Clinical and morphological pattern of brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh.

BACKGROUND: We have conducted this study to examine the clinical and morphological pattern of brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) along with their treatment and short term outcome in a tertiary care hospital in Bangladesh. This retrospective chart review was carried out from the records of neuro-endovascular division at Department of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from January 2010 to June 2013. A total 60 patients were evaluated. All the necessary information regarding the demographic, clinical, morphologic and treatment profile was gathered through a predesigned questionnaire. To our knowledge, we have the largest cohort of BAVM patients in Bangladesh and this is the first of this kind of study done in Bangladesh. RESULTS: The mean age at diagnosis was 30.3 years with a standard deviation of ±14.3 and the majority was teenagers (30%). Intracerebral hemorrhage was the commonest (70%) type of presentation at diagnosis, followed by headache (50%), altered consciousness (50%), vomiting (40%) and seizure (40%). Majority of the AVMs had feeders from anterior circulation (50%) and most of the AVMs (73.3%) were supplied from the main feeders, whereas the rest from distal vessels. Regarding venous drainage, AVMs drained mostly either to superficial (43.3%) or deep (40%) venous system. AVMs frequently had larger (40%) nidus size and a slow to medium flow (60%), through the nidus. An eloquent AVM location was found in 50% of the patients. Intranidal aneurysm was found in 10% AVM and angiopathic AVM in 13.3%. Patients were treated by endovascular embolization (31) or surgical excision (11) or conservative approach. There was one event of death, both in embolization group and surgically treated group before discharge. The patients were followed up for 1.3 ± 0.8 years. The rate of rebleed was 6.6, 30 and 60% during follow up in endovascular, surgical and conservatively treated group. Though five patients in conservative group died during this time, no deaths reported in intervention group (endovascular or surgery). CONCLUSION: Intracerebral hemorrhages, headache, altered consciousness and seizure are common clinical presentations of AVM at diagnosis. The remarkable morphologic features are larger AVM size at eloquent location, medium to slow flow with frequent feeders from main vessels of anterior circulation and drainage to superficial venous systems. Endovascular embolization or surgical excision of AVM are relatively safe and effective and provides better short term outcome than conservative approach.

Antiepileptic drug utilization in Bangladesh: experience from Dhaka Medical College Hospital.

BACKGROUND: Epilepsy is a common health problem which carries a huge medical social psychological and economic impact for a developing country. The aim of this hospital-based study was to get an insight into the effectiveness and tolerability of low cost antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) in Bangladeshi people with epilepsy. METHODS: This retrospective chart review was done from hospital records in weekly Epilepsy outdoor clinic of Department of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital (DMCH) from October 1998 to February 2013. A total of 854 epilepsy patients met the eligibility criteria (had a complete record of two years of follow up data) from hospital database. A checklist was used to take demographics (age and gender), epilepsy treatment and adverse event related data. At least two years of follow up data were considered for analysis. RESULTS: Out of 854 patients selected, majority of the patients attending outdoor clinic were >11-30 years age group (55.2%) with a mean age of 20.3 ± 9 years and with a male (53%) predominance. Focal epilepsy were more common (53%), among whom secondary generalized epilepsy was the most frequent diagnosis (67%) followed by complex partial seizure (21%). Among those with Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (46%), generalized tonic clonic seizure was encountered in 74% and absence seizure was observed in 13%. The number of patients on monotherapy and dual AED therapy were 67% and 24% respectively and polytherapy (i.e. >3 AEDs) was used only in 9%. CBZ (67%) was the most frequently prescribed AED, followed by VPA (43%), PHB (17%), and PHT (8%). CBZ was prescribed in 37% patients as monotherapy followed by VPA in 21% and PHB in 8% patients. Newer generation drugs eg lemotrigine and topiramate were used only as add on therapy in combination with CBZ and VPA in only 2% patients. The treatment retention rates over the follow up period for the AEDs in monotherapy varied between 86 and 91% and were highest for CBZ, followed by VPA. Most of the combination regimens had a treatment retention rate of 100%. The effectiveness of AED in terms of reduction of seizure frequency was highest for PHT (100%) and PHB (98%) followed by CBZ (96%) and VPA (95%). PHB and PHT were the cheapest of all AEDs (42 I$ and 56 I$/ year respectively). The costs of VPA and CBZ were two times and LTG and TOP were six to eight times higher. Adverse drug reaction (ADR) were observed among 140 (24.5%) of those with monotherapy. PHT (64%) was the most common drug to cause ADR, CBZ was at the bottom of the list to cause adverse effect (11.6%). VPA and PHB caused weight gain commonly. Adjustment of drug dose or withdrawal due to ADRs was necessary in 39% with PHT and 26% with PHB. CONCLUSION: Though PHT and PHB are cheapest and efficacious among all, CBZ and VPA are less costly, effective and well tolerated drug for seizure control in context of Bangladesh.

