Search PubMed⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

I Kanaan

Publications and source records attributed to I Kanaan.

23 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Brain biopsy in tuberculoma: the risks and benefits.

In developing countries, 5 to 8% of the space-occupying lesions of the central nervous system are tuberculomas. Diagnosis can be difficult in the absence of extracranial tuberculosis; computed tomography is suggestive only. To assess the value of brain biopsies in tuberculomas, the records of 15 patients aged 6 to 80 years were reviewed. Histological confirmation was obtained in 15 patients, and acid-fast bacilli were cultured from 12 patients. Intracranial hypertension was the principal sign in 11 patients; other neurological signs were related to the location of the tuberculoma. One patient had evidence of extracranial tuberculosis. Biopsy-related complications consisted of an epidural hematoma in 1 patient and hydrocephalus in another; both required additional surgery. One case of tuberculous meningitis was probably related to surgery and poor drug compliance. There was no postoperative mortality. Thirteen patients (2 were lost to follow-up) were cured after an average of 16 months of antituberculous therapy. It was concluded that the brain biopsy is useful in diagnosing tuberculoma but that there is some associated risk.

Adolescent↗

Cerebrospinal fluid content of manganese, platinum, and strontium in patients with cerebral tumors, leukemia, and other noncerebral neoplasms.

Electrothermal atomic absorption spectrophotometry was employed to measure the concentrations of manganese, platinum, and strontium in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of 47 patients with brain neoplasms (34 benign and 13 malignant), 17 leukemic patients, 10 patients with lymphoma or non-cerebral solid tumors, and 27 control patients. According to the data obtained, manganese appears to be significantly (p less than 0.015) depleted from the CSF of leukemic patients, whereas platinum is diminished in CSF of patients with brain tumors, leukemia, lymphoma, or noncerebral solid tumors; the ratios for the mean CSF concentration of platinum in these tumor patients/control patients ranged between 0.52 and 0.7. There was no significant difference in CSF concentrations of strontium among the groups examined.

Adolescent↗

Large meningioma of the foramen magnum in a 4-year-old child.

The case of a 4-year-old boy with 4 months' history of progressive quadriplegia is presented. The neuroradiological work-up, which included computed tomography scanning and magnetic resonance imaging, showed changes consistent with the diagnosis of a large mass lesion in the area of the foramen magnum. At operation a meningioma was completely excised. There was a gradual and almost complete neurological recovery.

Child, Preschool↗

Combined oral isoprinosine-intraventricular alpha-interferon therapy for subacute sclerosing panencephalitis.

Eighteen patients, 16 boys and 2 girls, aged 5-14 years, with subacute sclerosing panencephalitis (SSPE) were treated with oral isoprinosine (100 mg/kg/day) and intraventricular alpha-interferon 2b (Intron A, Schering Corp.), starting at 500,000 U twice a week and later increasing to 3 million U biweekly. Minimal follow-up of living patients is 12 months; maximal 40 months. On the basis of the Neurological Disability Index (NDI) scores and staging, 8 have treatment-induced remissions (3 improved, 5 arrested), 4 are worse and 6 died. This 44% (8/18) rate of remission/improvement compares well with the 9% (1/11) remission in historical controls in the same institution (p = < 0.05) and 5% spontaneous remission in the literature. Combined oral isoprinosine-intraventricular alpha-interferon appears to be an effective treatment for SSPE.

Administration, Oral↗