Biomedical subjects

J L Finlay

Publications and source records attributed to J L Finlay.

95 records · Page 6Linked to original sources

PubMedDate not supplied

A dramatic loss of non-verbal intelligence following a right parietal ependymoma: brief case report.

Virtually all reports on the effects of focal brain lesions upon specific neuropsychological functions are based upon estimates of cognitive loss in persons following a lesion, without proof of premorbid capacity. This report presents the case of a 19-year-old left-handed male with assessment of Verbal and Performance I.Q. testing 1 year prior to a subsequent brain tumor for reasons unrelated to the neoplasm. The patient was then re-tested 23 months later, following the diagnosis and treatment of a supratentorial ependymoma in the right parietal region. His multi-modal treatment regimen included a partial surgical resection of the tumor, cranio-spinal irradiation with focal boost to the primary site, and chemotherapy. Results demonstrate a striking 58-point decline in the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale - Revised (WAIS - R) Performance I. Q. with no significant change in Verbal I.Q. These findings clearly document the important cognitive functions associated with the right parietal lobe.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The expanding role of chemotherapy for pediatric supratentorial malignant gliomas.

Supratentorial malignant gliomas are among the most difficult tumors to treat in children. With a combination of surgery and irradiation, the median survival for children with malignant gliomas is only 9 months. Even among survivors, irradiation causes long-lasting neurological impairment, especially in young children. These disappointing results have stimulated interest in adjuvant chemotherapy as a more effective treatment for pediatric gliomas. In 1976, the first pediatric randomized trial of adjuvant chemotherapy incorporated CCNU, vincristine and prednisone. The addition of these agents to standard irradiation and surgery enhanced the 5-year survival rate from 18% to 43%. Other trials with multiple drug regimens, now considered to be suboptimal in dosing, have not further enhanced disease-free survival. Current trials of high-dose chemotherapy combined with autologous bone marrow rescue for children with recurrent malignant gliomas have produced some durable survivors, but long-term benefits for children with newly diagnosed malignant gliomas are yet to be realized.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Optic glioma associated with Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome.

A 6-year-old boy with decreased vision was found to have Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome with an associated glioma involving the intracranial optic nerves, chiasm, and optic tracts. The association of this syndrome with visceral and central nervous system neoplasms is discussed.

Astrocytoma↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Infectious complications in pediatric patients undergoing transplantation with T lymphocyte-depleted bone marrow.

We performed a retrospective study of the infectious complications in 14 pediatric patients undergoing transplantation with T lymphocyte-depleted bone marrow. The purpose of this study was to document the infectious complications encountered in these patients and to ascertain whether or not they appeared to be more susceptible to any particular infections. It was found that all 14 patients developed infectious complications following transplantation: there were a total of 24 bacterial infections among 11 patients, 21 fungal infections among 11 patients, 2 parasitic infections and 4 viral infections. The viral infections included two cases of infection with cytomegalovirus, one of which manifested as encephalitis and pneumonia, and one case of possible infection with Epstein-Barr virus, which included clinical findings compatible with a lymphoproliferative disorder. These patients were at an increased risk to certain viral infections and particular attention must be paid to the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of these infections.

Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Nutritional vitamin B12 deficiency in a breastfed infant following maternal gastric bypass.

Breastfed infants of women who have had gastric or intestinal bypass procedures may develop nutritional deficiencies. We describe a 10-month-old exclusively breastfed white male infant who presented with vomiting, failure to thrive, and megaloblastic anemia. He was found to have vitamin B12 deficiency. His mother had undergone a gastric bypass procedure for morbid obesity 2 years prior to her pregnancy with this child. She had subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency, with an abnormal Schilling test that corrected with the addition of intrinsic factor. Therefore, we believe that the mother's gastric bypass had caused a decrease in available intrinsic factor, resulting in subclinical vitamin B12 deficiency and decreased breast milk B12. Although she was asymptomatic, her breastfed infant developed symptomatic B12 deficiency. This is the first reported case of a maternal gastric bypass resulting in vitamin B12 deficiency in an infant. These mothers should receive vitamin supplements, including vitamin B12, during and after pregnancy, and may require parenterally administered vitamin B12.

Adult↗