Jae-Hyeok Heo | 6 Articles |
Background: The effects of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) on cerebral vessels have not been clarified until now. Thus we investigated the efficacy of omega-3 PUFAs supplementation on cerebral blood flow velocity and vascular resistance via transcranial doppler (TCD). Methods: Consecutive twenty patients (13 male and 7 female) with at least 1 cerebrovascular risk factor or a known cerebrovascular disease were enrolled. Patients were treated with omega-3 PUFAs (1 g, two times per day) for 12 weeks. Cerebral blood flow velocity, resistance index, and pulsatile index were checked before and after 12 weeks of treatment using TCD. Results: The change of resistance index in right MCA (from 0.58 ± 0.07 to 0.55 ± 0.07, p = 0.042) and left PCA (from 0.56 ± 0.07 to 0.53 ± 0.06, p = 0.037) showed significant improvement after 12 weeks of omega-3 PUFAs treatment. The changes in other vessels, however, failed to show any significant changes compared to the baseline. Conclusions: Omega-3 PUFAs treatment showed feasible efficacies for cerebral vascular resistances in this open label trial. To confirm these results, larger samples of patients and longer period of follow-up is warranted.
Syncopes are the most common non-epileptic attacks mimicking epileptic seizures. Among them, cardiogenic syncope is potentially life threatening. A 49 year old man was refered for the recurrent episodes of loss of consciousness with tonic posture and upward eyes deviation. The electrocardiogram showed polymorphologic ventricular tachycardia during attacks, which normalized after that. He was treated with isoproterenol and symptoms subsided. Here, we report a case of ventricular tachycardia manifested as epileptic seizures.
Marcus Gunn jaw winking phenomenon has been thought to result from a congenitally abnormal innervation of the levator palpaebrae muscle by a branch of the trigeminal nerve. A 22-year old man presented with bilateral eyelid elevation on the chewing or eating since infancy. Neurological examination showed bilateral Marcus Gunn Jaw wingking phenomenon in this patient. We referred this patient to the department of ophthalmology and plastic surgery for levator resection or orbicularis oculi muscle flap. We report bilateral Marcus Gunn jaw winking phenomenon, although unilateral disorder is the most common form of trigemino-oculomotor synkinesis. Neurologists should be aware of this phenomenon for decision of proper management and take detailed neurologic examination for elucidating the association of other cranial nerves.
Background
Myasthenia gravis (MG) and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) are well recognized to coexist and have some similarities in immunologic, clinical and serologic findings. Despite several reports of the association with autoantibodies and thymectomy in these disorders, the pathomechanism of coexistence remains to be elucidated.Objective: We aimed to investigate the relationship of MG and SLE through overall features of patients with both disorders;: clinical, laboratory, and electrophysiological findings.Materials and Methods: We reviewed the medical records of 6 consecutive patients with MG and SLE (2 men, 4 women, ages 17-51, mean 30.5 years, Seoul National University Hospital, from 1998 to 2005).Results: Three patients who developed SLE first, had ocular type of MG and 2 were children showing much severe and recurrent SLE features and only 1 patient had thymic hyperplasia. The other 3 developed MG first and they were generalized type and none underwent thymectomy. In addition, the development of MG or SLE was not coincident with remission or improvement of another disorder.Conclusion: The coexistence of SLE and MG may support the hypothesis of two different antibody populations modulated by thymus in the opposite extremesThis report suggests that the systemic and extensive autoimmune response in preceding MG or SLE may effect the development of the other disorder followed, while. the coexistence of two disorders cannot be explained by the hypothesis of two different antibody populations modulated by thymus in the opposite extremes The role of thymectomy and the theorectical subsequent effect on the development of SLE have been debated with controversy. However, SLE occurred without thymectomy in MG and these disorders did not develop in the quiescent period of another disorder. Therefore, the other pathomechanism for the coexistence of MG and SLE should be elucidated.
Background
The most distal sensory fibers of the feet are often affected first in polyneuropathy. However, they are not evaluated in routine nerve conduction studies. Thus we evaluated the dorsal sural sensory nerve in patients with sensorimotor polyneuropathy with normal sural response, in order to assess the usefulness in electrodiagnostic practice.Methods: In this study, 53 healthy subjects and 27 patients with clinical evidence of sensorimotor polyneuropathy were included. In all subjects, peripheral motor and sensory nerve studies were performed on the upper and lower limbs including dorsal sural nerve conduction studies. On electrodiagnostic testing, all patients had normal sural responses.Results: The dorsal sural sensory nerve action potentials (SNAPs) mean amplitude was 13.12
Eosinophilic fasciitis (EF), also known as Shulman syndrome, is an inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology. It usually presents with pain, swelling, and tenderness of the proximal aspect of the limbs, chest, or neck, with subsequent induration of the skin and subcutaneous tissues, in association with peripheral eosinophilia. EF is differentiated from scleroderma by the pattern of skin involvement and non-involvement of muscle. We report a case of progressive EF presented with tightness and stiffness in all limbs.
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