Neurobrucellosis: a clinical analysis of 30 cases / 中华神经科杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical features of neurobrucellosis and improve the diagnosis and treatment of the disease.Methods The epidemiological information,clinical manifestation,laboratory examination,and imaging characteristics of 30 cases with neurobrucellosis were summarized retrospectively.Results There were 23 men,seven women in this group of cases.The mean age was 43 years.There were six cases with definite history of brucellosis,24 with exposure history of cattle and sheep or their diary products.Brucella blood serum agglutination tests were all positive in 30 cases.Meningitis or meningoencephalitis (29 cases),spinal cord lesion (20 cases) and auditory nerve's damage (18 cases) were the most common forms of neurobrucellosis in these patients.In the cerebral spinal fluid inspection tests,there were 29 cases with increasing leukocyte ((10-599) × 106/L),30 cases with elevated protein (0.5-4.0 g/L),29 cases with decreased glucose (0.8-2.6 mmol/L) in this group of patients.There were 17 cases with white matter lesion on cranial magnetic imaging.The combinations of doxycycline,rifampin and ceftriaxone sodium were given to most cases.The prognosis was good in most cases.Conclusions Neurobrucellosis is not unusual clinically,clinical presentation of which varies greatly.The most common form is meningitis or meningoencephalitis,whereas spinal cord damage and hearing damage are also common.Patients who come from epidemic area and develop unexplained neurological symptoms should be screened and distinguished with neurobrucellosis.

To evaluate the cervical spine curvature and growth rate for studying the pathogenesis of Hirayama disease in adolescents / 中华内科杂志

Objective To explore the pathogenesis of Hirayama disease from juvenile cervical curvature and growth rate.Methods Totally 60 patients diagnosed with Hirayama disease (HD) from 2009 to 2011 in our hospital were included in the present study.Patient's height and growth rate 1-2 years prior to the onset of disease were recalled by patients and family members.Lateral cervical X-ray was examined,and cervical curvature was measured by Borden's method.Results All the patients were adolescents with onset age at 12-25 (17.0 ± 2.4) years old and peak age of onset at 15-18 [45 cases (75.0％)].Fifty-seven cases were male and 3 cases were female.Cervical MRI examination of the 60 cases showed that the spinal cord atrophy involving C4-C8 vertebral level.The C line values for cervical curvature by Borden's method of the patients was 2.6 (1.2,4.2) mm.Among 60 patients,57 of them were with abnormal cervical curvature.The average height growth rate 1 year prior to the onset was (7.1 ± 1.8) cm.Conclusions The clinical manifestations that featured in overgrowth in the first two years and abnormal cervical vertebra curvature are possible related with pathogenesis of HD.HD is possibly a cervical spinal cord compression disease,which is associated with cervical spinal dysplasia during juvenile growth.

An outbreak of foot pain syndrome among students from a senior high school in Foshan, Guangdong province, 2014 / 中华流行病学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the cause of an outbreak of foot pain syndrome among students from a senior high school in Foshan.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We defined a suspect case as onset of foot pain/numbness with unknown reason among students and teachers in a school of Foshan city, from February 10 to March 16, 2014. A suspect case was noticed as having both food pain and numbness. All the cases were searched through reviewing medical records in the nearby hospitals and school's clinic, also the records of absenteeism in school. Clinical information was collected from all the students, using a standardized questionnaire. Daily temperature was collected from all the students, between January 1 and March 31, 2014. A 1 : 2 individual matched case-control study was conducted to identify related risk factors on this epidemic. We interviewed all the cases and controls on their diet, physical activities and measures used for warming.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>A total of 407 case-students were identified, with an attack rate (AR) as 26.5%. The AR was 37.3% in girls, compared to 12.9% in boys. The difference was statistically significant (χ² = 115.1, P < 0.01). Boarding students had a higher AR (31.8%) than the commuting students (16.2%). The difference was statistically significant (χ² = 43.2, P < 0.01). In girls, boarding students had higher AR (46.1%) than those commuting students (18.5%). The difference was statistically significant (χ² = 61.4, P < 0.01). No statistically significant difference was found between boarding or commuting students in boys. Outdoor temperature was coming down from 23 °C on February 6 to 6 °C on February 13, but gradually rose to 23 °C on February 28. There was a positive relationship (r = 0.65, P = 0.002) noticed between daily maximum temperature and the number of cases during February 13-28. Results from this case-control study showed that factors as lacking physical activities (OR = 2.8, 95% CI: 1.5-5.6), feeling cold in bed (OR = 3.0, 95% CI: 1.3-7.0) and having experienced similar symptoms (OR = 3.4, 95% CI: 1.1-11.0) could increase the risk of this disease.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>This outbreak was possibly caused by the abrupt fluctuation of temperature within a short period.</p>

