RESUMO
Four cases are reported of juvenile familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (JFALS) with exceptionally long survival (mean=27 years), and consequent development of dementia. Subjects' mean age at onset was 15.7 years. Their clinical features and electrophysiological findings support the diagnosis. One subject's MRI scan showed severe atrophy to the cortex and brain stem; wallerian degeneration in the pyramidal pathway, as reported in other studies, could not be found. JFALS is characterized by the involvement of other neuronal systems not present in the adult form and by long survival after disease onset.
Assuntos
Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/patologia , Expectativa de Vida , Adolescente , Adulto , Idade de Início , Esclerose Lateral Amiotrófica/mortalidade , Encéfalo/patologia , Criança , Demência , Feminino , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , MasculinoRESUMO
A comparison between the fine structural features of exudate gum from mesquite (Prosopis spp.) indigenous to NW Mexico and commercial gum arabic from Acacia spp. was achieved by means of immunological techniques. Their functional properties were compared from the ability to form oil-in-water emulsions and encapsulate cold press orange peel essential oil by spray drying. Fine comparison of the antigenic compounds in both materials against polyclonal rabbit antibodies, showed that the carbohydrate-rich components with slow mobility of mesquite gum are closely related to the faster ones of gum arabic. Also, close identity was observed for the components in the proteic fraction of both gums. Similar tannin concentrations were found in both materials (approximately 0.43%) with only dark coloured samples bearing higher amounts (approximately 1.9%). Gum arabic retained nearly 100% of the quantity of orange peel essential oil emulsified in water before spray drying, while mesquite gum did so for 90.6% of the citrus oil. From these results it is believed that mesquite gum might be a suitable replacement of gum arabic in arid regions of the world were Prosopis trees have widespread occurrence.
Assuntos
Fabaceae/química , Goma Arábica/química , Plantas Medicinais , Animais , Biotecnologia , Reações Cruzadas , Eletroforese/métodos , Emulsões , México , Polissacarídeos/química , CoelhosRESUMO
In cysticercosis, the central nervous system is one of the most commonly affected sites; the clinical manifestations of this disease in the central nervous system can be very severe. The nature and intensity of the signs and symptoms depend on the location of the parasite; cysticeric situated in the cysternae may cause arachnoiditis and vasculitis, but the manifestations are rarely the result of their mass effect. We report the case of a 52-year-old woman with a racemose cysticercus in the left cerebellopontine angle, who presented with contralateral trigeminal neuralgia. The parasite was completely removed via a left suboccipital craniotomy. On the first postoperative day, the patient indicated that the pain had disappeared. The neuralgia was possibly caused by the distortion of the brain stem and the compression of the nerve against an arterial loop at the entry zone. This case demonstrates the advisability of obtaining imaging studies in all patients with trigeminal neuralgia before starting any treatment.
Assuntos
Encefalopatias/parasitologia , Cisticercose/diagnóstico , Cisticercose/cirurgia , Neuralgia do Trigêmeo/etiologia , Encefalopatias/diagnóstico , Encefalopatias/cirurgia , Cerebelo , Angiografia Cerebral , Feminino , Lateralidade Funcional , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Ponte , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
Vascular complications after percutaneous injection procedures for relief of trigeminal neuralgia are varied, ranging from puncture of arterial or venous structures to carotid-cavernous fistulas. The authors present a patient in whom an external carotid artery fistula occurred after a microcompression procedure for the treatment of a left-sided trigeminal neuralgia. This is believed to be the first case of this complication secondary to a percutaneous injection procedure for relief of facial pain.