From disease to noninvasive intracranial monitoring / Da doença ao monitoramento intracraniano não invasivo

ABSTRACT Professor Sérgio Mascarenhas was a Brazilian researcher with a vast legacy. His work paved the way for new research possibilities by consolidating the use of innovation and transdisciplinary science. In Medicine, he proposed changes to what had previously been well-accepted concepts, and his contributions have influenced medical practices. Although many authors consider intracranial pressure (ICP) as an unrivaled variable for monitoring and diagnosis of many diseases, its clinical applicability is still the subject of debate in the literature because of the difficulty in standardizing protocols. Mascarenhas's research and the creation of a device for noninvasive monitoring of intracranial compliance are discussed and are shown to have led to the creation of Brain4care, a start-up, and a new perspective on the debate on ICP monitoring.

RESUMO O professor Sérgio Mascarenhas foi um pesquisador com vasto legado. Seu trabalho abriu caminho para novas possibilidades de pesquisa, consolidando o uso da inovação e da ciência transdisciplinar. Na Medicina, ele propôs mudanças no que antes eram conceitos bem-aceitos, e suas contribuições influenciaram a prática médica. Embora muitos autores considerem a pressão intracraniana (PIC) uma variável incomparável para o monitoramento e o diagnóstico de uma série de doenças, sua aplicabilidade clínica ainda é motivo de debate na literatura pela dificuldade de padronização de protocolos. A pesquisa do Professor Mascarenhas e a criação de um dispositivo para o monitoramento não invasivo da complacência intracraniana levaram à criação do Brain4care, uma start-up, e a uma nova perspectiva sobre o debate do monitoramento da PIC.

From disease to noninvasive intracranial monitoring.

Professor Sérgio Mascarenhas was a Brazilian researcher with a vast legacy. His work paved the way for new research possibilities by consolidating the use of innovation and transdisciplinary science. In Medicine, he proposed changes to what had previously been well-accepted concepts, and his contributions have influenced medical practices. Although many authors consider intracranial pressure (ICP) as an unrivaled variable for monitoring and diagnosis of many diseases, its clinical applicability is still the subject of debate in the literature because of the difficulty in standardizing protocols. Mascarenhas's research and the creation of a device for noninvasive monitoring of intracranial compliance are discussed and are shown to have led to the creation of Brain4care, a start-up, and a new perspective on the debate on ICP monitoring.

Phenotypic and genotypic aspects of Townes-Brock syndrome: case report of patient in southern Brazil with a new SALL1 hotspot region nonsense mutation.

BACKGROUND: Townes-Brocks syndrome (TBS) is a rare autosomal dominant condition characterized by renal, anal, limb, and auditory abnormalities. TBS diagnosis can be challenging in settings where genetic analysis is not readily available. TBS traits overlap with those of Goldenhar and VACTERL syndromes. CASE PRESENTATION: Here, we present the case of a 5-year-old Brazilian boy born with an anorectal abnormality, limb and external ears malformations, genitourinary anomalies, and a congenital heart defect. Genetic analysis revealed a SALL1 nonsense mutation. The case is discussed in the context of the current literature. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the variability in TBS clinical presentation, genetic analysis is key to the differential diagnosis of TBS relative to phenotypically similar syndromes.

Nonneurological Involvement in Late-Onset Friedreich Ataxia (LOFA): Exploring the Phenotypes.

Friedreich's ataxia (FDRA) is the most common inherited ataxia worldwide, caused by homozygous GAA expansions in the FXN gene. Patients usually have early onset ataxia, areflexia, Babinski sign, scoliosis and pes cavus, but at least 25 % of cases have atypical phenotypes. Disease begins after the age of 25 in occasional patients (late-onset Friedreich ataxia (LOFA)). Little is known about the frequency and clinical profile of LOFA patients. One hundred six patients with molecular confirmation of FDRA and followed in three Brazilian outpatient centers were enrolled. General demographics, GAA expansion size, age at onset, cardiac, endocrine, and skeletal manifestations were evaluated and compared between LOFA and classic FDRA (cFDRA) groups. We used Mann-Whitney and Fisher tests to compare means and proportions between groups; p values <0.05 were considered significant. LOFA accounted for 17 % (18/106) and cFDRA for 83 % (88/106) of the patients. There were 13 and 48 women in each group, respectively. LOFA patients were significantly older and had smaller GAA expansions. Clinically, LOFA group had a tendency toward lower frequency of diabetes/impaired glucose tolerance (5.8 vs. 17 %, p = 0.29) and cardiomyopathy (16.6 vs. 28.4 %, p = 0.38). Skeletal abnormalities were significantly less frequent in LOFA (scoliosis 22 vs. 61 %, p = 0.003, and pes cavus 22 vs.75 %, p < 0.001) as were spasticity and sustained reflexes, found in 22 % of LOFA patients but in none of the cFDRA patients (p = 0.001). LOFA accounts for 17 % of Brazilian FDRA patients evaluated herein. Clinically, orthopedic features and spasticity with retained reflexes are helpful tips to differentiate LOFA from cFDRA patients.

Diffusion tensor imaging and tract-based spatial statistics analysis in Friedreich's ataxia patients.

