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A case of cardiac tamponade secondary to a late, loculated pericardial effusion after open pulmonary valvotomy is described. Percutaneous drainage of the effusion was aided by the infusion of intrapericardial streptokinase. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract One third of children with autistic spectrum disorders (or pervasive developmental disorders) enter that state by regression from a more normal prior development at the onset of epilepsy or epileptiform abnormality in the electroencephalogram. In a very small proportion structural lesions of the temporal lobes are discovered. These form part of the sample of children coming to a surgical treatment programme. Ninety-eight child candidates for epilepsy surgery were seen by one neuropsychiatrist. Their psychiatric diagnoses were coded on DSM IV schedules. Other variables of interest were the age at onset of epilepsy; the nature, the side, and time of acquisition of the lesion; intelligence, and sex. There were 19 children with autistic spectrum disorders including eight with Asperger's syndrome. Ten of the children in the autistic group had right brain lesions; six were dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial turnouts (DNETs); two were cortical dysplasias; one tuberous sclerosis; one hemi-cortical detect; and 1 mesial temporal sclerosis. Nine started epilepsy in their first year; nine had IQs in the retarded range; nine of the 11 were male. Six of eight Asperger's children had right brain lesions; two DNETs; four mesial temporal sclerosis; one Rasmussen encephalitis. Four started epilepsy in their first year; one was retarded; five were female. Children who had no, or other, psychiatric disorder also showed "mass" lesions, or temporal sclerosis but with different biases as to side, sex, and very early onset of epilepsy from the autistic spectrum group. Very early onset of epilepsy, with lesions of embryonal origin... [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2005 m. sukurtas teorinis apibrėžimas epilepsiją apibūdino kaip galvos smegenų sutrikimą, kuriam būdingas ilgalaikis polinkis kilti epilepsijos priepuoliams. Praktiškai ilgalaikis polinkis kilti epilepsijos priepuoliams paprastai nustatomas pasireiškus dviem epilepsijos priepuoliams, kai laiko tarpas tarp jų viršija 24 val. Tarptautinė lyga prieš epilepsiją (angl. International League Against Epilepsy, ILAE) patvirtino darbo grupės rekomendacijas situacijoms, kurios neatitinka dviejų neprovokuotų priepuolių kriterijaus, vertinti. Darbo grupė pasiūlė, kad epilepsija būtų laikoma galvos smegenų liga, atitinkanti bent vieną iš minėtų sąlygų: 1) mažiausiai du neprovokuoti (ar refleksiniai) priepuoliai, kai laiko tarpas tarp jų yra daugiau nei 24 val.; 2) vienas neprovokuotas (ar refleksinis) priepuolis, kai pakartotinių priepuolių tikimybė per ateinančius 10 metų yra tokia pati, kaip po 2 neprovokuotų priepuolių (mažiausiai 60 %); 3) epilepsijos sindromo diagnozė. Epilepsija laikoma atsitraukusia asmenims, kurie turėjo nuo amžiaus priklausomą epilepsijos sindromą ir šiuo metu yra vyresni, nei pasireiškimo amžius, taip pat tiems, kuriems priepuoliai nesikartoja mažiausiai 10 metų, iš kurių mažiausiai pastaruosius 5 metus pacientas nevartoja vaistų nuo epilepsijos. „Atsitraukusios“ ligos terminas nėra identiškas tradiciniam „remisijos“ ar „išgijimo“ apibrėžimui. Skirtingi praktiniai apibrėžimai gali būti suformuluoti ir taikomi įvairiais specifiniais tikslais. Sis patikslintas apibrėžimas labiau atitinka įprastinį ligos supratimą. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The risk of nutritional deficiency in children on restrictive dietary treatments and a lack of ketogenic diet (KD)-specific UK supplements raises concerns about micronutrient status. Vitamin A, E, zinc, selenium and magnesium levels were therefore examined in children with intractable epilepsy treated with the KD. Methods: Plasma vitamins A and E, zinc, selenium and magnesium levels were measured at baseline and after 3, 6 and 12 months on the classical ( n = 46) or medium chain triglyceride (MCT) ( n = 45) KD in children aged 2-16 years, as part of a randomised trial, and pairwise comparisons with baseline were performed. Results: Data were available from 91 children. From baseline to 12 months, mean plasma vitamin A decreased from 1.41 μmol L−1 to 1.13 μmol L−1 in the classical group ( P < 0.001) but increased from 1.52 μmol L−1 to 1.81 μmol L−1 in the MCT group ( P < 0.001). Mean plasma vitamin E increased from 22.7 μmol L−1 to 33.2 μmol L−1 in the classical group ( P < 0.001) and from 22.3 μmol L−1 to 23.3 μmol L−1 in the MCT group ( P < 0.05). No significant change in plasma zinc was seen at 12 months, although mean plasma selenium decreased from 0.95 μmol L−1 to 0.88 μmol L−1 in the group as a whole ( P < 0.05). Mean plasma magnesium decreased from 0.87 mmol L−1 to 0.83 mmol L−1 in the group as a whole ( P < 0.001); when subdivided by KD type, this was limited to the classical group. Conclusions: Changes in plasma vitamins A and E and the decline in magnesium status after 12 months of KD treatment suggest that micronutrient status may be suboptimal in this group and that available formulations for KD supplementation may need reviewing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cyclospora cayetanensis is a coccidian parasite that causes recurrent gastroenteritis among children living under poor sanitary condition and adults from industrialized countries who lived or traveled in endemic developing countries. Methods: A total of 1842 stool specimens from gastroenteritis patients were examined between March 2006 to February 2007 and collected various types of faecal specimens from human, animals and samples of water and green leafy vegetables. Results: Of 1842 stool specimens collected from different areas of Nepal, 146 (7.9 %) were found to be positive for Cyclospora cayetanensis. with the majority were from children 2-9 years of age. The highest rate of infections was found in the month of June; (31.6%). Cyclospora cayetanensis were found to be contaminated in green vegetables including leaves of basil, mint leaves, water sources and feces of domestic animals and these findings were presented in the paper. Conclusion: Cyclospora-like oocysts were detected in vegetables leaves, feces of domestic animals and water sources. The results suggest that water, vegetables and domestic animals are possible sources of infection in Nepal. The study also obtained more information on Cyclospora cayetanensis a coccidian parasite that infect humans especially children and causes prolonged diarrhea and life threatening infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Balloon cells (BC) are the prominent and defining cellular component of type IIB Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD), a common cause of focal epilepsy in patients undergoing surgical treatment. BC are considered immature cells of uncommitted cellular differentiation having immunophenotypical characteristics of both neurones and glia. They are often located in the lower cortical layers and white matter underlying the dysplastic cortex, suggesting migratory arrest during development. We investigated the proliferative potential of BC in 15 cases of FCD from patients with a wide range of ages using immunohistochemistry for Mcm2 (mini chromosome maintenance protein) and Ki67. In the majority of cases, BC showed Mcm2 nuclear positivity. In addition, cells with intermediate neuronal-glial characteristics were labelled whilst the dysmorphic or hypertrophic pyramidal neuronal components of FCD were not. Ki67 labelled only occasional BC. These findings support the view that BC cells represent a pool of less differentiated glial cells with proliferative capacity which may have potential for delayed neuronal differentiation. Furthermore, as Mcm2 specifically identifies BC populations, this marker may be of diagnostic value in the subtyping of FCD lesions in patients with epilepsy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]