Myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein antibody-associated disease has recently been found to be a different nosological entity, with some clinical features overlapping with neuromyelitis optica ...spectrum disorders. We hereby describe the case of a patient who was first admitted in 2015 with a tingling sensation in both legs, severe lumbar pain, and gait problems, and later developed urinary retention, confusion, and seizure. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed multiple fluid attenuated inversion recovery hyperintense lesions with no gadolinium enhancement in the bilateral subcortical white matter, cerebellar peduncles, and cervical cord. Cerebrospinal fluid analysis demonstrated marked pleocytosis (116 cells/μL) and an elevated protein concentration (68 mg/dL). Neither oligoclonal bands nor the elevation of IgG index levels were detected (IgG index: 0.59). During the follow-up, he had 2 optic neuritis attacks in 4 years. Five years later, the patient was referred to our hospital with severe pain in both legs. Spinal MRI showed a longitudinally extending conus medullaris lesion with gadolinium enhancement. The patient showed full recovery after 7 days of 1000 mg/day IV methylprednisolone treatment, and the follow-up MRI showed no residual lesions. The anti-MOG IgG was found to be positive. In this case report, we would like to highlight the importance of MOG antibody testing in encephalitis.
Paroxysmal atrial fibrillation (PAF) has a similar risk with persistent AF for ischemic stroke. Holter monitorization (HM) and other long-term monitorization methods increased the detection of PAF ...and short-lasting runs of tachyarrhythmias. Their classification as PAF and roles in the etiology of ischemic stroke is controversial. In this study, we aimed to investigate the frequency of any duration of PAF and clinical characteristics of the patients with acute ischemic stroke who have undergone 24-hrs HM.
Patients with acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack (TIA) hospitalized in the Neurology ward and undergone 24-hrs of HM during their hospital stay were included in the study. HM reports, clinical, and laboratory characteristics were analyzed, retrospectively. Patients were grouped into three based on HM: 1st group, without PAF; 2nd group, PAF >30 seconds (s) and 3rd group, PAF<30s.
PAF of any duration was detected in 18.8% (n=49) of 261 patients. The duration of PAF was <30s in 16.1% (n=42) and >30s in 2.7% (n=7) of the patients. The mean age, left atrium diameter and CHA2DS2-VASc scores of the second group were significantly higher than the first group (p<0.001, p<0.001 and p=0.007; respectively). The mean age, left atrium diameter, modified Rankin Scores (mRS), and CHA2DS2-VASc scores of the third group were significantly higher than the first group (p<0.001; for all). There was no difference between the second and the third groups in means of mean age, left atrial diameter, MRS, and CHA2DS2-VASc scores (p<0.017, for all).
In this study, 24-hrs HM in the early period of acute ischemic stroke results yielded a high frequency of PAF<30s and predictive features were in parallel with the literature.
Recent evidence about the various effects of vitamin D (vit D) on innate and adaptive immunity has led to a search for the role of vit D in asthma. It is postulated that a decrease in cathelicidin, a ...multifunctional host defense molecule, production due to low vit D status may predispose to infectious complications in children with asthma.
The aim of this study was to determine the association of vit D, vit D-binding protein (VDBP) and cathelicidin with acute asthma attacks among children with allergic asthma.
This prospective study included 35 patients with acute asthma attack and 32 children with controlled asthma, and all were matched by sampling season, sensitization to mites, and previous severity of asthma. A comprehensive questionnaire about risk factors, blood sampling for 25-hydroxyvitamin D vit D, VDBP, and cathelicidin levels; spirometric indices were used. Factors that influence serum vit D and cathelicidin levels and the development of asthma attacks were evaluated with multivariate analysis.
