Clinical and Swallowing Characteristics Related With Respiratory Infection in Parkinsonism Patients

Objective@#To investigate the clinical and swallowing characteristics related to respiratory infection in patients with parkinsonism. @*Methods@#One hundred and forty-two patients with parkinsonism who underwent videofluoroscopic swallowing studies (VFSS) were enrolled in this study. The initial clinical and VFSS characteristics were compared between patients with and without a history of respiratory infection in the past year. A multivariate logistic regression model was applied to identify clinical and swallowing characteristics related to respiratory infections. @*Results@#Patients with respiratory infections were older (74.75±10.20 years vs. 70.70±8.83 years, p=0.037), had a higher Hoehn and Yahr (H&Y) stage (stage IV–V, 67.9% vs. 49.1%; p=0.047), and were more likely to have a diagnosis of idiopathic Parkinson’s disease (IPD) (67.9% vs. 41.2%, p=0.011) than those without respiratory infections. Among VFSS findings, bolus formation, premature bolus loss, oral transit time, pyriform sinus residues, pharyngeal wall coatings, and penetration/aspiration were significantly worse in patients with respiratory infections (p<0.05). Regarding clinical characteristics, higher H&Y stage (odds ratio [OR], 3.174; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.226–8.216; p=0.017) and diagnosis of IPD (OR, 0.280, 95% CI, 0.111–0.706; p=0.007) were significantly related to respiratory infections in the multivariate analysis. Among VFSS findings, pyriform sinus residue (OR, 14.615; 95% CI, 2.257–94.623; p=0.005) and premature bolus loss (OR, 5.151; 95% CI, 1.047–25.338; p=0.044) were also significantly associated with respiratory infection. @*Conclusion@#This study suggests that disease severity, diagnosis, pyriform sinus residue, and premature bolus loss observed in VFSS are associated with respiratory infection in patients with parkinsonism.

Atypical presentations of drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome caused by carbamazepine with concurrent use of corticosteroid: Report of a case with a brief literature review

Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Seoul National University Hospital, Seoul, KoreaCarbamazepine (CBZ) is the common antiepileptic drug prescribed for the management of neuropathic pain in patients with neurologic injury. CBZ can rarely be the causative agent to result in drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DIHS), which is a life-threatening drug reaction. Delayed diagnosis of DIHS may occur in complicated clinical settings. We have reported a case of a 12-year-old girl whose initial manifestations of CBZ-induced DIHS were atypical due to concurrent administration of corticosteroids. After open biopsy of brainstem glioma, she was administered corticosteroids and CBZ to mitigate postoperative complications, including mild weakness of ankle dorsiflexion and otalgia. Not only fever but also elevation of liver enzymes and inflammatory markers were presented 1 month after CBZ initiation, without any skin rash or leukocytosis. A maculopapular rash on the whole body and leukocytosis developed afterward; consequently, the diagnostic criteria for DIHS were fulfilled. After discontinuation of CBZ, her fever and increased liver enzymes subsided and the rash slowly improved. This case indicates that typical signs, such as skin rash or leukocytosis, can be initially masked or delayed in CBZ-induced DIHS if it overlaps with corticosteroid administration. The atypical manifestations of DIHS should be considered if CBZ is concurrently administered with corticosteroids.