Pattern of headache in school going children attending specialized clinic in a tertiary care hospital in bangladesh.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the pattern of headache and its associated symptoms in school going children. METHODS: The data of all the school going children attending the Headache Clinic in the Dept. of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 1021 patients from October 1996 to September 2011 were selected. Data were collected through a predesigned questionnaire containing information on age, sex, social status, clinical features, opthalmoscopic findings, management, and in selected cases imaging results. RESULT: The mean age of headache in school children was 12.6±1.08 years with relatively older age of presentation among girls. The sex ratio was 1.64:1 in favor of girls at older age. Tension type headache (71.1%) was the most common form of headache, followed by migraine (18.4%) and mixed headache (6.7%). Though the girls had more frequent headache of both tension type (59.4%) and migraine (68.1%) variety, the latter was significantly associated in girls (p<0.001). Headache was of moderate severity in 53.3%, whereas severe headache was experienced by 19.9% of the children. The children commonly had nausea and/or vomiting (47.2%), as well as photophobia (24.7%) with headache. Mental stress (34%) and sunlight (30.9%) were common triggering factors whereas a sound sleep relieved headache in the majority (59.4%). Paracetamol (83.3%) and nortryptyline (62.8%) were the most commonly prescribed drug taken by them. CONCLUSION: Headache is a major health problem in school children, apart from other common health issues at this age. With increasing age, the girls more commonly suffer not only from migraine but also with other chronic headache. The direct causal association is yet to be determined.

Precipitating and relieving factors of migraine versus tension type headache.

BACKGROUND: To determine the differences of precipitating and relieving factors between migraine and tension type headache. METHODS: This is a cross sectional study. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 250 migraine patients and 250 patients diagnosed as tension type headache from the specialized headache clinic in Dept. of Neurology, Dhaka Medical College Hospital. Data were collected through a predesigned questionnaire containing information on age, sex, social status and a predetermined list of precipitating and relieving factors. RESULTS: In this study, the female patients predominated (67%). Most of the patients were within 21-30 years age group (58.6%). About 58% of them belonged to middle class families. The common precipitating factors like stress, anxiety, activity, journey, reading, cold and warm were well distributed among both the migraine and tension type headache (TTH) patients. But significant difference was demonstrated for fatigue (p < 0.05), sleep deprivation (p < 0.05), sunlight (p < 0.01) and food (p < 0.05), which were common among migraineurs. In consideration of relieving factors of pain, different maneuvers were commonly tried by migraineurs and significant difference were observed for both analgesic drug and massage (p < 0.05), which relieved migraine headache. But maneuvers like sleep, rest and posture were used by both groups. CONCLUSION: The most frequent precipitating factors for headache appear to be identical for both migraine and TTH patients. Even though some factors like fatigue, sleep deprivation, sunlight and food significantly precipitate migraine and drug, massage are effective maneuver for relieving pain among migrianeurs.