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Extradural Granulocytic Sarcoma Causing Acute Paraparesis, Arshad A. Siddiqui, Naim-Ur Rehman

Section of Neurosurgery

A case of 9 years old female presenting with rapidly progressive paraparesis during remission phase of acute myeloblastic leukemia is reported. Radiological imaging revealed an extradural mass in the upper dorsal spine producing significant cord compression. The patient showed a dramatic neurological recovery after spinal cord decompression and subsequently treated with appropriate chemotherapy and local radiotherapy.

Low Dose Intravenous Minocycline Is Neuroprotective After Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion-Reperfusion In Rats, Lin Xu, Susan C. Fagan, Jennifer L. Waller, David Edwards, Cesar V. Borlongan, Jianqing Zheng, William D. Hill, Giora Feuerstein, David C. Hess

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

Minocycline, a semi-synthetic tetracycline antibiotic, is an effective neuroprotective agent in animal models of cerebral ischemia when given in high doses intraperitoneally. The aim of this study was to determine if minocycline was effective at reducing infarct size in a Temporary Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion model (TMCAO) when given at lower intravenous (IV) doses that correspond to human clinical exposure regimens.

Methods

Rats underwent 90 minutes of TMCAO. Minocycline or saline placebo was administered IV starting at 4, 5, or 6 hours post TMCAO. Infarct volume and neurofunctional tests were carried out at 24 hr after TMCAO using …

Ischemic Stroke Subtypes In Pakistan: The Aga Khan University Stroke Data Bank, N. A. Syed, B. A. Khealani, S. Ali, A. Hasan, H. Brohi, T. Mozaffar, N. Ahmed, A. Hameed, S. M. Baig, M. Wasay

Department of Medicine

Objective: Frequency of ischemic stroke subtypes is influenced by ethnic and geographic variables. Our objective was to identify various stroke subtypes and its determinants at a tertiary care hospital.

Methods: We prospectively collected data on ischemic stroke subtypes admitted to The Aga Khan University Hospital in Karachi.

Results: A total of 596 patients were enrolled in 22 months in the Aga Khan Universtiy Stroke Registry. These included 393 patients with Ischemic stroke, 126 patients with intracerebral hemorrhage, 50 patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage and others. The ischemic stroke group was classified according to the TOAST criteria and comprised of lacunar 168/393 …

Spectrum Of Complications And Mortality Of Bacterial Meningitis: An Experience From A Developing Country, M. A. Rabbani, A. A. Khan, S. S. Ali, B. Ahmad, Mohammad Asim Beg, M. A. Khan, Mohammad Wasay

Department of Medicine

Objective:

The aim of this study was to obtain data on predisposing factors, causative organisms and their associated mortality and complications related to acute bacterial meningitis.

Methods:

The chart review of all patients in whom acute bacterial meningitis was diagnosed at The Aga Khan University Hospital from January 1995 through December 2001.

Results:

One hundred ninety-four patients were included in study. There were 146 males and 48 females. The mean age of our study population was 41±12.3 years. One hundred and ninety (97.9%) patients had community acquired meningitis; only 4 (2.0%) patients developed meningitis nosocomially. The two most common predisposing …

Neurological Care In Pakistan: Actions Are Needed, M. Wasay

Department of Medicine

No abstract provided.

Giant Choroid Plexus Papilloma Of The Third Ventricle, Ashfaq A. Razzaq, Khalid N. Chishti

Section of Neurosurgery

Abstract are not provided by the author/publisher

Peritumoral Cystic Meningioma, Arshad A. Siddiqui, Junaid Asharaf, Ahmed Ali Shah

Section of Neurosurgery

A case of 39 years old male is described who presented with headache, right-sided focal fits and decreased power in the right hand. CT scan brain showed a left fronto-parietal cystic lesion with centrolateral intramural nodule with homogenous enhancement. At surgery, the extra-axial lesion with cyst containing xanthochromic fluid had a well-defined capsule that could easily be separated from the peri-lesional cortical surface. The dural-based nodule with its cyst wall was resected in toto. The histopathology of mural nodule was reported as meningioma while the cyst wall histology revealed meningothelial cells.

