Two Cases of Sleep-Related Eating Disorder Responding Promptly to Low-Dose Sertraline Therapy.

ABSTRACT: We report two cases of adult males with sleep-related eating disorder (SRED), with durations of 3 and 7 years, and without associated psychiatric history. In both cases, the use of low-dose (25 mg) sertraline taken at bedtime resulted in immediate, full and sustained resolution of symptoms at the latest follow-ups. The sertraline efficacy was of particular benefit for the patient reported on in case 2 who was a commercial airline pilot subjected to a highly restricted list of Federal Aviation Administration-approved medications. Risk factors for SRED included smoking cessation and work-related stress in case 1, and a history of sleepwalking and work-related circadian disruptions and partial sleep deprivations in case 2. Sertraline therapy of SRED is considered within a review of all current pharmacologic therapies of SRED.

Coexistence of obstructive sleep apnea worsens the overall outcome of intracranial aneurysm: a pioneer study.

OBJECTIVE Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is associated with the progression of abdominal and thoracic aortic aneurysms. However, the role of OSA in the overall outcome of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) has not yet been established. Authors of this report investigated the role of OSA in the overall outcome of IAs. METHODS Radiological and clinical data on patients (from 2010 through 2015) with confirmed IA were retrospectively reviewed. Significant differences between the OSA and non-OSA groups were determined using a chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of an unfavorable IA outcome. RESULTS Among the 283 patients with confirmed IAs, 45 patients (16%) were positively screened for OSA, a proportion that was significantly higher than the prevalence of OSA in nonaneurysmal neurosurgical patients (4%, p = 0.008). The percentage of patients with hypertension (p = 0.018), a body mass index ≥ 30 kg/m2 (p < 0.0001), hyperlipidemia (p = 0.034), diabetes mellitus (p = 0.005), chronic heart disease (CHD; p = 0.024), or prior stroke (p = 0.03) was significantly higher in the OSA group than in the non-OSA group. Similarly, the percentage of wide-necked aneurysms (p = 0.00001) and patients with a poor Hunt and Hess Grade IV-V (p = 0.01) was significantly higher in the OSA group than in the non-OSA group. In addition, the percentage of ruptured aneurysms (p = 0.03) and vasospasms (p = 0.03) was significantly higher in the OSA group. The percentage of patients with poor modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores (3-6) was significantly higher in the OSA group (p = 0.03). A separate cohort of patients with ruptured IAs showed similar results. In both univariate (p = 0.01) and multivariate (p = 0.04) regression analyses, OSA was identified as an individual predictor of an unfavorable outcome. In addition, hypertension and prior stroke were revealed as predictors of a poor IA outcome. CONCLUSIONS Complications of IA such as rupture and vasospasm are often the consequence of uncontrolled OSA. Overall outcome (mRS) of IAs is also affected by the co-occurrence of OSA. Therefore, the coexistence of OSA with IA affects the outcome of IAs. Obstructive sleep apnea is a risk factor for a poor outcome in IA patients.

Changing paradigm in the management of elderly patients with intracranial aneurysms: An institutional review.

Optimal treatment of intracranial aneurysms (IAs) in elderly patients has not yet been well established. We have investigated the clinical and radiological outcomes and predictors of unfavorable outcome of IAs in elderly patients. Radiological and clinical data of 85 elderly patients from 2010 through 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Significant differences between the groups were determined by a chi-square test. Regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of unfavorable outcome. Among the 85 patients with IAs, the number of patients with >7mm size aneurysm (p=0.01), diabetes mellitus (DM) (p=0.02), smoking (0.009) and Hunt and Hess grade 4-5 (p=0.003) was significantly higher in the ruptured group compared to the unruptured group. Similarly, the number of patients who underwent clipping was higher in the ruptured aneurysm group (p=0.01). The overall clinical outcome was comparatively better in the unruptured group (p=0.03); however, microsurgical clipping of aneurysms provides a significantly higher rate of complete aneurysmal occlusion (p=0.008). Overall, there was no significant difference in outcome in respect to treatment approach. In regression analysis, hypertension (HTN), obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), prior stroke, ruptured aneurysms and partial occlusion of aneurysms were identified as predictors of unfavorable outcome of IAs. Intracranial aneurysms in elderly patients reveals that endovascular treatment provides better clinical outcome; however, microsurgical clipping yields higher complete occlusion. Retreatment of residual aneurysms was comparatively more in the coiling group. Practice pattern has shifted from clipping to coiling for aneurysms in posterior circulation but not for aneurysms in anterior circulation.

