Pincer nail deformity in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Although several manifestations of skin involvement in cases of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have been reported, the pincer nail deformity has not been previously reported in a patient with ALS. The pincer nail deformity is characterized by distortion of the shape of the nail with transverse over curvature and may be associated with systemic diseases and certain medications. We herein describe the case of a patient presenting with a pincer nail deformity associated with rapidly advancing ALS. This case suggests a potential link between quickly advancing disease and the pincer nail deformity.

Tumor necrosis factor-α-induced mononuclear cell death may contribute to polymorphonuclear cell predominance in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with bacterial meningitis.

BACKGROUND: Bacterial meningitis is characterized by a marked predominance of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNs: segmented granulocytes or neutrophils) in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), whereas aseptic meningitis is characterized by a predominance of mononuclear leukocytes (MNs: lymphocytes or monocytes). However, the pathophysiology of this predominance of PMNs in the CSF of patients with bacterial meningitis has never, to our knowledge, been clearly described. METHODS: To investigate the predominant cell components of CSF from pediatric patients with bacterial meningitis, we investigated cell death in association with levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) in the CSF, using the MTT (3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyl-tetrazolium bromide) assay and flow cytometry. RESULTS: The MTT assay of the CSF revealed that the PMNs had survived, while the MNs rapidly had undergone cell death. Although PMNs survived in CSF with high levels of TNF-α, PMN apoptosis was demonstrated with flow cytometry. CONCLUSIONS: The present study suggests that the pathophysiology of PMN predominance in the CSF of patients in the acute phase of bacterial meningitis is related to the rapid cell death of MNs and the survival of PMNs brought about by high levels of TNF-α.

An 8-year-old boy with vertebral artery dissection with cerebellar ataxia featuring suspected vertebral artery hypoplasia.

We report an 8-year-old boy with left vertebral artery dissection featuring cerebellar ataxia in which congenital vertebral artery hypoplasia was suspected as a predisposing factor in the dissection. The patient suddenly suffered from vertigo and vomiting while swimming, and he was brought to our department. The initial brain Computed Tomography (CT) demonstrated no abnormalities, and his symptoms disappeared the next morning. However, one month after onset, brain Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) revealed ischemic changes (infarction) in the left cerebellum. Transfemoral angiography showed complete occlusion at the C2 portion of the left vertebral artery, suggesting dissection and diffuse narrowing of the proximal segment of the occlusion site. Three-dimensional CT angiography also revealed diffuse narrowing of the left vertebral artery from the bifurcation of the subclavian artery. He has since been living daily life without any difficulties. The detailed etiology of cerebral artery dissection remains unknown, but arterial anomalies should be considered as a predisposing factor.

Intravenous atropine treatment in hypertrophic pyloric stenosis: evaluation by clinical course and imaging.

Hypertrophic pyloric stenosis (HPS) is the principal disease to consider in neonates presenting with frequent projectile vomiting and poor weight gain. Ramstedt pyloromyotomy is commonly used for the surgical treatment of HPS. The present study investigated the efficacy of nonsurgical medical treatment using intravenous administration of atropine and the examined the clinical course and results of ultrasonography and a contrast upper gastrointestinal series. A 34-day-old girl was admitted with chief complaints of projectile vomiting and poor weight gain. HPS was diagnosed on the basis of the clinical course and results of imaging studies. After intravenous administration of atropine, projectile vomiting resolved and weight increased without complications. On imaging studies, barium introduced into the stomach by tube rapidly entered the duodenum after atropine administration. Ultrasonography initially showed no reductions in hypertrophic muscle in the pyloric region, but gradual reductions were identified in subsequent months.

Treatment with flunitrazepam of continuous spikes and waves during slow wave sleep (CSWS) in children.

We describe our treatment of two boys with continuous spikes and waves during slow wave sleep (CSWS). One of the boys was suffering from non-convulsive status epilepticus and the other from conscious disturbance with automatism. Their ictal EEG readings showed continuous diffuse spike and wave complexes, which were considered to show electrical status. The boys were diagnosed as having CSWS, and were later diagnosed with Landau-Kleffner syndrome (LKS). EEG readings returned to normal on intravenous injection of flunitazepam (FZP) at a dose of 0.02 mg/kg, suggesting that FZP is an effective treatment for CSWS.

Helicobacter pylori infection with a duodenal ulcer in a 6-year-old boy.

A 6-year-old boy was hospitalized because of dark feces and facial pallor of 1 weeks duration. Other gastrointestinal symptoms, including vomiting and abdominal pain, were absent, but he felt dizziness when standing and fatigue on effort. Hematologic studies revealed iron-deficiency anemia, and endoscopy showed gastric erosions and a duodenal ulcer. All test results for Helicobacter pylori infection, including H. pylori antigen in stool, anti-H. pylori IgG immunoassay in serum, and the (13)C-urea breath test, were positive. Because an H. pylori-associated gastric ulcer had been diagnosed with endoscopy in the patients father 3 years earlier, father-son transmission was suspected. The patient was treated with triple-agent eradication therapy (proton pump inhibitor [lansoprazol], amoxicillin, and clarithromycin) for 2 weeks. One month after therapy was completed, eradication of H. pylori was confirmed by negative results on the stool antigen test. Peptic ulcer disease can occur in young children, as in this case. The stool antigen test kit is a useful and reliable method that can be used even in preschool children to diagnose H. pylori infection.