Experience In 118 Consecutive Patients Undergoing Ct-Guided Stereotactic Surgery Utilizing The Cosman-Robert-Wells (Crw) Frame, G. R. Sharma, H. Siddiqui, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

Aims: To evaluate the efficacy of CT-guided neurosurgical procedures done on patients operated by this modality.
Methods: Between January 1997 and March 2000, 118 patients undergoing CT-guided stereotactic procedures were recruited to the study. The CRW III stereotactic system (Radionics, USA) and the TSX-00ZA CT Scanner (Toshiba, Japan) were used for all the procedures in the series. These procedures were directed to symptomatic brain lesions or for the treatment of Parkinsonian tremor.
Results: Of 118 patients, 109 had intra-cranial lesions and 9 had Parkinson's Disease. The stereotactic procedures performed on these patients were: biopsies in 62, guided mini-craniotomies in 22, …

Radiosurgery For The Control Of Glomus Jugulare Tumours, Muhammad Ehsan Bari, A A. Kemeny, D M C Forster, M W. Radatz

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: To ascertain the efficacy of stereotactic radiosurgery (gamma knife) for the control of glomus jugulare tumours.
Method: Between March 1994 and December 1997 we treated eight patients of glomus jugulare tumour with radiosurgery. These patients have been followed for more than four years (range 52 to 97 months). The age of the patients ranged between 32-64 years (mean 53 years). The male: female ratio was 3:5. Three patients had previously undergone surgery and one had unsuccessful embolization. The dose applied to tumour margin ranged between 16-25 Gy (median 25 Gy). Patients were followed up with yearly MRI scans and …

Vinpocetine For Cognitive Impairment And Dementia, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

Background: Vinpocetine is a synthetic ethyl ester of apovincamine, a vinca alkaloid obtained from the leaves of the Lesser Periwinkle (Vinca minor) and discovered in the late 1960s. Although used in human treatment for over twenty years, it has not been approved by any regulatory body for the treatment of cognitive impairment. Basic sciences studies have been used to claim a variety of potentially important effects in the brain. However, despite these many proposed mechanisms and targets, the relevance of this basic science to clinical studies is unclear. Objectives: To assess the efficacy and safety of vinpocetine in the treatment …

Role Of Neuropoietic Cytokines In Development And Progression Of Diabetic Polyneuropathy: From Glucose Metabolism To Neurodegeneration, Dusanka S. Skundric, Robert P. Lisak

Neurology Faculty Publications

Diabetic neuropathy develops as a result of hyperglycemia- induced local metabolic and microvascular changes in both type I and type II diabetes mellitus. Diabetic neuropathy shows slower impulse conduction, axonal degeneration, and impaired regeneration. Diabetic neuropathy affects peripheral, central, and visceral sensorimotor and motor nerves, causing improper locomotor and visceral organ dysfunctions. The pathogenesis of diabetic neuropathy is complex and involves multiple pathways. Lack of success in preventing neuropathy, even with successful treatment of hyperglycemia, suggests the presence of early mediators between hyperglycemia-induced metabolic and enzymatic changes and functional and structural properties of Schwann cells (SCs) and axons. It is …

Brainstem Encephalitis With Kikuchi-Fujimoto Disease, Saad Shafqat, Saima Bano Memon, Shiraz Hyder, Sheema H Hasan, Raymond A Smego

Section of Neurology

A case of young woman is described who developed clinical and MRI features of brainstem encephalitis in the setting of fever and cervical lymphadenopathy. Lymph node biopsy revealed histiocytic necrotizing lymphadenitis (Kikuchi-Fujimoto disease), which may reflect host response to an unspecified immune insult.

Clinical Practice Guidelines For The Management Of Ischemic Stroke In Pakistan, Saad Shafqat

Section of Neurology

Ischemic stroke represents a huge global burden, being the leading cause of physical disability and the third leading cause of death worldwide¹. Although rigorous epidemiological data from Pakistan are lacking, stroke is certainly the commonest reason for admission to a neurology ward in our part of the world, as elsewhere. Recent years have seen a number of new developments in the clinical approach to stroke, including in the areas of diagnostic work-up, acute treatment and secondary prevention. These developments enable the formulation of clinical practice guidelines for achieving standardized management of ischemic stroke, with the overall aini of …

Cost Of Acute Stroke Care At A Tertiary Care Hospital In Karachi, Pakistan, B. A. Khealani, Z. F. Javed, N. A. Syed, Saad Shafqat, Mohammad Wasay

Section of Neurology

Objective:To evaluate cost of acute stroke care and its determinants at a tertiary care hospital in Karachi and to find out predictors of high cost care. Acute stroke is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality. Cost of care is the single most important determinant in availability of acute stroke care at a tertiary care hospital in Pakistan.It is also an important factor in development of public health policies and medical insurance plans. Average nnual income in Pakistan is 4881 rupees (U$ 85).
Methods: Medical and billing records of 443 patients with acute stroke were retrospectively reviewed from …

Moyamoya Disease: An Elusive Diagnosis, K. B. Asumal, N. Akhtar, N. A. Syed, Saad Shafqat, S. M. Baig

Section of Neurology

Moyamoya disease is an idiopathic vasculopathy, affecting vessels of Circle of Willis.1 It usually manifests as stroke, but can also cause seizures and cognitive impairment.2 Ischemic strokes are common in children and hemorrhagic strokes in adults.1 We describe our experience with moyamoya disease in four patients who presented with ischemic strokes, at an academic tertiary care center and emphasize that this diagnosis should be considered in young patients, especially children, who present with stroke.

