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Biomedical subjects

I Requena

Publications and source records attributed to I Requena.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Malignant catatonia as paradigm of neuropsychiatric disease].

Catatonia is a large neuropsychiatric syndrome with multiple etiologies (psychiatric disorder, cerebral structural lesion, systemic disease, secondary to drugs and toxic agents) and varied clinical manifestations (cognitive and behavioral disorders, motor and speech disorders and vegetative disorders). The presence of disautonomy means a situation having vital risk, that requires immediate therapeutic intervention. A 22 year old woman was admitted due to a picture of stupor, fever, maintained postures, rigidity, seizures and tachycardia and hypertension episodes; this picture initiated four weeks earlier, with psychotic and affective symptoms and she slowly developed speech and motor activity impairment. Initially, she had been treated with neuroleptics, anticholinergics and antidepressants. The CT, MRI and CSF studies were normal. The EEG revealed diffuse slow waves and right frontotemporal paroxystic activity Laboratory determinations showed elevation of CK, coinciding with the vegetative disorder phase. The picture resolved progressively in two months, after receiving 19 sessions of electroshock therapy. In all the patients, and above all in those who receive neuroleptics, with symptoms suggesting catatonia, the presence of disautonomy should be considered as an alarm situation, which would make it necessary to discontinue the neuroleptics and to adopt special control. Electroshock therapy is the most effective therapeutic option in the situation of malignant catatonia.

Adult↗

[Inverted metamorphopsia: an alteration in the perception of a special situation of objects].

OBJECTIVES: This study describes the characteristics of six patients who consulted because of episodes of perceptive alteration of extrapersonal space consisting in an inversion of the situation of objects although without changes in shape or size (inverted metamorphopsia). PATIENTS: Six patients (4 males and 2 females) who presented episodes of inverted metamorphopsia were studied: 4 referred right-left inversion (axial plane), 1 upwards-downwards (saggital plane) and 1 inclination of environment (clockwise movement). None had any alteration in the perception of their own bodies during the episodes which lasted from 3 minutes to 1 hour, reporting from 1 to 40 episodes. The most notable antecedents were: traumatism and forced cervical posture (2), arterial hypertension (3), migraine (2), hyperlipemia (2) and protuberantial ischemia (1). RESULTS: Intercritical neurologic exploration was normal. MR study showed leukoaraiosis (4), protuberantial paramedian infarctions (1) and was normal in one case of basilar migraine. Study of vestibular function (performed in 4 cases) did not show alterations. Three patients received antiepileptic drugs (1 carbamazepine and 2 gabapentin) with favorable response. CONCLUSIONS: Inverted metamorphopsia is a paroxistic phenomenon which transduces a dysfunction of the posterior parietal cortex or its afferences (propioceptive, vestibular, retinian). The causes may be multiple (traumatism, migraine, ischemia). Antiepileptic drugs may have a therapeutic role in the cases with multiple episodes.

Adult↗

[Malignant prolactinoma with intra- and extracranial metastasis: clinico-radiologic study].

Malignant prolactinomas are very rare pituitary neoplasms which can be identified not from the hystopathologic nor neuroimaging aspects but only retrospectively from the presence of distant metastases. A 32-year-old male patient was diagnosed of a pituitary prolactinoma because of bitemporal hemianopsia on the basis of cranial MRI aspect and raised blood prolactin level. Visual signs improved under bromocriptine treatment but after surgical and X-ray therapies patient developed paralysis of V and XII left cranial nerves and suffered from medulocerebelous angle, vertebrae, spinal epidural space, lung, liver, suprarenal and femoral metastases. Patient died 3 years after the diagnosis time. Prolactin levels raised 2000 ng/ml. This is the first case of malignant prolactinoma described in the spanish literature and the more large one in number of metastatic localizations between the malignant prolactinomas from the literature. These kind of neoplasms can be partially ameliorated under X-ray and bromocriptine treatment but there is not, by the moment, a curative chemotherapy.

Adult↗

[Clinical pseudo-peripheral presentation of cerebral lesions].

Small size cerebral lesions, located strategically, can determine the presence of sensitive and motor signs limited to a part of an extremity, clinically suggesting peripheral nervous system affectation, determining erroneous diagnostic and therapeutic decisions. We present 5 patients initially diagnosed of peripheral nervous system pathology, which were finally diagnosed of cerebral lesions (2 lacunar infarcts, multiple sclerosis, progressive multifocal leucoencephalopaty, multicentric astrocytoma). In all, clinical examination disclosed incongruous distribution of the sensitive manifestations and myotatic reflexes were present. CT studies were normal in three patients whereas MRI showed lesions in all cases. Lesions were smaller than 1.5 cm in diameter (greater in the case of multicentric astrocytoma), and were subcortically located in the opposite cerebral hemisphere to the affected extremity. Sensitivomotor signs restricted to an extremity not concordant with a nervous or radicular distribution and with presentation of myotatic reflexes, make it necessary to look for a central nervous system lesion. Lesion will be located in the opposite cerebral hemisphere and MRI will be the elective complementary exam.

Adult↗

[Long chronic course of hemiparkinson-plus with l-dopa maintained response].