The clinical and imaging study of thalamic venous infarction / 中华内科杂志

Objective To explore the clinical and radiological features of bilateral thalamus venous infarction.Methods The cases definitely diagnosed as thalamus venous infarction were collected and the corresponding clinical and radiological data were retrospectively analyzed.Results Four cases confirmed as thalamus venous infarction by digital substraction angiography (DSA) were collected.Bilateral thalamus lesions were detected in all cases by brain MRI scans which mainly presented as thalamus edema with high T1 and T2 signals with partial enhancement.Mild hemorrage was also shown in one case.Acute or subacute onset with clinical manifestations of headache,hypomnesia and hypersomnia were reported in all cases.The neurological examination showed conscious disturbance,memory impairment and positive Babinski sign.The venous thrombi were formed mainly in the transverse and the straight sinuses in 3 cases with the deep cerebral venous involved in 2 cases.All patients were improved after the anticoagulation therapy.Dural arteriovenous fistula was found in the other case drained by the Rosenthal's vein,and the symptoms were ameliorated after the embolotherapy.Conclusions As the thalamus is drained by the thalamostriate vein and the lateral thalamic vein towards the internal cerebral vein with the caudate portion drained particularly by the Rosenthal's vein,venous thrombosis or fistula drainage into these veins would probably disturb the normal drainage of the thalamus and result in further edema and infarction.Thus,the venous infarction should be taken into consideration whenever bilateral thalamus lesions are encountered in clinical practice and DSA is necessary to confirm the diagnosis.

Clinical diagnosis and analysis of cerebral cortical veinous thrombosis / 中华内科杂志

ObjectiveTo investigate thc clinical and radiological characteristics of cortical vein thrombosis for early diagnosis and treatment.Methods Retrospective analysis was carried out with the clinical cases of cortical vein thrombosis in 2010.The symptoms,sign,neuroimaging were analyzed and related literatures were reviewed.ResultsFour patients were collected,average age was forty years old.The main symptoms were headache and focal neurological signs in varying degrees,intarction or hemorrhage in one or two sides of parietal lobe could be found in CT or MRI.Hemorrhage was found in two patients,infarction was found in one patient,hemorthage and infarction were both found in another patient.ConclusionsHeadachc and focal neurological signs are the common sings and symptoms of patients with cortical vein thrombosis.CT and MRI are effective methods for the diagnosis of cortical vein thrombosis.

On the relationship among hospitals, healthcare reform and medical insurance / 中华医院管理杂志

This paper analyzed the 15-year exploration and practice in Zhenjiang City on the reforms of the healthcare reform From the perspectives of the role and impact exerted by medical insurance in hospitals,as well as main challenges and countermeasures or recommendatioas of this regard,the paper discussed the development relationship among public hospitals,healthcare system reform and medical insurance.Main points include the following:orchestrated development between hospitals and medical insurance;establishment of an equal negotiation mechanism between hospitals and medical insurance;establishment of a beneficary system adaptable to medical insurance capacity;establishment of a scientific and feasible pattern of fees settlement and payment;hospitals are expected to deepen the reform and better management,playing the role of providing quality medical services and reasonably controlling medical costs.

A clinical analysis of methylmalonic addenda in adolescents / 中华内科杂志

Objective To investigate the clinical characteristics of methylmalonic academia in adolescence cases. Methods 4 cases were diagnosed methylmalonic academia by gas chromatography- masss pectrogram whose clinical, manifestations and treatment process were analyzed. Results The main clinical manifestations in 4 cases with methylmalonic academia were intellect impairment,epilepsy, pyramid signs; 2 of them suffered with hypopsia and optic atrophy, one of them suffered with papilledema. Symptoms were improved after treated with cobamamide and L-carnitine in all the 4 cases 1 months later. Conclusions The main clinical characteristics of methylmalonic academia in adolescence were intellect impairment, epilepsy and pyramid signs. The symptoms could be improved after treatment.

Multiple modality endovascular treatment for intracranial venous thrombosis / 中华放射学杂志

Objective To review the experience of multiple modality endovascular treatment for intracranial venous thrombosis, and to evaluate the efficacy and risk of endovascular thrombolysis for intracranial venous thrombosis.Methods From October, 2000 to October, 2001, 12 patients with intracranial venous thrombosis confirmed by CT, MRI, MRV, and/or DSA were treated with multiple modality endovascular thrombolysis including intravenous thrombolysis, mechanical thrombus maceration, intraarterial thrombolysis, and stenting.After thrombolysis, treatment aimed at the primary diseases was continued and warfarin was used for 6 months.The patients were followed-up for 17-29 months, averaged 23 months.Results Of the twelve patients, all underwent transvenous thrombolysis, ten underwent combined transvenous thrombolysis and clot maceration, seven underwent transvenous infusion of urokinase combined with transarterial infusion of urokinase.Two underwent transvenous infusion of urokinase combined with transarterial infusion of urokinase.The thrombolysis duration was from one to three days.The infusion dose of urokinase was 800 000 to 2 900 000 IU, the averaging dosage of urokinase was less than 1 000 000 IU per day.All patients achieved from recanalization of sinuses as confirmed on postprocedural angiography, MRI, and MRV studies prior to hospital discharge.At discharge, all the patients improved neurologically, and GCS improved from averaged 12 of pre-operation to 14 of post-operation.During the averaging 23 months follow-up, no patient recurred. Conclusion Combined multiple modality endovascular treatment is an effective and safe procedure for potentially catastrophic intracranial venous thrombosis.