How rare is benign paroxysmal positional vertigo in children? A review of 20 cases and their epidemiology.

OBJECTIVE: The clinical features and incidence of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) are not well known in pediatric populations. The aim of this study was to describe the clinical characteristics of pediatric BPPV and to estimate the frequency of pediatric BPPV in the general population. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of 20 children (6-14 years old) diagnosed with BPPV between 2007 and 2017. The age/sex distribution of BPPV for all ages at our hospital and in the Korean Health Insurance Review and Assessment Service-National Patient Sample (HIRA-NPS) database were compared. The annual incidence and proportion of children with BPPV were calculated. RESULTS: BPPV occurred 1.86 times more frequently in girls than in boys. Nine children (45%) had associated comorbidities, such as inner ear disorders and recent head trauma. The posterior and lateral semicircular canals were most commonly involved (n = 9 for each), and recurrence was observed in two patients (10%). Children younger than 15 years accounted for approximately 1% of all BPPV cases. The annual incidence of BPPV was 171.5/100,000 for all ages and 9.5/100,000 in the pediatric population. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that pediatric BPPV is a relatively uncommon cause of vertigo in children and that the rates of related illness and recurrence are high.

A shorter treatment duration may be sufficient for patients with Mycobacterium massiliense lung disease than with Mycobacterium abscessus lung disease.

BACKGROUND: Mycobacterium abscessus complex is the second most common organism isolated from patients with nontuberculous mycobacterial (NTM) lung disease in South Korea. This study aimed to compare clinical features and treatment outcomes of M. abscessus and Mycobacterium massiliense lung disease. METHODS: We retrospectively identified stored clinical isolates of M. abscessus complex as either M. abscessus or M. massiliense and reviewed medical records to compare clinical characteristics and treatment responses. All patients were treated empirically over several months with multidrug regimens, including a macrolide and one or more parenteral agents. RESULTS: Of the 249 patient isolates tested, 128 (59 with M. abscessus and 69 with M. massiliense) met the American Thoracic Society diagnostic criteria for NTM pulmonary disease, and treatment outcomes were analyzed in 48 patients (26 with M. abscessus and 22 with M. massiliense). The clinical and radiologic findings were similar between the two groups. Although the durations of parenteral and total treatment were significantly shorter in patients with M. massiliense than in those with M. abscessus (4.7 months vs 7.4 months, P = .006, and 12.1 months vs 16.3 months, P = .043), the treatment success rate was significantly higher in patients with M. massiliense (95.5%) than in M. abscessus cases (42.3%, P < .001). CONCLUSION: Patients with M. massiliense pulmonary infection responded better to this antibiotic strategy than those with M. abscessus infection. A shortened duration of treatment may be sufficient for M. massiliense pulmonary infection.

MIBG scintigraphy for differentiating Parkinson's disease with autonomic dysfunction from Parkinsonism-predominant multiple system atrophy.

Parkinson's disease (PD) with autonomic dysfunction is difficult to differentiate from Parkinsonism-predominant multiple system atrophy (MSA-p). This study aimed to analyze the validity of MIBG scintigraphy for PD with autonomic dysfunction and MSA-p. Thirty-nine patients (PD: 27 patients, MSA-p type: 12) and 12 age-matched controls were prospectively enrolled and underwent MIBG scintigraphy and autonomic function test (AFT). We separately calculated early and delayed heart-to-mediastinal (H/M) ratio and washout rates (WRs). AFT was composed of sympathetic skin reflex and parasympathetic tests based on heart rate variability. Abnormal AFT was observed in 17 (63%) of PD and 10 (83%) of MSA-p. On comparing PD with abnormal AFT with MSA-p, either the early or delayed H/M ratio in PD was not different from that in MSA-p (P > 0.05). Only the WR could differentiate PD with abnormal AFT from MSA-p (47.07 +/- 57.48 vs. 31.39 +/- 31.52, respectively) (P = 0.026). According to the results, WR may be more useful than the early and delayed H/M ratio to distinguish MSA-p from PD with abnormal AFT. Furthermore, the MIBG uptake did not reflect the disease duration or severity.

Therapeutic effect of repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation in Parkinson's disease: analysis of [11C] raclopride PET study.

Repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) has been used as a potential therapeutic tool in Parkinson's disease (PD). However, the therapeutic value and/or the placebo effect of rTMS on PD remain to be elucidated. To investigate the therapeutic value and/or placebo effect of rTMS in PD, we compared the motor section of unified PD rating scale (UPDRS III) and the amount of extracellular dopamine concentration using [(11)C] raclopride PET before and after two sessions of rTMS in 9 PD patients. During a consecutive 2 days while off-medication, two series of 15 trains of 5 Hz-frequency rTMS (intensity, 90% of the resting motor threshold) were applied to the hand area of more severely symptomatic motor cortex (MC). After unilateral rTMS of MC, mean raclopride binding potentials (BPs) were reduced not only in putaminal and caudate areas on the stimulated side (-4.9% and -6.5%, respectively) (P > 0.05) but also in putaminal and caudate areas of nonstimulated hemispheres (-6.6%, P > 0.05 and -12.1%, P = 0.049, respectively). UPDRS III scores were significantly decreased (35.0 +/- 14.1 to 32.0 +/- 13.4, P = 0.049). A reduction of raclopride BP in nonstimulated ventral striatum by unilateral rTMS supports the placebo response during rTMS.