Intraventricular thrombolysis with rt-PA in patients with intraventricular hemorrhage.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate safety, clinical feasibility, and outcome of intraventricular (IVen) administration of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA) in patients with intraventricular hemorrhage (IVH). MATERIALS AND METHODS: Forty-eight patients with IVH who received IVen rt-PA were compared with 49 age-, sex-, Glasgow Coma Scale score-, and Intracerebral Hemorrhage score-matched control patients. Patients with IVH of aneurysmal or arteriovenous malformation origin were excluded. External ventricular drainage was inserted as soon as baseline CT was performed and rt-PA was administered within 12 ± 1 h after the ictal onset. RESULTS: The outcome after 3 months was evaluated using the modified Rankin Scale (mRS). In addition, Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) and mortality were assessed. A good outcome, defined as mRS 0-3, was detected in 27% of patients from the control group vs 58% of patients in the IVen group; P = 0.003. GOS as other outcome scale yielded a significant difference between groups: 20% in the control group, vs 54% in the IVen group; P = 0.001. A statistically significant decrease in mortality was observed in the IVen group: 30% in the control vs 10% in IVen group; P = 0.003. No one patient died because of a complication which could be directly attributed to the IVen thrombolytic therapy. CONCLUSIONS: IVen administration of rt-PA seems to be safe in cases of IVH. This pilot study shows that it may be associated with better outcomes. Further studies and clinical randomized trials are needed to establish indications and IVen administration protocols.

Sildenafil induced choreoathetosis in men with Parkinson's disease.

OBJECTIVE: The present report describes a case of choreoathetotic movements which were most probably induced by sildenafil in a patient with Parkinson's disease (PD) treated with levodopa/carbidopa (LD/CD). CASE SUMMARY: A 56-year-old retired man was admitted to hospital because of bizarre, involuntary movements and anxiety. Before admission he had taken sildenafil 100 mg. He had a previous history of PD for 5 years and during the last 3 years he was stable with long-acting LD/CD and selegiline. He is in Stage 2 according to Hoehn and Yahr Staging of PD. The patient did not have any problems with erectile function and he took sildenafil 50 minutes after the last daily dose of LD/CD. The patient was discharged from the hospital 12 hours after the admittance without any symptoms of choreoathetosis. CONCLUSION: Choreoathetotic dyskinesia is an adverse effect which was provoked by sildenafil administration (drug abuse) in a previously stabile responder to LD therapy, but probably had a lower threshold for dyskinesia. Predisposition for this pharmacokinetic interaction could be a short time interval between LD and sildenafil applied in high dosage.

Migraine and tension-type headache in Croatia: a population-based survey of precipitating factors.

The careful monitoring of the trigger factors of headache could be an important step in treatment, because their avoidance may lessen the frequency and severity of attacks. Furthermore, they may provide a clue to the aetiology of headache. The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of tension-type headache (TTH) and to establish the frequency of precipitating factors in subjects with migraine and TTH in the adult population of Bakar, County of the Coast and Gorski Kotar, Croatia. Another important purpose of the study was to examine the relationship of the precipitating factors with migraine and TTH, and with migraine subtypes: migraine with aura (MA) and migraine without aura (MO). We performed a population-based survey using a 'face-to-face door-to-door' interview method. The surveyed population consisted of 5173 residents aged between 15 and 65 years. The 3794 participants (73.3%) were screened for headache history according to the International Headache Society (IHS) criteria. Headache screen-positive responders, 2475 (65.2%), were interviewed by trained medical students with a structured detailed interview focused on the precipitating factors. The following precipitating factors in lifetime migraineurs and tension-type headachers have been assessed: stress, sleep disturbances, eating habits, menstrual cycle, oral contraceptives, food items, afferent stimulation, changes in weather conditions and temperature, frequent travelling and physical activity. A total of 720 lifetime migraineurs and 1319 tension-type headachers have been identified. The most common precipitants for both migraine and TTH were stress and frequent travelling. Stress (odds ratio (OR) 1.4, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.17, 1.69) was associated with migraine, whereas physical activity (OR 0.72, 95% CI 0.59, 0.87) was related to TTH. Considering MA and MO, frequent travelling (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.59, 2.99), food items (OR 2.2, 95% CI 1.35, 3.51) and changes in weather conditions and temperature (OR 1.75, 95% CI 1.27, 2.41) exhibited a significant positive association with MA. The present study demonstrated that precipitant-dependent attacks are frequent among both migraineurs and tension-type headachers. Lifetime migraineurs experienced headache attacks preceded by triggering factors more frequently than tension-type headachers. MA was more frequently associated with precipitating factors than MO. We suggest that some triggering factors may contribute to the higher occurrence of precipitant-dependent headache attacks in susceptible individuals.