Contact pressure distribution features in Down syndrome infants in supine and prone positions, analyzed by photoelastic methods.

BACKGROUND: Local force distribution supporting the bodyweight of infants with Down syndrome (DS) appears to be different from that of healthy controls. The purpose of the present study was to establish methods to assess this force distribution and to allow therapeutic evaluation of neurological development in DS infants prior to walking. METHODS: Contact pressure distribution patterns in supine and prone positions were measured by photoelastic methods and were compared between DS infants and healthy controls. The DS group included eight subjects, seven with regular trisomy 21, and one with a Robertson translocation. The controls consisted of 14 neonates, four 4-month-old infants and eight 7-month-old infants. RESULTS: In both groups, head loading ratio decreased as age advanced but the decrement was less in the test group than in the control group. When the bodyweight loading ratios were measured in two different lying positions, that is, prone and supine, the ratios for prone generally tended to be smaller than those for supine in the controls. This kind of difference between prone and supine was not seen in the DS group. The bodyweight is somewhat sustained with limbs and the limbs loading ratios in the DS group were always significantly lower than in the controls. CONCLUSION: Coordinated development of weight-supporting limbs seems to be poor in the DS group.

A comparative study of nitric oxide, glutathione, and glutathione peroxidase activities in cerebrospinal fluid from children with convulsive diseases/children with aseptic meningitis.

It has been reported that active oxygen and/or free radicals are produced in the central nervous system (CNS) compartment in patients with bacterial meningitis, so it is supposed that the levels of endogenous antioxidative scavengers in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) are elevated as an adaptive reaction to bacterial meningitis, which exerts severe stress on the human body. We assumed that they are also elevated in patients with convulsive diseases. Nitric oxide (NO) and endogenous antioxidative scavengers (glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), (total) superoxide dismutase (T-SOD), manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD), and catalase) were measured in CSF from a group of child patients with various neurological diseases and a control group. NO, GSH, and GPX activities in CSF from the patients with convulsive diseases were significantly higher than in those with aseptic meningitis or in the controls. Furthermore, all parameters in CSF from patients with bacterial meningitis were significantly higher than in any other group. The present study suggests that oxidative stress may be associated with the pathophysiology of convulsion and that its clinical attenuation will lead to improvement in the prognosis for convulsive diseases.

[Two cases of adult Down syndrome treated with selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor for behavior disorders].

Adult patients with Down syndrome show psychological symptoms and early senility. Improving their environment and dealing with their complaints and stress should first address their behavioral problems, such as self-injury, depression, aggression and outbursts. Pharmacological treatment may also be tried for behavioral disorders. Individuals with Down syndrome demonstrate neurotransmitter changes such as the loss of acetylcholine, norepinephrine, and serotonin (5-HT) with increasing age. Selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitor (SSRI) is effective for depression and panic disorders. We report here the effect of SSRI in two adult male patients with Down syndrome, 35 and 47 years of age. Self-injury in one case and aggression and outbursts in another improved after 1 week of fluvoxamine treatment, suggesting the effects of SSRI for behavioral disorders of adult Down syndrome.

[A case of severe mental retardation with blepharophimosis, ptosis, microphthalmia, microcephalus, hypogonadism and short stature--the difference from Ohdo blepharophimosis syndrome].

We report a case of 13-year-old girl with short stature, microcephalus, blepharophimosis, ptosis, bilateral microphthalmia (more prominent in the right), hypogonadism, other minor anomalies, and severe mental retardation. Her mother had two spontaneous abortions. She was born as the second baby of dizygotic twins. The first baby died of diaphragm hernia and heart failure. Her body height, body weight and head circumference were below -3 SD. She did not have epicanthus inversus, hypoplastic teeth, heart anomalies, seizures, muscle weakness, and hearing loss. She was able to handle her wheelchair, but could neither understand nor speak meaningful words. When she looked at something in front of herself, she turned her face up and lifted the left eyelid with her own fingers. She had no somatic change of puberty. Laboratory and radiological examinations demonstrated a normal karyotype, normal bone age, findings of Chilaiditi syndrome, and absence of brain malformation on cranial CT. The serum levels of LH and FSH were high for age and those of estradiol and progesterone were low, suggesting immaturity of ovarian function. These findings suggested the ovarian functions might not get maturations. Hypogonadism has previously been reported in female cases of the blepharophimosis, ptosis and epicanthus inversus syndrome (BPES) type I, but not in those with the Ohdo blepharophimosis syndrome (OBS). Our case's condition differs from BPES because of the presence of mental retardation and the absence of epicanthus inversus. We also discuss the distinction from OBS, a disease entity of unknown etiology presenting with a variety of complications.

A case of adversive seizures induced by hyperventilation.

We report a case of adversive seizures featuring neck rotation and conjugate deviation induced by the hyperventilation maneuver. At the age of 6 years the patient suffered from conjugate deviation to the left. She herself felt no symptoms other than oculomotor symptoms. Hyperventilation induced an adversive seizure and ictal EEG showed sharp waves in the right frontal, central, and parietal areas. No brain image showed abnormal findings. Zonisamide completely attenuated her attacks. It is well known that hyperventilation induces absence seizures, and it has been reported that hyperventilation can induce complex partial seizures. However, no previous reports have described patients diagnosed as having adversive seizures with conjugate deviation induced by hyperventilation. We report the present case because, although its epileptogenesis is unknown, the patient is a rare case not only clinically but also electrophysiologically.