CT of Gastric Emergencies.

Abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting are common presenting symptoms among adult patients seeking care in the emergency department, and, with the increased use of computed tomography (CT) to image patients with these complaints, radiologists will more frequently encounter a variety of emergent gastric pathologic conditions on CT studies. Familiarity with the CT appearance of emergent gastric conditions is important, as the clinical presentation is often nonspecific and the radiologist may be the first to recognize gastric disease as the cause of a patient's symptoms. Although endoscopy and barium fluoroscopy remain important tools for evaluating patients with suspected gastric disease in the outpatient setting, compared with CT these modalities enable less comprehensive evaluation of patients with nonspecific complaints and are less readily available in the acute setting. Endoscopy is also more invasive than CT and has greater potential risks. Although the mucosal detail of CT is relatively poor compared with barium fluoroscopy or endoscopy, CT can be used with the appropriate imaging protocols to identify inflammatory conditions of the stomach ranging from gastritis to peptic ulcer disease. In addition, CT can readily demonstrate the various complications of gastric disease, including perforation, obstruction, and hemorrhage, which may direct further clinical, endoscopic, or surgical management. We will review the normal anatomy of the stomach and discuss emergent gastric disease with a focus on the usual clinical presentation, typical imaging appearance, and differentiating features, as well as potential imaging pitfalls.

Deep brain stimulation for early-stage Parkinson's disease: an illustrative case.

OBJECTIVES: Subthalamic nucleus (STN) deep brain stimulation (DBS) is an effective intervention in advanced Parkinson's disease (PD), but its efficacy and safety in early PD are unknown. We are conducting a randomized pilot trial investigating DBS in early PD. This report describes one participant who received bilateral STN-DBS. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty subjects have been randomized to either optimal drug therapy (ODT) or DBS + ODT. Microelectrode recordings from the STN and substantia nigra are collected at implantation. The Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale Motor Subscale (UPDRS-III) is administered in the ON and OFF states semi-annually and neuropsychological function and quality of life are assessed annually. We describe a 54-year-old man with a two-year history of PD who was randomized to DBS + ODT and followed for two years. RESULTS: The subject showed a lower STN to substantia nigra ratio of neuronal activity than advanced PD patients, and higher firing rate than non-PD patients. The subject's total UPDRS and UPDRS-III scores improved during the two-year follow-up, while his OFF UPDRS-III score and levodopa equivalent daily dose increased. Quality of life, verbal fluency, and verbal learning improved. He did not experience any serious adverse events. CONCLUSIONS: This report details the first successful application of bilateral STN-DBS for early-stage PD during a clinical trial.

Subthalamic nucleus neuronal firing rate increases with Parkinson's disease progression.

Parkinson's disease is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of dopaminergic cells in the central nervous system, in particular the substantia nigra, resulting in an unrelenting loss of motor and nonmotor function. Animal models of Parkinson's disease reveal hyperactive neurons in the subthalamic nucleus that have increased firing rates and bursting activity compared with controls. Although subthalamic nucleus activity has been characterized in patients with advanced-stage Parkinson's disease, it has not been described in patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease. Here we present the results of subthalamic nucleus neuronal recordings from patients with early-stage Parkinson's disease (Hoehn and Yahr stage II) enrolled in an ongoing clinical trial compared with recordings from age- and sex-matched patients with advanced Parkinson's disease. Subthalamic nucleus neurons had a significantly lower firing rate in early versus advanced Parkinson's disease (28.7 vs 36.3 Hz; P<.01). The overall activity of the subthalamic nucleus was also significantly lower in early versus late Parkinson's disease, as measured by background neuronal noise (12.4 vs 14.0 mV; P<.05). No significant difference was identified between groups in the bursting or variability of neuronal firing in the subthalamic nucleus, as measured by a burst index or the interspike interval coefficient of variability. The results suggest that neuronal firing in the subthalamic nucleus increases with Parkinson's disease progression.