Atypical presentation and outcome of cervicogenic headache in patients with cervical degenerative disease: A single-center experience.

OBJECTIVE: Cervicogenic headache affects a significant portion of the entire population. This type of headache especially with atypical presentation is often hard to diagnose and manage since its etiopathophysiology is not been yet well understood. We have investigated the prevalence of cervicogenic headache with atypical presentation and discussed the etiology of it, and the outcome of surgical intervention on this type of headache in patients with cervical degenerative disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Radiological and clinical data of 160 patients (from 2001 through 2016) were retrospectively reviewed. Significant differences between the groups were determined by chi-square test. Logistic regression analysis was performed to identify the predictors of unfavorable outcome. RESULTS: In this study, 10% of the patients had atypical presentation of cervicogenic headache. In overall cohort, after surgical intervention, there was significant improvement in symptoms and pain control, whether the presentation is typical or atypical. Sixty-one percent of the patients had no complaints, and 90% of the patients were headache-free (p<0.0001). Sixty-nine percent of the patients were free of neck, shoulder and extremity pain, and visual analogue scale pain score was reduced by 7 points (pre-op, 8.4 vs. last follow-up, 1.5, p<0.0001). However, number of patients with reduced headache was significantly higher in the group with typical presentation of headache (90.1%) compared to group with atypical (80%) presentation, p=0.04. In this study, female gender, smoking, obesity and depression were identified as predictors of overall unfavourable outcome. In addition, in a separate analysis, smoking and depression were revealed as risk factors for persistent headache. CONCLUSIONS: A notable portion of patients with cervicogenic headache can have an atypical presentation mimicking a primary type headache. However, cervicogenic headaches with atypical presentation can be difficult to diagnose and manage at the initial visit of the patients. Etiopathophysiology of this type of headache could be explained by the theories including discogenic, convergence and sensitization-desensitization theories. When cervicogenic headache is accompanied with CDD, performing ACDF or laminectomy would be the treatment of choice. Surgical intervention can also relieve the accompanying neck, shoulder and extremity pain with minimal complications. Lastly, outcomes of surgical intervention depend on the patients' morbidities including obesity, smoking and depression.

Ventilatory Cycle Measurements and Loop Gain in Central Apnea in Mining Drivers Exposed to Intermittent Altitude.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: By measuring the apnea length, ventilatory phase, respiratory cycle length, and loop gain, we can further characterize the central apneas of high altitude (CAHA). METHODS: Sixty-three drivers of all-terrain vehicles, working in a Peruvian mine located at 2,020 meters above sea level (MASL), were evaluated. A respiratory polygraph was performed in the first night they slept at high altitude. None of the subjects were exposed to oxygen during the test or acetazolamide in the preceding days of the test. RESULTS: Sixty-three respiratory polygraphs were performed, and 59 were considered for analysis. Forty-six (78%) were normal, 6 (10%) had OSA, and 7 (12%) had CAHA. Key data from subjects include: residing altitude: 341 ± 828 MASL, Lake Louise scoring: 0.4 ± 0.8, Epworth score: 3.4 ± 2.7, apneahypopnea index: 35.7 ± 19.3, CA index: 13.4 ± 14.2, CA length: 14.4 ± 3.6 sec, ventilatory length: 13.5 ± 2.9 sec, cycle length: 26.5 ± 4.0 sec, ventilatory length/CA length ratio 0.9 ± 0.3 and circulatory delay 13.3 ± 2.9 sec. Duty ratio media [ventilatory duration/cycle duration] was 0.522 ± 0 0.128 [0.308-0.700] and loop gain was calculated from the duty ratio utilizing this formula: LG = 2π / [(2πDR-sin(2πDR)]. All subjects have a high loop gain media 2.415 ± 1.761 [1.175-6.260]. Multiple correlations were established with loop gain values, but the only significant correlation detected was between central apnea index and loop gain. CONCLUSIONS: Twelve percent of the studied population had CAHA. Measurements of respiratory cycle in workers with CAHA are more similar to idiopathic central apneas rather than Hunter-Cheyne-Stokes respiration. Also, there was a high degree of correlation between severity of central apnea and the degree of loop gain. The abnormal breathing patterns in those subjects could affect the sleep quality and potentially increase the risk for work accidents.