L’Observation Du Comportement Du Nouveau-Ne: Une Source Pertinente D’Informations Medicales, N. Ratynski, G. Cioni, L. Franck, Yvette Blanchard, J. Sizun

All PTHMS Faculty Publications

L’observation du comportement du nouveau-né est une source importante d’informations d’ordre médical. Trois domaines bénéficient des données de l’observation : 1) l’analyse du développement grâce à l’utilisation de l’Assessment of Preterm Infant Behavior (évaluation du comportement de l’enfant prématuré) ; 2) l’évaluation de la douleur dominée par l’analyse de l’expression faciale grâce à des échelles validées, telle que le Neonatal Facial Coding System (système néonatal de codage facial) ; 3) la recherche de lésions cérébrales par le Quality Assessment of General Movements (évaluation de la qualité des mouvements généraux). L’observation comportementale fondée sur des outils validés par la recherche …

Radiologic Features Of Hallervorden Spatz Disease, K B. Asumal, M Wasay, S N. Ali

Section of Neurology

Hallervorden Spatz Disease is a rare familial neurodegenerative disorder, which primarily affects children but also can occur in adults1 . Major clinical features are abnormal involuntary movements and cognitive impairment2 . Diagnosis is based on clinical and radiological features. The radiological features are hypointense signals in globus pallidus and substantia niagra on MR! of brain3 . Occasionally the pallidal hypointense signals surround hyperintense signals, this is known as “tigereye-sign”4 and is postulated to be specific for Hallervorden Spatz Disease. We report two brothers with such MRI findings.

Informed Consent For Alzheimer's Disease Clinical Trials: A Survey Of Clinical Investigators, Peter J. Whitehouse

Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Ischemic Stroke In Young Adults Of South Asia, A A. Razzaq, B A. Khan, S M. Baig

Section of Neurology

Objective: To study the risk factors, etiology and management of ischemic stroke in young adults in a South Asian population.

Methods: Retrospective study conducted at a large tertiary hospital in Karachi. One hundred and eighteen patients between fifteen and forty-five years admitted over a five year period with a diagnosis of ischemic infarct constituted the study population. The study variables included the full clinical spectrum, spanning historical, laboratory, radiological and outcome parameters.

Results: Forty-three percent of patients were hypertensive and 30% were diabetic. The combination of diabetes and hypertension was found in 19.5% of patients, intra-cranial and carotid …

Takayasu's Arteritis Presenting As Ischemic Stroke--Case Report, B A. Khealani, S M. Baig

Section of Neurology

Takayasu’s Arteritis is a chronic, idiopathic, inflammatory disease that primarily affects large blood vessels such as aorta and its branches.1 Neurological symptoms occur in about 50% of cases but stroke occurs in about 10% of patients with Takayasu’s Arteritis2 . We report two such cases and emphasize the need for thorough evaluation of young patients with stroke to establish the underlying etiology.

Predictors Of Mortality In Brain Abscess, H U. Qureshi, A A. Habib, A A. Siddiqui, T Mozaffar, A R. Sarwari

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: Brain abscess carries significant morbidity and mortality. Our objective was to elucidate the clinical presentation of brain abscess and to assess predictors of mortality in these patients.
Methods: All patients with a brain abscess presenting to the Aga Khan University Hospital, a tertiary care referral center in Karachi, Pakistan, were studied retrospectively. Statistical analysis involved univariate analysis and a logistic regression model.
Results: Among the 66 patients analyzed, a distant metastatic focus of infection was the most commonly identified predisposing factor (29%). Otogenic infection was the commonest contiguous source and sinusitis was noticeably absent. Multiple abscesses were frequent (35%). …

In-Gel Purified Ditags Direct Synthesis Of Highly Efficient Sage Libraries, Saroj P. Mathupala, Andrew E. Sloan

Wayne State University Associated BioMed Central Scholarship

Abstract

Background

SAGE (serial analysis of gene expression) is a recently developed technique for systematic analysis of eukaryotic transcriptomes. The most critical step in the SAGE method is large scale amplification of ditags which are then are concatemerized for the construction of representative SAGE libraries. Here, we report a protocol for purifying these ditags via an 'in situ' PAGE purification method. This generates ditags free of linker contaminations, making library construction simpler and more efficient.

Results

Ditags used to generate SAGE libraries were demarcated 'in situ' on preparative polyacrylamide gels using XC and BPB dyes, which precisely straddle the ditag …

Bilateral Cervical Radiculopathy As A Presentation Of Spinal Tuberculosis: Report Of Two Cases, G R. Sharma, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

No abstract provided.

Giant Hypothalamic Hamartoma And Associated Seizure Types, M K. Chishti, Ashfaq A. Razzaq

Section of Neurosurgery

No abstract provided.

