Five case reports / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Five patients with myopathy associated with anti-signal recognition peptide antibodies, admitted to our hospital from December 2015 to June 2018, were chosen in our study, and their clinical and pathological manifestations and treatments were retrospectively analyzed. Five patients showed subacute or chronic onset and proximal limb muscle weakness. Serum creatine kinase level was significantly elevated. Immunoblotting assay confirmed the positive anti-signal recognition particle antibody. EMG prompted myogenic damage. Pathological features included muscle degeneration, necrosis with regeneration, visible atrophy and hypertrophic of muscle fiber, connective tissue hyperplasia and a small amount of inflammatory cell infiltration. Immunohistochemical staining showed necrotizing muscle fiber infiltrated with CD4-positive and CD8-positive lymphocytes and CD68-positive macrophages, and no CD20-positive lymphocytes and CD303-positive dendritic cells were observed. Two patients had expressed a bit of c5b-9 positive capillary. Anti-sarcoglycans staining, anti-dysferlin staining and dystrophin staining showed continuous strong positive expression. Follow-up study found that all patients were response to glucocorticoid, and a combination therapy of immunoglobulin and immunosuppression were necessary for some patients.

Etiologies and risk factors for young people with intracerebral hemorrhage / 中南大学学报(医学版)

To determine the etiologies and risk factors of intracerebral hemorrhage in young people.
 Methods: A total of 401 young patients with intracerebral hemorrhage were enrolled, and they were assigned into a 20-29 , a 30-39, and a 40-45 age group. The differences of various etiologies and risk factors among the three groups were analyzed.
 Results: There were 273 men and 128 women in the 401 young patients. The etiologies of 294 patients (73.32%) were identified while 107 patients (26.68%) were unknown. Among those with identified etiology, 226 patients (56.36%) suffered from hypertension, 41 patients (10.22%) congenital cerebrovascular malformation (including 25 patients with cerebral arteriovenous malformation, 8 intracranial cavernous hemangioma, and 8 intracranial aneurysm), and 27 other etiologies (including 9 patients with moyamoya disease, 6 cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, 4 drug abuse, 3 hemorrhagic brain tumor, 2 intracranial infection, 1 systemic lupus erythematosus, 1 drug-induced, and 1 eclampsia). Risk factors included hypertension (237 cases, 59.10%), smoking (123 cases, 30.67%), alcohol consumption (74 cases, 18.45%), and others (19 cases, 4.74%; including 8 cases of pregnancy or in the puerperium, 8 family history of intracerebral hemorrhage, and 3 taking anti-platelet aggregation/anticoagulation agents). The rate of hypertension induced hemorrhage significantly increased with age (P<0.01); the rate of vascular malformations in 20-29 age group was obviously higher than other groups (P<0.01); the rate of unknown cause in the 40-45 age group was significantly lower than other groups (P<0.01) and the rate of other etiologies showed no significant difference in the 3 groups. The rate of hypertension was significantly elevated with the age (P<0.01), while smoking, alcohol consumption, and other risk factors showed no significant difference in the 3 groups.
 Conclusion: The rate of intracerebral hemorrhage in young people increases with the increasing of age and hemorrhage affects men more than women; hypertension may be the main cause and congenital cerebrovascular malformation is the second cause, which may be more common in younger patients. Hypertension, smoking, and alcohol consumption may be the major controllable risk factors in intracerebral hemorrhage in young people.

Clinical characteristics of hemichorea associated with non-ketotic hyperglycemia in 3 patients: case report and literature review / 中南大学学报(医学版)

Objective:To investigate the pathophysiology,clinical manifestation and neuroimaging characteristics and therapeutic experiences for hemichore associated with non-ketotic hyperglycemia (HC-NH).Methods:Clinical data of three patients with HC-NH from Xiangya Hospital,Central South University were analyzed retrospectively,and the related literature was reviewed.Results:The core clinical features of HC-NH were characterized by acute/subacute onset of hemichorea with non-ketotic hyperglycemia in the elderly females.Radiologic findings associated with HC-NH were characterized by hyperattenuation on computed tomographic (CT) scans and hyperintensity on Tl-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at unilateral basal ganglion region.Blood glucose control was the foundation of treatment.Dopamine receptor antagonists and benzodiazepine sedative were helpful in controlling hemichorea.Conclusion:Hemichorea-hemiballismus is a rare complication of nonketotic hyperglycaemia in elderly type 2 diabetes.It is associated with contralateral striatal radiological abnormality and typically T1 hyperintensity on MRI.The pathophysiology of HC-NH is not clear.The prognosis of HC-NH is favorable.Antidiabetic drugs combined with dopamine receptor antagonists can effectively relieve the hemichorea symptoms.

NOTCH3 gene mutations in two Chinese families featuring cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarct and leucoencephalopathy / 中华医学遗传学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To analyze potential mutations of the NOTCH3 gene in two Chinese families featuring cerebral autosomal dominant arteriopathy with subcortical infarct and leucoencephalopathy (CADASIL).</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The two probands and related family members and 100 healthy controls were recruited. Potential mutations of the NOTCH3 gene were screened by PCR and direct sequencing. PolyPhen-2 and SIFT software were used to predict the protein function.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The conditions of both probands were adult-onset, with main clinical features including recurrent transient ischemic attacks and/or strokes, cognitive impairment. MRI findings suggested multiple cerebral infarcts and severe leukoencephalopathy. A heterozygous mutation c.328C>T (p.Arg110Cys), which was located in exon 3 of the NOTCH3 gene and known as a causative mutation, was identified in proband 1. A novel heterozygous mutation c.1013 G>C (p.Cys338Ser) located in exon 6 of the NOTCH3 gene was identified in the proband 2, which was not reported previously. The same mutations were not detected among the 100 unrelated healthy controls. Function analysis suggested that heterozygous mutation c.1013G>C can severely affect the functions of NOTCH3 protein.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Two heterozygous missense mutations in the NOTCH3 gene have been identified in two families affected with CADASIL. The novel heterozygous Cys338Ser mutation in exon 6 of the NOTCH3 gene probably underlies the CADASIL.</p>