Can We Assess Pulsus Paradoxus through Polysomnography in a Patient with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease and Sleep-Disordered Breathing?

ABSTRACT: Pulsus paradoxus (PP) is a decrease in systolic blood pressure greater than 10 mm Hg during inspiration that occurs in various medical conditions. Using polysomnography pulse oximetry signal, photoplethysmography variations of the amplitude of the pulse pressure within the respiratory cycle were observed. There is a proportional relationship between the changes of inspiratory waveform values and the generated PP. A 59-year-old male underwent polysomnography that showed sleep hypoxemia, obstructive sleep-disordered breathing (apnea hypopnea index [AHI] = 5.1and respiratory disturbance index [RDI] = 87.9), with variations of pulse pressure induced primarily by inspiration. The highest variations in the pulse wave were observed in NREM sleep during obstructive respiratory events and in biocalibration during nasal breathing. The lowest variations occurred after the correction of inspiratory obstructive events and during biocalibration when asked to hold his breath.

A pilot study: portable out-of-center sleep testing as an early sleep apnea screening tool in acute ischemic stroke.

INTRODUCTION: Prompt diagnosis of obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) after acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is critical for optimal clinical outcomes, but in-laboratory conventional polysomnograms (PSG) are not routinely practical. Though portable out-of-center type III cardiopulmonary sleep studies (out-of-center cardiopulmonary sleep testing [OCST]) are widely available, these studies have not been validated in patients who have recently suffered from AIS. We hypothesized that OCST in patients with AIS would yield similar results when compared to conventional PSG. METHODS: Patients with AIS had simultaneous type III OCST and PSG studies performed within 72 hours from symptom onset. The accuracy of OCST was compared to PSG using: chi-square tests, receiver operatory characteristic curves, Bland-Altman plot, paired Student's t-test/Wilcoxon signed-rank test, and calculation of sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV). RESULTS: Twenty-one out of 23 subjects with AIS (age 61±9.4 years; 52% male; 58% African-American) successfully completed both studies (9% technical failure). Nearly all (95%) had Mallampati IV posterior oropharynx; the mean neck circumference was 16.8±1.6 in. and the mean body mass index (BMI) was 30±7 kg/m(2). The apnea hypopnea index (AHI) provided by OCST was similar to that provided by PSG (19.8±18.0 vs 22.0±22.7, respectively; P=0.49). On identifying subjects by OCST with an AHI ≥5 on PSG, OCST had the following parameters: sensitivity 100%, specificity 85.7%, PPV 93%, and NPV 100%. On identifying subjects with an AHI ≥15 on PSG, OCST parameters were as follows: sensitivity 100%, specificity 83.3%, PPV 81.8%, and NPV 100%. Bland-Altman plotting showed an overall diagnostic agreement between OCST and PSG modalities for an AHI cutoff >5, despite fine-grained differences in estimated AHIs. CONCLUSION: Compared with PSG, OCST provides similar diagnostic information when run simultaneously in AIS patients. OCST is a reliable screening tool for early diagnosis of OSA in AIS patients.

Clinical factors associated with extreme sleep apnoea [AHI>100 events per hour] in Peruvian patients: A case-control study-A preliminary report.

PURPOSE: The severity of obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) ranges from mild or moderate to severe sleep apnoea. However, there is no information available on the clinical characteristics associated with cases involving more than 100 events per hour. This is a preliminary report and our goal was to characterise the demographics and sleep characteristics of patients with Extreme OSA and compare with patients with sleep apnoea of lesser severity. We hypothesised that patients with Extreme OSA (AHI>100) is associated with an increased comorbidities and/or risk factors. METHODS: We carried out a case-control study on male patients with OSA who were seen in a private hospital in Lima, Peru between 2006 and 2012. Cases were identified if their apnoea/hypopnea index (AHI) was higher than 100 (Extreme OSA), and four controls were selected per case: two with 15-29 AHI and two with 30-50 AHI, matched according to case diagnosis dates. We evaluated demographic, past medical history, and oxygen saturation variables. RESULTS: We identified 19 cases that were matched with 54 controls. In the multivariate model, only arterial hypertension, neck circumference, age, and over 10% in SatO2Hb≤90% in total sleep time (T90) were associated with Extreme OSA. Arterial hypertension had an OR=6.31 (CI95%: 1.71-23.23) of Extreme OSA. Each 5-cm increment in neck circumference was associated with an increase of OR=4.34 (CI95%: 1.32-14.33), while T90>10% had an OR=19.68 (CI95%: 4.33-89.49). Age had a marginal relevance (OR=0.95; CI95%: 0.92-0.99). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that arterial hypertension, neck circumference, and over 10% SatO2Hb≤90% in total sleep time were associated with a higher probability of Extreme OSA. We recommend investigators to study this population of Extreme OSA looking for an early diagnosis and the identification of prognostic factors in comparison with moderate to severe levels.