Neoplastic Growth Of Cerebral Cavernous Malformation Presenting With Impending Cerebral Herniation: A Case Report And Review Of The Literature On De Novo Growth Of Cavernomas, Arshad A. Siddiqui, Rashid Jooma

Section of Neurosurgery

Background: Cerebral cavernomas are rare vascular anomalies and their expansile growth has been considered to be mainly due to recurrent hemorrhages. They are not generally reported to show aggressive behavior.
Case description: A 27-year-old male presented with headache, visual disturbances, and a 17-year history of seizures. He was known to have a temporal lobe lesion on CT scan, consistent with a diagnosis of cavernous malformation but with no relevant family history. Serial clinical and radiological follow-up revealed a progressive increase in the size of the lesion with formation of a growing cyst of 7 cm in diameter, which produced mass …

Prediction Of Long-Term Intellectual And Neuropsychological Effects Of Closed Head Injury In Infants And Children, Tamara Sue Brenner

Loma Linda University Electronic Theses, Dissertations & Projects

The ability to predict long-term intellectual and neuropsychological outcome (1-7 years post-injury) in children (ages 1 week - 14 years at injury) with a history of closed head injury were investigated. Clinical indicators of injury severity including EEG reading and age at injury as well as ’H-MRS variables of NAA/Ch, Ch/Cr, and lactate presence accurately classified 100% of children as functioning either within or above the average range or below the average range for most outcome measures. Combined clinical and H-MRS variables accounted for approximately 50% of the variance in outcome confirming the validity of their predictive use and also …

Histological Pattern Of Central Nervous System Neoplasms, Z. Ahmed, S. Muzaffar, Naila Kayani, Shahid Pervez, A. S. Husainy, S. H. Hasan

Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine

Objective:

To see in a large series of patients the histological pattern of CNS neoplasms and to provide a comprehensive data about the frequency of CNS neoplasms in Pakistani patients and to give a clearer idea about their prevalence.

Method:

Retrospective study of all consecutive cases of CNS neoplasms diagnosed at The Aga Khan University Hospital (AKUH) between 1st January 1994 and 31st December, 1999.

Setting:

The section of Histopathology, AKUH, Karachi.

Observation:

Our series included a large number of cases i.e., 1110 . There are very few local studies on CNS tumours and none so large . Our data …

Estrogen Protects Against The Synergistic Toxicity By Hiv Proteins, Methamphetamine And Cocaine, Jadwiga Turchan, Caroline Anderson, Kurt F. Hauser, Qinmiao Sun, Jiayou Zhang, Ying Liu, Phyllis M. Wise, Inna Kruman, William Maragos, Mark P. Mattson, Rosemarie Booze, Avindra Nath

Neurology Faculty Publications

BACKGROUND: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection continues to increase at alarming rates in drug abusers, especially in women. Drugs of abuse can cause long-lasting damage to the brain and HIV infection frequently leads to a dementing illness. To determine how these drugs interact with HIV to cause CNS damage, we used an in vitro human neuronal culture characterized for the presence of dopaminergic receptors, transporters and estrogen receptors. We determined the combined effects of dopaminergic drugs, methamphetamine, or cocaine with neurotoxic HIV proteins, gp120 and Tat.

RESULTS: Acute exposure to these substances resulted in synergistic neurotoxic responses as measured by …

Vestibular Schwannomas: Clinical Presentation, Management And Outcome, M S. Awan, H U. Qureshi, A A. Sheikh, M M. Ali

Section of Neurosurgery

Objective: To review the demographic trends clinical spectrum, diagnosis, management and outcome of patients with vestibular Schwannoma and to identify areas where improvements are needed.
Methods: All patients with vestibular schwannoma admitted to the Aga Khan University Hospital over the past 11 years were reviewed retrospectively.
Results: The age range of majority of 22 patients analyzed, was 41-50 years (23%). Hearing loss was the most common presenting symptom (96%). Other clinical features included cranial nerve palsies (59%) and headache (55%). Fifty percent had signs of raised intracranial pressure. Neuroimaging revealed "Stage IV b" (tumor distorting the brainstem and compressing the …

Functions Of The Rat's Temporal Association Cortex In Higher Perceptual Functions, Summer L. Maki

The Corinthian

The role of the rodent temporal cortex in relational perception was investigated. Eighteen Long Evans rats were separated into three surgical groups (sham, partial striate, and Te2/3) and trained on a preoperative and postoperative discrimination task. The rats were then presented a series of relational judgement trials consisting of both between category judgments and within category judgments. It was hypothesized that the rats with Te2/3 lesions would perform as well as controls on the preoperative and postoperative discrimination task, but show a considerable behavioral dysfunction on the tests of visual relational perception. The results showed no differences across groups in …