ALS with variable phenotypes in a six-generation family caused by leu144phe mutation in the SOD1 gene.

BACKGROUND: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurological disorder. The mutations of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene (SOD1) are responsible for familial ALS. We investigated a large family of Istro-Rumanian origin characterized by an autosomal dominant ALS occurring in 18 cases (three of which are still alive) throughout six generations. METHODS: Clinical data were available for nine patients from the 2nd generation onward, among which one contained the neuropathological details. The mean age at onset of the disease (+/-SD) was 57.3+/-8.9 years (range 49-72), while the duration of the disease spanned over a length of time equal to 4.9+/-1.96 years (range 1.5-7). The analysis of the coding region of SOD1 was done by PCR and direct sequencing. The SOD1 activity was measured by using the red and mononuclear cells belonging to three of the patients. RESULTS: The leu144phe mutation of SOD1 was identified in four patients while a normal sequence was found in five healthy related subjects. The molecular defect was responsible for a decrease in SOD1 activity. Most of patients in this family presented clinical manifestations of ALS (in particular, the lower limb onset variant) not as severe as typical ALS caused by other SOD1 mutations. However, one patient suffering from hyperthyroidism for 17 years, showed an early onset and a rapidly progressing ALS coupled with dementia. CONCLUSIONS: We described a large family with a relatively not severe phenotype of ALS (due to a leu144phe SOD1 mutation) that was compromised in one patient by a concomitant hyperthyroidism.

Prevalence of migraine in Croatia: a population-based survey.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of migraine among Croatian adults. This is the first epidemiological study of migraine in Croatia in which the operational diagnostic criteria of the International Headache Society have been applied. METHODS: The study population consisted of all residents (aged 15 to 65 years) of Bakar, County of The Coast and Gorski Kotar, Croatia. A population-based survey was undertaken using a "face-to-face, door-to-door" interview METHOD: The participation rate was 73.3%. All participants were screened for headache history according to the International Headache Society criteria. Headache screen positive responders (65.7%) were interviewed by trained medical students with a structured detailed interview focused on migraine. RESULTS: A total of 720 lifetime migraineurs were identified. The lifetime prevalence of migraine was 22.9% (95% confidence interval, 20.9 to 25.1) in women, 14.8% (95% confidence interval, 13.1 to 16.8) in men, and 19% (95% confidence interval, 17.6 to 20.5) in both sexes. The highest lifetime prevalence of migraine was in women in the age group 40 to 49 years (38.1%). Among 636 active migraineurs, 399 (62.7%) were women and 237 (37.3%) were men; 55.8% had migraine without aura, 35.2% migraine with aura, and 6.9% migraine both with and without aura. The 1-year prevalence of migraine, migraine without aura, migraine with aura, and migraine both with and without aura in women was 18%, 11.3%, 8.6%, and 2.2%, respectively. In men, the 1-year prevalence of migraine, migraine without aura, migraine with aura, and migraine both with and without aura was 12.3%, 7.3%, 3%, and 0.7%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of migraine in this Croatian population showed rates quite similar to those reported in neighboring countries, such as Italy and France. Further studies are needed to estimate the prevalence rates of migraine in the total Croatian population.

Incidence and prevalence of myasthenia gravis in the county of the coast and Gorski kotar, Croatia, 1976 through 1996.

For the period 1976 through 1996, we carried out an incidence and prevalence study of myasthenia gravis in the County of the Coast and Gorski kotar, Croatia. This was the first epidemiological study of myasthenia gravis in Croatia. A total of 43 incident cases were identified. Overall the average crude annual incidence rate was 6.52 per 1,000,000 person-years; 5.59 per 1,000,000 person-years for men and 7.41 per 1,000,000 person-years for women. The incidence rate was 6.30 (95% confidence intervals 4.56-8.51), age-adjusted to the European population and 5.17 (95% confidence intervals 3.74-6.98), age-adjusted to the world population. On 31 December 1996, there were 32 prevalent cases. The crude prevalence was 99 per 1,000,000 population (95% confidence intervals 67.7-139.6). The prevalence adjusted to the European and world populations was 101.9 (95% confidence intervals 69.7-143.7) and 75.9 (95% confidence intervals 51.9-107) per 1,000,000 population, respectively. Our incidence findings are similar to those reported in North-East Italy but lower than those in the United States. Our prevalence findings were generally higher than those in Northern European Countries but lower than those in the United States. Standardization of rates to the European or world population could facilitate comparison between different populations.