Nocturnal hypoxemia biomarker predicts sleepiness in patients with severe obstructive sleep apnea.

PURPOSE: This study aims to assess the association between excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS) and variables extracted from the pulse-oximetry signal obtained during overnight polysomnography. METHODS: A cross-sectional design was used to study the relation between four hypoxemia variables and EDS as determined by Epworth Sleepiness Scale scores (ESSS) in 200 consecutive patients, newly diagnosed with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA), as defined by an apnea-hypopnea index (AHI)≥ 15. Hypoxemia measurements were compared between sleepy (ESSS ≥ 10) and nonsleepy (ESSS<10) patients before and after dichotomizing the cohort for each hypoxemia variable (and for AHI) such that there were 35 (165) patients in each of the corresponding higher (lower) subcohorts. The hypoxemia variables were combined into a biomarker, and its accuracy for predicting sleepiness in individual patients was evaluated. We planned to interpret prediction accuracy above 80 % as evidence that hypoxemia predicted EDS. RESULTS: Hypoxemia was unassociated with sleepiness in OSA patients with AHI in the range of 15 to 50. In patients with AHI>50, the hypoxemia biomarker (but not individual hypoxemia variables) predicted sleepiness with 82 % accuracy. CONCLUSION: Nocturnal hypoxemia as determined by a polyvariable biomarker reliably predicted EDS in patients with severe OSA (AHI>50), indicating that oxygen fluctuation had a direct role in the development of EDS in patients with severe OSA.

Brachial neuritis with bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis following herpes zoster: a case report.

We present a case of supine respiratory failure due to a bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis associated with brachial neuritis secondary to thoracic herpes zoster. Fluoroscopy in both the standing and supine positions revealed bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis accentuated in the supine position. To our knowledge, this is the first case of thoracic herpes zoster associated with brachial neuritis and bilateral diaphragmatic paralysis.

Perfil de morbilidad infecciosa en trasplantados renales del Hospital Rebagliati-EsSalud 1997-1998 / Transplanted profile of infectious morbility in renales of the Hospital Rebagliati-EsSalud 1997-1998

Se observó 102 pacientes trasplantados renales internados en el Servicio de Nefrología del Hospital Nacional Edgardo Rebagliati Martins-EsSalud entre octubre de 1997 y mayo de 1998. Se registró los diagnósticos y características epidemiológicas. Setenta y dos pacientes habían sido trasplantados varios meses o años antes del período de estudio, algunos de ellos tuvieron más de un ingreso en ese lapso. Treinta trasplantados renales pudieron ser vigilados durante el período postoperatorio inmediato . Alrededor del 70 por ciento de ingresos de pacientes anteriormente trasplantados se debió a complicaciones infecciosas. Las infecciones más frecuentes fueron: infección de la vía urinaria (28,5 por ciento), gastroenteritis (18,5 por ciento) y bronquitis (10 por ciento). Los gérmenes más identificados fueron Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa y enterobacter aerogenes y E. cloacae. El 40 por ciento de los trasplantes observados tuvo una complicación infecciosa. Las infecciones más frecuentes en el primer período fueron: neumonía intrahospitalaria, infecciones por herpes simplex e infecciones de la herida operatoria. Se logró confeccionar una "tabla de tiempo" de las infecciones según el período del trasplante renal en nuestro medio.

Mucormicosis en paciente diabética trasplantada renal / Mucormycosis in diabetic renal trasplanted patient

Se reporta un caso de mucormicosis en una paciente diabética transplantada renal, ocurrido en febrero de 1996. El caso fue detectado en el Servicio de Nefrología del Hospital Rebagliati-IPSS. Se realizó diagnóstico inicial de celulitis periorbital en el ojo derecho y luego de tratamiento antibacteriano con mala evolución se sospechó e identificó mucormicosis mediante examen anatomopatológico. Fue necesaria la enuclación quirúrgica del ojo afectado y tratamiento con anfotericina B. Se hace revisión bibliográfica y discusión respectiva.