[Psychopathological disorders and quality of life in patients with brain infarction]. / Trastornos psicopatológicos y calidad de vida en el infarto cerebral.

OBJECTIVES: To study the influence of various factors on the health related quality of life (HRQOL) of patients who have suffered a brain infarction (BI), with special attention to psychopathological disorders (PD). PATIENTS AND METHODS: Prospective observational study on 45 patients admitted due to a BI, evaluated at 4, 12 and 26 weeks of the acute event. Social and demographic data, and medical history were collected; the SF-36 scale was used for the assessment of HRQOL, and the Neuropsychiatric Inventory (NPI), MMSE, Canadian Neurological Scale, Modified Rankin Scale and other instruments for assessing psychopathological, cognitive, neurological and functional status. A linear regression analysis was performed to identify potential predictors of the SF-36 scores at 26 weeks, introducing, as independent variables, medical and psychiatric history, demographic characteristics and the functional, neuropsychological and psychopathological assessments at 4 weeks. RESULTS: Valid predictive models for all the SF-36 domains were obtained, in which a history of pre-morbid depression, higher scores in the NPI and Rankin Scale, and lowest in the Canadian Neurological Scale were the main predictors of a worse HRQOL in the long term. Psychopathology related caregiver's distress (assessed with the NPI) was associated with a lower score in the social function index. CONCLUSIONS: PDs and functional status were the main determinants of HRQOL in patients with BI.

Hemicrania continua evolving from episodic paroxysmal hemicrania.

A 45-year-old woman, who had been diagnosed in our unit with episodic paroxysmal hemicrania, was seen 2 years later for ipsilateral hemicrania continua in remitting form. Both types of headache had a complete response to indomethacin and did not occur simultaneously. The patient had a previous history of episodic moderate headaches that met criteria for probable migraine without aura and also had a family history of headache. The clinical course in this case suggests a pathogenic relationship between both types of primary headache.

[Neurobrucellosis: four case reports]. / Neurobrucelosis: presentación de cuatro casos.

INTRODUCTION: Brucellosis is a form of anthropozoonosis that is found the world over. It has a particularly high incidence rate in Spain, above all in rural areas such as Extremadura, Castile and Leon, Castile-La Mancha and Aragon, largely due to the consumption of non-pasteurised milk and cheese. Neurobrucellosis can be defined as a set of either early or late neurological complications caused by Brucella. It is difficult to determine its frequency, although it oscillates between 2-18% of all cases of brucellosis. CASE REPORTS: We report the cases of four patients diagnosed as having neurobrucellosis. The different presenting clinical symptoms, the complementary explorations, treatment and duration are all described. CONCLUSIONS: The clinical features of neurobrucellosis vary greatly and, in general, tend to be chronic. Many of the laboratory procedures usually employed in the diagnosis of brucellosis frequently give negative results. For these reasons, and because it is a disease that is both treatable and curable, the degree of suspicion must be high, especially in endemic areas, so that an early diagnosis can be made to allow suitable treatment to be established.

[Brain abscesses due to Listeria monocytogenes]. / Abscesos cerebrales por Listeria monocytogenes.

INTRODUCTION: Listeria monocytogenes is a gram-positive bacillus which causes sporadic infections in immunocompromised humans, with a special propensity for the central nervous system, in the form of acute, subacute or chronic meningitis, rhombencephalitis or abscesses in the brain or spinal cord. The final diagnosis is established by germ culture in blood or in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Preferred treatment is ampicillin in association with aminoglycosides. CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 70-year-old male patient with a history of arterial hypertension and chronic lymphatic leukaemia with no specific treatment, who suffered meningoencephalitis and brain abscesses caused by L. monocytogenes. Symptoms were a 48-hour history of headache and a febrile condition. The CSF showed lymphocytic pleocytosis with hypoglycorrhachia. Magnetic resonance scans of the brain revealed areas of cerebritis and multiple brain abscesses in the right frontal lobe. Specific treatment was established with ampicillin for 13 weeks, associated with gentamicin and vancomycin during the first few weeks, until x-rays showed the lesions to be resolved. CONCLUSIONS: L. monocytogenes infections must be investigated in all patients with cellular immunosuppression who present febrile symptoms. The central nervous system may be the only area of the body infected. Moreover, this site will need studying in patients who present neurological focus data or an alteration in the state of consciousness and bacteraemia due to L. monocytogenes. Establishing suitable treatment as early as possible can improve the prognosis.

[A relapse of multiple sclerosis manifesting as acute delirium]. / Trastorno delirante agudo como manifestación de un brote de esclerosis múltiple.

Psychotic symptoms are infrequent in multiple sclerosis (MS) and their relationship to cerebral lesions has not been clearly documented. The case of a 58 year old woman with secondary progressive MS is presented. She had acute delirium with persecutory delusions associated to paresis of her left leg. Magnetic resonance imaging of the brain disclosed an active lesion in the left hippocampus. The patient was treated with risperidone and megadoses of methylprednisolone, with dramatic improvement. Clinical and radiological data in this patient suggest that psychotic disorders can be symptomatic of a relapse in MS and, therefore, susceptible to be treated with steroids.

[Hydrocepahlia and subarachnoid cyst due to neurocysticercosis. A new case from rural Extremadura]. / Hidrocefalia y quiste subaracnoideo por neurocisticercosis. Un nuevo caso en una zona rural de Extremadura.

INTRODUCTION: Neurocystercicosis (NCC) is a disorder caused by the Taenia solium larva. It is the commonest parasitosis of the CNS. In Spain most patients are from countries where the condition is endemic. However, sporadic cases still occur amongst the non immigrant population of rural regions. We report a new case of NCC from the Valle del Jerte in rural Extremadura. CASE REPORT: A 51 year old man presented with intellectual impairment, motor aphasia, apraxia, right hemiparesia and sphincter incontinence for the past six months. On cranial CAT and MR hydorcephalia was seen together with a subarachnoid cyst in the left Sylvan fissure. Serology was positive for cysticercosis in both plasma and CSF. The patient was treated with albendazol after insertion of a ventriculo peritoneal shunt. Three months later there was both clinical and radiological improvement. CONCLUSION: NCC is still a condition which must be included in the differential diagnosis of patients in Spain who present with CNS involvement and cystic lesions on neuro imaging investigations, even when they are not from countries where the disease is endemic. Treatment with albendazol and steroids given after insertion of a ventriculo peritoneal shunt was effective in our patient.