UNLABELLED: OBJECTIVE AND CLINICAL CASE: We describe and present a video film of a patient with a hemiparkinsonian illness associated with hemidystonia and pyramidalism, which responded to continuous L-Dopa treatment for twenty years, with no fluctuation or deterioration at the end of the dose-effect. CT and MR studies were normal. CONCLUSIONS: The characteristics of this case with probable static unilateral dysfunction, basically presynaptic, of the nigrostriate via, make it reasonable to include it in the hemiparkinson-hemiatrophy group.

Aged↗

[From writer's cramp to butcher's spasms: a case of interprofessional dystonia].

INTRODUCTION: Occupational or professional dystonia is a focal motor dystonic disorder which affect motor programs necessaries for the exercise of the patient's profession. Clinical case. A patient with writer's cramp in the childhood presented at the age of 22 years a new dystonia, which we name 'butcher's spasm', giving rise to a laboral incapacity. Neurological exam was normal except for right arm distal (writer's cramp) and proximal dystonias (butcher's cramp), with intentional tremor in the upper extremities. We classified, after complementary exams, the disease as idiopathic. CONCLUSIONS: Idiopathic focal dystonias can progress to segmentary or multifocal dystonias, and, in exceptional cases as ours, can interfere with two different professional activities.

Adult↗

Senile chorea: a multicenter prospective study.

Senile chorea (SC) is characterized by the presence of late onset, generalized chorea with no family history and no dementia. It is unclear whether it is a distinct clinical entity or represents late onset Huntington's disease (HD) with an undetected family history. In order to clarify this issue, we carried out a prospective, multicenter study of suspected cases of SC. Since 1994 we identified six cases that met clinical criteria for SC. Their study included routine lab tests, cerebral MRI, neuropsychological assessment, and lastly gene IT15 analysis. An abnormal expansion of the (CAG)n repeat was found in three patients. Although there were no criteria for dementia, most neuropsychological tests revealed mild to moderate deficits, particularly in visuospatial and prefrontal tasks, m all six patients, those that were finally diagnosed as having late onset "sporadic" HD, but also in patients that finally had SC. This study provides further evidence on the existence of SC; however, the distinction from late onset "sporadic" HD seems not to be possible on clinical grounds unless a genetic study is carried out. Some cases of suspected "SC" have late onset "sporadic" HD.

Age of Onset↗

[Hemiballismus heralding thrombosis of the basilar artery].

We present a patient with top-of-the-basilar syndrome that was preceded by hemiballismus and progressed to coma and tetraplegia. Magnetic resonance imaging showed extensive infarction in the basilar artery territory. Cerebral angiography confirmed basilar artery obstruction. The patient died in spite of anticoagulation therapy.

Aged↗

[Pseudotumor cerebri secondary to cerebral venous defects not identified by magnetic resonance].

Pseudotumour cerebri is the name of a syndrome characterized by headache and papilloedema, with normal cerebral CT/MR studies and CSF with a high pressure and normal laboratory findings. We describe four patients who fulfilled the diagnostic criteria of this condition (including normal 0.5T MR studies). They all had cerebral angiograms showing minor abnormalities localized to the level of the superior longitudinal sinus. All improved on treatment with anticoagulants and steroids. In view of these findings we consider that in cases of pseudotumour cerebri without a clear aetiological factor, an angio MR study should be done, or if this technique is not available, a cerebral angiogram should be done, to exclude cerebral venous drainage defects.

Adult↗

Acute respiratory failure as the first sign of Arnold-Chiari malformation associated with syringomyelia.

We report a rare case of acute respiratory failure in a previously asymptomatic patient showing clinical signs of inferior cranial nerve palsy together with weakness and muscular atrophy of the upper limbs. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed Arnold-Chiari malformation associated with platybasia, basilar impression, syringomyelia and Klippel-Feil syndrome. Episodes of apnoea required tracheostomy and recurred upon tentative closure of the tracheostome, but remitted upon decompression of the posterior fossa. This case involved both obstructive mechanisms and dysfunction of the respiratory centre. Patients with respiratory failure not explained by pulmonary pathology should be checked for underlying neurological disease.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗

[Disorders of neuronal migration: clinical and radiological signs in 21 patients].

We describe 21 patients affected by neuronal migration disorders. The main clinical manifestations were epilepsy, hemiparesis with hemiatrophy and psychomotor retardation. The neuronal migration disorders most frequently diagnosed were various forms of heterotopia and schizencephaly. Magnetic resonance imaging was more sensitive and specific that computed tomography in the diagnosis of these disorders. Schizencephaly correlates well with hemiparesis and hemiatrophy, as does nodular heterotopia with focal epilepsy and diffuse neuronal migration disorders with severe encephalopathies.

Adolescent↗

[Hypertensive encephalopathy: contribution of magnetic resonance].

We report a patient with hypertensive encephalopathy and we analyze his clinical and neurological imaging peculiarities. Computed tomography showed hypodense corticosubcortical lesions, whereas magnetic resonance scan disclosed extensive, wholly reversible enhanced signal lesions due to cerebral edema.

Brain Diseases↗