Roomasa Channa

Encephalitis and myelitis associated with dengue viral infection clinical and neuroimaging features.

OBJECTIVES The objective of this study was to identify clinical and neuroimaging features and outcome of patients with encephalitis and myelitis associated with dengue viral infection. PATIENTS AND METHODS We retrospectively reviewed 225 cases of dengue viral infection. The diagnosis of dengue was confirmed by serology (presence of IgM antibodies). RESULTS Six patients (3%) had evidence of neurological infection (encephalitis: 5 patients; encephalomyelitis: 1 patient). Age range was 18-35 years (Mean 27 years). Five patients (83%) were women. All patients (100%) had drowsiness, five patients (83%) had fever, four patients (67%) presented with seizures and one patient presented with paraparesis (16%). All patients had elevated CSF cell count (range 25-102; mean 61) with predominant lymphocytes. Five patients (83%) had abnormal CT or MRI scan. Cerebral edema was present in three patients. Other findings included low density signals in right temporal and occipital lobe (1 patient), bi temporal hyperintensities and meningeal enhancement (1 patient), Frontal and subcortical hyperintense lesion (1 patient) and hyperintense lesion on T2 in Pons and cervical and thoracic spinal cord (1 patient). EEG was done in four patients and showed generalized slowing (2 patients), bi temporal spikes (1 patient) and burst suppression pattern (1 patient). Two patients (32%) died and one patient was discharged in bedridden state. CONCLUSION The involvement of brain and spinal cord is uncommon in dengue viral infection. Most patient present with seizures. Neuroimaging features are diverse. Prognosis is poor in patients presenting with encephalitis or myelitis.

Early experience with intravitreal bevacizumab combined with laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity.

Objective: This study was designed to present our early experience with intravitreal bevacizumab combined with laser treatment for retinopathy of prematurity (ROP) at a single institution over a 13-month-period. Methods: A retrospective case series of eight children with ROP who received intravitreal bevacizumab combined with laser treatment between June 2007 and July 2008 were reported. A chart review was conducted to evaluate if stability of the ROP lesion had been achieved. Main information collected included data on demographics, gestational age, birth weight, length of stay in neonatal intensive care unit, and stage of ROP. Results: Fifteen eyes of eight subjects were treated. One eye did not receive any treatment due to complete retinal detachment. The median age at treatment was 8 weeks (range, 6 weeks to 1 year). The most common stage of ROP was 3+. All eyes remained stable at 1 year or later after treatment. Conclusion: Intravitreal bevacizumab in conjunction with laser treatment had promising results at our institution. We recommend prospective, randomized, controlled clinical trials to compare the effect of laser treatment alone, of bevacizumab treatment alone (at different doses), and of combined bevacizumab and laser treatment.

Educating and Informing Patients Receiving Psychopharmacological Medications: Are Family Physicians in Pakistan up to the Task?

Introduction Studies have shown a high prevalence of psychiatric illnesses among patients in primary health care settings. Family physicians have a fundamental role in managing psychiatric illness with psychopharmacological medications. Providing information about the disease, its management and the potential adverse effects of the medications is an important part of the management of mental illnesses. Our objective was to determine if patients who were prescribed psychopharmacological drugs by family physicians at a community health center in Karachi, Pakistan were provided adequate education about their disease and its management. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted at the Community Health Centre (CHC), Aga Khan University Hospital Karachi, Pakistan. Details about the prescriptions and patient education were acquired from the patients after their consultations. Results A total of 354 adult patients were interviewed during 3 days. Among them, 73 (20.6%) were prescribed psychopharmacological medications. Among patients receiving psychopharmacological medicines, 37 (50.7%) did not know their diagnosis; 50 (68.5%) were unaware of the disease process; 52 (71.2%) were unaware of alternative treatments; 63 (86.3%) were not cautioned about the potential adverse effects of the drugs; 24 (32.9%) were unaware of the duration of treatment and in 60 (82.2%) of the participants an appropriate referral had not been discussed. For all aspects of education, patients prescribed psychopharmacological medications knew less as compared to those patients that were prescribed other medications. Discussion The practice of imparting information to patients who receive psychopharmacological medications seems to be inadequate in Pakistan. We have hypothesized about the possible reasons for our findings, and identified a need for further research to determine the cause for such findings and to address them accordingly. At the same time there is a need to educate family physicians in Pakistan about the special importance of providing adequate information to such patients.

Pontine haemorrhage due to chondrosarcoma of the skull base.

A young adult presented with acute weakness of right side of body and slurring of speech. An initial brain CT scan showed a pontine haemorrhage, however MRI done a few days later revealed a mass in the left parapharyngeal space. Histopathology of the mass revealed that it was a chondrosarcoma. Subsequently the patient was initially treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and later surgery. Skull base chondrosarcomabe is to be included in the differentials of a young patient presenting with signs consistent with pontine haemorrhage.