[Coma caused by hyperosmolarity. Apropos of 4 cases].
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to P Godeau.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
We report the case of a 68-year old woman complaining of disorders of memory and persistent headaches in whom the diagnosis of Waldenström's macroglobulinaemia (WM) was made. Computerized tomography of the brain showed a butterfly-shaped hyperdensity in the splenium of the corpus callosum, with ventricular dilatation. Magnetic resonance imaging displayed high-intensity signals on T2-weighted sequences. Protein immunoelectrophoresis elicited an IgM kappa peak. The CSF was found to contain proteins and lymphocytes in excess, and immunohistochemical staining confirmed the predominance of anti-kappa and the presence of intrathecal IgM secretion. Chemotherapy was temporarily effective on the memory disorders, but the patient died 26 months after the beginning of treatment. Central nervous system manifestations are seldom observed in WM, and they are now grouped under the name of Bing-Neel syndrome. Psychic disorders are rarely reported. It is suggested that IgM secretion plays a predominant role in the pathogenesis of leucoencephalitis, and this is supported by the finding of intrathecal IgM synthesis.
Septicaemia on endovenous pacemaker electrodes is infrequent and difficult to detect. We report the case of a 64-year old woman with a diagnosis of prolonged fever that dragged on for several months before infection of her pacemaker was considered, then confirmed. Repeated Staphylococcus epidermidis isolates from blood cultures were no longer regarded as contaminations, and transoesophageal echocardiography revealed the presence of a "mass" on her endocavitary electrode, which had not been visualized on several previous échocardiographies. Surgical removal of the electrode was soon required in view of multiple septic emboli despite a bacteriologically effective antibiotic therapy. The outcome is favourable after a 6-month follow-up. The authors review the diagnostic and therapeutic problems created by infections on electrosystolic exciting electrodes.
A 57 year old man was referred to us with multiple long-standing, recurring and refractory mouth ulcers involving the palate, the intermaxillary folds, the inner side of the cheeks, the frenum of the tongue, a tonsil, the pharynx, the gums and a lower lip. Multiple biopsies had excluded a lymphoma, a carcinoma and infection. A new biopsy showed a polymorphous granuloma with up to 40% of atypical lymphoid cells. No angiitis was present, but an angiocentric pattern was present in the granuloma. The atypical cells stained positively with OKT3 and OKT4 antisera. The patient also had cardiac rhythm disturbances with defects on the myocardial scan and a proteinuria. Thus, we suspected the diagnosis of lymphomatoid granulomatosis, although there were no pulmonary nodules. Cyclophosphamide and prednisone were given with immediate success. As the doses were gradually decreased, a small relapse occurred. It was controlled by increasing the cyclophosphamide dosage for six months. The patient is now in complete remission more than four years after having discontinued the treatment. Thus, lymphomatoid granulomatosis can be diagnosed on the basis of a biopsy of buccal ulcers and in the absence of the classical pulmonary nodules. We found no evidence that the atypical cells were lymphomatous; rather, the very good response to the treatment points to a curable granulomatosis.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.
Explore the source record for details and available documents.