Methoprene affects the rotation of the male terminalia of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes.

The rotation of the male terminalia of Aedes aegypti mosquitoes was investigated with chemical surgical, and mechanical methods. Neither decapitation nor ventral nerve cord transection affected the postemergence rotation, but methoprene administered to 4th-instar larvae and early instar pupae slowed rotation significantly and, in the case of pupal treatment, also interfered with successful insemination. Methoprene appeared to interfere with the developmental maturation of the cross muscles located between the 7th and 8th abdominal segment and postemergence nervous or humoral signals did not appear to affect this rotation.

Hypertrophia musculorum vera in familial ataxia.

A kindred with dominantly inherited ataxia demonstrated hypertrophia musculorum vera as a phenotypic feature of the disease. The proband had fasciculations, cramps, absent sensory nerve action potentials, an increased creatine kinase level, dramatic enlargement of calf muscles, and a muscle biopsy specimen showing denervation accompanied by true muscle fiber hypertrophy; ataxia and other clinical signs of spinocerebellar degeneration were also present. Other family members displayed progressive ataxia and calf muscle enlargement to varying degrees. Though peroneal atrophy is a more common feature of the familial ataxias, some kindreds may have muscle enlargement simulating the pseudohypertrophy of muscular dystrophy that is due instead to denervation-induced compensatory individual fiber hypertrophy.

Bilateral deafness of vascular origin.

Two patients with reversible bilateral deafness of vascular etiology are reported. Serial audiometric studies in the first patient before and after a brainstem stroke indicated retrocochlear auditory dysfunction. The second patient showed bitemporal infarction on cranial CT scan which was subsequently confirmed postmortem.

Recurrent herpes zoster encephalitis. A complication of systemic lupus erythematosus.

A middle-aged woman had five discrete episodes of herpes zoster. The first attack consisted of uncomplicated herpes zoster ophthalmicus. The subsequent four episodes involved thoracic, cervical, and finally sacral dermatomes and were complicated by myelitis or encephalomyelitis. During the most recent attack, while she was receiving corticosteroids, varicella-zoster virus was cultured from the CSF. In addition, the patient had strong evidence of systemic lupus erythematosus, with a history of Raynaud's phenomenon, migratory arthralgia, and unexplained anemia before the first attack of zoster with subsequent development of a positive lupus cell preparation and elevated antinuclear antibody levels.

Angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy. Its occurrence with meningeal involvement.

A case of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy with involvement of the leptomeninges and the lumbosacral nerve roots was studied. This condition seems related to malignant lymphoma, and clinical improvement occurred with administration of systemic corticosteroids.