The mean serum vit D levels of the attack group was significantly lower than that of the controlled asthma group (p < 0.001). The mean cathelicidin level was significantly higher in the acute asthma group than with the controlled subjects with asthma (p = 0.002). There was no difference between the acute and controlled asthma groups in terms of markers of allergy and serum VDBP levels. Risk factors that may influence vit D levels revealed that body mass index (BMI) (p = 0.038), duration of sun exposure (p < 0.001), and amount of dietary vit D (p < 0.001) independently affected serum vit D levels. Risk factors that may result in acute asthma showed that low serum levels of vit D were significantly related to the risk of asthma attacks (p < 0.001, adjusted odds ratio 16.11). Cathelicidin levels showed a significant positive association with asthma attacks and BMI.
Vit D deficiency showed a significant relationship to the development of asthma attacks independent of cathelicidin deficiency and other factors associated with the severity of chronic asthma.
Morvan syndrome (MoS) is typically characterized by neuromyotonia, sleep dysfunction, dysautonomia, and cognitive dysfunction. However, MoS patients with mild peripheral nerve hyperexcitability (PNH) ...or encephalopathy features have been described. A 46-year-old woman presented with a 2-month history of constipation, hyperhidrosis, and insomnia. Neurologic examination revealed muscle twitching and needle electromyography showed myokymic discharges in all limbs. No clinical or electrophysiological features of neuromyotonia were present. Although the patient denied any cognitive symptoms, neuropsychological assessment revealed executive dysfunction, while other cognitive domains were preserved. Cranial and spinal MRIs were unrevealing and tumor investigation proved negative. Polysomnography examination revealed total insomnia, which was partially reversed upon immune-modulatory therapy. Investigation of a broad panel of antibodies revealed serum leucine-rich glioma inactivated protein 1 and contactin-associated protein 2 antibodies. The features of this case indicate that the presentation of PNH syndromes may show significant variability and that MoS patients may not necessarily exhibit full-scale PNH and encephalopathy symptoms.
Stroke prevalence is known to increase with age. Approximately 50% of acute ischemic stroke patients are aged between 70 and 89 years.
In this study, records of 770 ischemic stroke patients who were ...70-89 years old were retrospectively examined (407 septuagenarians and 363 octogenarians). The demographics, comorbid conditions, ischemic stroke type, and stroke outcome for the two age groups were analyzed.
Comorbid hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and HbA1c levels of ≥6.5% more frequently occurred in septuagenarians than in octogenarians (80.6% versus 70.8%, p=0.002; 32.2% versus 21.8%, p=0.001; and 35% versus 23.2%, p=0.003, respectively), whereas atrial fibrillation was significantly higher in octogenarians (49.3% versus 41.5%, p=0.03). Hypercholesterolemia, previous stroke history, and antiaggregant and/or anticoagulant use were not significantly different between the two age groups. Based on the Oxfordshire Community Stroke Project classification, the most common stroke subtype in the septuagenarian group was a lacunar infarction and in the octogenarian group, it was a partial anterior circulation infarct. According to the Modified Ranking Score, the number of patients living independently was higher for septuagenarians (42.8% versus 27.8%, p<0.001).
The present findings indicate that the clinical characteristics of ischemic stroke differed between septuagenarians and octogenarians. Therefore, elderly stroke patients cannot be accepted as a homogeneous group. Because this is a hospital-based study, our findings need to be tested via additional epidemiological studies.
Roberts syndrome, which is inherited as an autosomal recessive group of disorders, is a rare syndrome characterized with symmetrical extremity defects, craniofacial abnormalities, and prenatal and ...postnatal growth retardation. Here, we present a case of Roberts Syndrome brought to the clinic with diarrhoea and multiple abnormalities, that had tetra phocomelia, growth and developmental retardation, abnormality of complete cleft lip-palate accompanied with Aortic stenosis and PDA, and in which cytogenetic analysis identified premature centromere separation. Mutation analysis of ESCO2 revealed a splice site mutation c.1131+1G>A in intron 6 in homozygous status in the patient and heterozygous status in the parents. Our case is the first Robert- Syndrome with valvular aortic stenosis in the literature, to the best of our knowledge.
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