ABSTRACT
A patient who showed a transient left alien hand after a subarachnoid haemorrhage, due to a ruptured aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery, is described. No left agraphia and left apraxia could be found. A CT-scan including coronal sections showed a right medial frontal hypodensity and different ischaemic lesions in the anterior part of the corpus callosum. The possible anatomic site of the lesion responsible for the permanent form of alien hand is discussed.
Subject(s)
Corpus Callosum/physiopathology , Frontal Lobe/physiopathology , Functional Laterality , Hand/physiopathology , Ischemic Attack, Transient/complications , Ischemic Attack, Transient/physiopathology , Perceptual Disorders/etiology , Perceptual Disorders/physiopathology , Adult , Female , Humans , Ischemic Attack, Transient/diagnosis , Tomography, X-Ray ComputedABSTRACT
Alkaptonuria is a rare, hereditary, metabolic disease in which homogentisic acid, an intermediary product in the metabolism of phenylalanine and tyrosine, cannot be further metabolized. The metabolic defect causes a characteristic triad of homogentisic aciduria, ochronosis, and arthritis. The cause of this disease is a constitutional lack of the enzyme homogentisic acid oxidase. The condition is inherited as an autosomal recessive disease. The ochronotic arthritis affects mainly male subjects after fourty. Authors present a case of a 60 years old man suffering from a generalized ochronotic arthritis since 1976. From 1992 summer to the beginning of 1993 the patient developed a progressive weakness in the lower limbs associated with thoracic back pain and subsequently a spastic paraparesis. These symptoms were related to a vertebral compression due to D4-D5 pathologic fracture. In spite of a decompressive operation the neurologic symptoms didn't improve.
Subject(s)
Arthritis/complications , Fractures, Spontaneous/complications , Lumbar Vertebrae , Nerve Compression Syndromes/etiology , Ochronosis/complications , Spinal Cord Compression/etiology , Spinal Fractures/complications , Spinal Nerve Roots , Aged , Arthritis/diagnostic imaging , Female , Fractures, Spontaneous/diagnostic imaging , Humans , Lumbar Vertebrae/diagnostic imaging , Male , Ochronosis/genetics , Pedigree , Radiography , Spinal Cord Compression/diagnostic imaging , Spinal Fractures/diagnostic imagingABSTRACT
Cerebral mapping of the spontaneous electroencephalographic activity was performed in 31 subjects suffering from migraine with aura and the results were compared with those of a matched control group. All the patients were examined during the interictal period. While traditional visual interpretation of EEG records was negative in all but five cases (16.1%) spectral analysis showed an asymmetry in alpha total power over the posterior regions in 13 cases (41.9%) and an asymmetry in alpha band peak frequency in 17 (54.8%). By means of cerebral mapping and statistical significance probability mapping we were able to demonstrate a significant increase in alpha total power in 13 cases (41.9%) and a regional increase in delta and theta total power in 20 cases (64.5%). In comparison with the control group, the migraine patients showed a widespread increase in slow activity (theta and delta) mostly over the temporal regions.
