Clinico-radiological aspects of neurocysticercosis in pediatric population in a tertiary hospital.

INTRODUCTION: Neurocysticercosisis common in developing countries including Nepal. Clinicalpresentations vary depending on the CT scan findings of head. Adequate information of neurocysticercosis in children from Western Nepal is lacking. This study was conducted with an objective of evaluating the most common clinical and radiological picture in children suffering from NCC at a tertiary care teaching hospital in Western Nepal. METHODS: Hospital records of all pediatric inpatients, admitted from 16th June 2010 to 15th December 2012, consistent with the diagnosis of Neurocysticercosis were reviewed. RESULTS: Forty nine cases of neurocysticercosis were enrolled. Their age varied 2.6 years to 14 years with the mean age of 10.6 years and the peak age was at 12 years with slight male predominance, ratio being male:female 1.2:1. The commonest presentation was seizures (n=38; 77.5 %); partial seizures being most common. Most of the lesions were single (n=44; 89.8%), predominantly in the parietal region (n=20; 40.8%) and most were in transitional stage (61.22%) in Computed tomography (CT).However, number of lesions from CT scan of head showed no significance in association with seizure types (p=0.84). In addition, perilesional edema and scolex within the lesion were noted in 67.34% and 18.36% of the cases respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Any child presenting with acute onset of afebrile seizure should be screened for neurocysticercosis provided other common infective and metabolic causes are ruled out. CT scan is the valuable diagnostic tool to support our diagnosis.

Effects of nitric oxide and hydrogen sulfide on the relaxation of pulmonary arteries in rats.

BACKGROUND: The balance between vasodilation and vasoconstriction plays a major role in maintaining vascular homeostasis. However, the underlying mechanisms are unclear. More and more evidence suggested that there was an interaction in the regulation of vasorelaxation between nitric oxide (NO) and hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S). We explored the interaction between and effects of NO and H(2)S on the relaxation of pulmonary arteries in rats. METHODS: Seven male Sprague-Dawley rats were anaesthetized with chloral hydrate and the pulmonary arteries of each rat separated for the study of vascular activities. The vasorelaxing activities of pulmonary artery rings in response to different doses of a NO donor, sodium nitroprusside (SNP), or a H(2)S donor, sodium hydrogen sulfide (NaHS), were measured in vitro. When pulmonary artery rings were treated with a cystathionine-gamma-lyase inhibitor, DL-propargylglycine, in the presence of SNP or a nitric oxide synthase inhibitor, N(omega)-nitro-L-arginine methyl ester, in the presence of NaHS, the changes in relaxing activities were analyzed. RESULTS: The relaxation of pulmonary artery rings was in a dose dependent manner in response to either SNP or NaHS. The relaxation rates of pulmonary artery rings increased from (30.90+/-4.62)% to (60.50+/-8.08)% when the concentration of SNP increased from 1 micromol/L to 3 micromol/L and from (26.13+/-4.12)% to (53.09+/-14.01)% when the concentration of NaHS increased from 25 micromol/L to 100 micromol/L. However, when appropriate inhibitor was added, the relaxation responses to SNP and NaHS decreased. CONCLUSIONS: The results suggested that similarly to NO, H(2)S acted as a vasorelaxant either independently of, or synergistically with NO in the regulation of vasorelaxation. The interaction between NO and H(2)S played an important role in regulating relaxing activities of pulmonary arteries.