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Biomedical subjects

W C Marshall

Publications and source records attributed to W C Marshall.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1982

Early diagnosis of herpes simplex encephalitis in childhood. Clinical, neurophysiological and neuroradiological studies.

In the initial phase of HSE the clinical symptomatology is more variable and insidious in babies and young children than in older children and adults. Combined clinical, neurophysiological and neuroradiological studies have been carried out in 12 children with proven HSE. Ten patients had the first EEGs taken during the acute phase of the illness and all showed large amplitude irregular slow activity, sharp waves and often spikes with variable distribution; in 7 cases periodic phenomena were recognisable. At a later stage localised low amplitude EEG activities were found in children with focal neurological symptoms. Areas of low attenuation were seen in the CT scans of the 7 children who had this investigation done at an early stage of their illness. Such low density regions persisted at follow-up and eventually cerebral atrophy with irregular features became obvious. Prompt EEG investigations combined with CT scans provide an early diagnostic clue for treatment. Follow-up EEG studies (including VEP) and CT scans may help assess the severity of residual cerebral damage in the survivors.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Deficient activity of the alternative pathway of complement in beta thalassemia major.

Patients with thalassemia major suffer frequent and serious infections, especially after splenectomy. To explore the basis for this susceptibility, we examined activity of the complement system in sera from 24 patients. All sera had normal or increased activity of the classic complement pathway. However, six of the 24 (three with and three without splenectomy) had abnormal alternative pathway function, and mean alternative pathway activity was significantly decreased in both splenectomized and nonsplenectomized patients. Mean concentrations of C3, factor B, properdin, and immunoglobulins were normal. Defective alternative pathway function, especially in conjunction with asplenia, could contribute to the propensity to infection that exists in thalassemia.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1981

Multicystic encephalomalacia due to fetal viral encephalitis.

Two children, aged 2 weeks and 2 months, with multicystic encephalomalacia aer described. Although computerized tomography (CT) scan was used for the diagnosis, the value of the simple method of transillumination is stressed. The mother of one child had mumps with meningitis at 26 weeks' gestation. The other child had an echovirus 11 isolated from the cerebrospinal fluid and herpesvirus hominis (HVH) from the skin at 8 weeks. We speculate that the changes in the brains of these babies may be due to the respective viruses causing a fetal encephalitis.

Echovirus Infections↗
PubMed1981

The possible adjuvant role of bordetella pertussis and pertussis vaccine in causing severe encephalopathic illness: a presentation of three case histories.

The clinical and some laboratory details of three children who had severe neurological sequelae after either infection with Bordetella pertussis or immunisation with diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis vaccine and oral polio vaccine are reported. Each of these patients had had a recent or concurrent viral illness. The severity of their encephalopathic illness may have been due to an adjuvant role of B. pertussis or a component of the vaccines they received.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗
PubMed1981

A seroepidemiological study of measles infection in normal and handicapped persons in Lagos, Nigeria.

Serological studies in a group of children showed that there was a high degree of immunity to measles at birth (100%), but this decreased rapidly so that by the age of 5 months there was 36% immunity and by 7-8 months the level had dropped to 5%. However, there was a gradual rise from the age of 9 months onwards, so that by the age 6-9 years there was 75% immunity and from 10 years onwards there was 100% immunity. The findings suggest that measles vaccination can be given from the age of 6 months onwards, but this needs to be confirmed by further studies. There is need to compare children under the age of 5 years who are blind or deaf with a control group in order to determine the aetiological role of measles infection in these handicaps in Lagos.

Adolescent↗