INTRODUCTION: Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) is the most common hereditary ataxia and thinning of the cervical spinal cord is a consistent observation in Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), although neuropathological examination in FRDA reveals neuronal loss in gray matter (GM) nuclei and degeneration of white matter (WM) tracts in the spinal cord, brainstem and cerebellum. Using diffusion-tensor (DTI) imaging and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) we tested the hypothesis that WM damage in FRDA is more extensive than previously described and probably involves normal-appearing WM. METHODS: This transversal study included 21 genetically confirmed FRDA patients and seventeen healthy controls that underwent structural MRI of the brain on a 1.5 T scanner. We quantify the severity of ataxia using SARA scale. DTI was performed and diffusion data were analyzed using FMRIB's Diffusion Toolbox in FSL 4.1 in order to identify Fractional anisotropy (FA) decreases in specific brain regions and also the mean, radial and axial diffusivities (MD, RD, AD). RESULTS: The greatest decreases in FA were in the left superior cerebellar peduncle, left posterior thalamic radiation, major forceps, left inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus and corpus callosum and had a significance level of p < 0.01. No significant correlation between FA, AD, MD and RD values and the clinical findings, SARA scores and genetic expansion was found. CONCLUSION: DTI and TBSS techniques clearly demonstrate the extensive cerebral and cerebellar involvement in FRDA, partially explaining the clinical phenotype of the disease. Further studies are needed with larger samples to correlate clinical, genetic findings and ataxia scores.

'Pseudo-Dominant' Inheritance in Friedreich's Ataxia: Clinical and Genetic Study of a Brazilian Family.

Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder characterized by progressive gait and limb ataxia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, limb muscular weakness, and areflexia with positive extensor plantar response. Loss of vibratory and position sense, skeletal abnormalities, and dysarthria are common comorbid features. The wide spectrum of disease may lead to a diagnostic challenge, and in such a scenario, the inheritance pattern might be a clue to diagnosis. A rare and peculiar pattern observed in some families is the pseudodominant pattern that is usually characterized by phenotypic variation, which, in turn, could make it even harder to get to a correct diagnosis. This pattern, although seemingly similar to a true dominant pattern of inheritance, should be kept in mind whenever one is evaluating a family with FA. We evaluated a Brazilian family of Italian ancestry with variation of phenotype among affected siblings.

Epilepsia mioclônica juvenil / Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy

A epilepsia mioclônica juvenil (EMJ) foi descrita por Janz e Christian em 1957, sendo inicialmente denominada "pequeno mal impulsivo". Atualmente é considerada a mais frequente das epilepsias generalizadas idiopáticas e é caracterizada, clinicamente, por três tipos distintos de crises epiléticas: crises mioclônicas, crises tônico-clônicas generalizadas e ausências. Corresponde a uma síndrome epilética idade-relacionada, com pico entre 12 e 14 anos, comprometendo ambos os sexos de forma semelhante. É uma síndrome geneticamente heterogênea e relacionada a mutações em diversos genes, como o GABRA1 (cromossomo 5q34-q35), o CACNB4 (cromossomo 2q22-q23), o CLCN2 (cromossomo 3q26) e o EFHC1 (cromossomo 6p12-p11). Os achados eletroencefalográficos também são heterogêneos, sendo observadas descargas de espícula, polispícula, espícula-onda ou polispícula-onda em projeção generalizada. Há diversos relatos de descargas focais no EEG destes pacientes. A fisiopatogenia da EMJ permanece não totalmente esclarecida, embora mutações nos canais de cloro, disfunções talâmicas e alterações nos receptores de serotonina estejam provavelmente implicadas. Evitar fatores desencadeantes, como privação de sono, uso abusivo de álcool e/ou café, estresse físico/emocional são parte fundamental do tratamento. O valproato de sódio é a droga de primeira linha no tratamento da EMJ, embora outras drogas antiepiléticas, como o clonazepam e a lamotrigina, já se tenham mostrado eficazes. Topiramato e zonisamide são consideradas promissoras no tratamento da EMJ, enquanto carbamazepina, oxcarbazepina, fenitoína, vigabatrina e gabapentina são contraindicadas...

Hematoma epidural espinal em paciente com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico / Spinal epidural hematoma in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus

O hematoma epidural espinal é uma entidade rara, com incidência estimada em 0,1/100.000 habitantes. As causas mais frequentes na infância são coagulopatias e malformações vasculares. Manifesta-se por dor de forte intensidade em região vertebral. O diagnóstico é confirmado pela ressonância nuclear magnética e sua localização mais frequente é cervical e cervicotorácica. O trabalho relata o caso de uma paciente do sexo feminino portadora de lúpus eritematoso sistêmico que evoluiu com hematoma epidural. O projeto de pesquisa foi avaliado e aprovado pelo Comitê de Ética em Pesquisa em Seres Humanos do Hospital Pequeno Príncipe, Curitiba, Paraná. Por tratar-se de entidade rara, é pouco lembrado pelos médicos como possível diagnóstico diferencial. Neurologistas infantis e pediatras em geral devem estar atentos para a possibilidade desse diagnóstico em crianças com sinais neurológicos de comprometimento da medula espinal.

Epileptic seizures and EEG features in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus.

INTRODUCTION: Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus is more incident in female affecting different systems including the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to check the incidence of seizures and electroencephalographic features in these patients. METHOD: It was analyzed all patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus referred to the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital in Curitiba, PR, Brazil, in the year of 2007. The patients were submitted to EEG and subdivided into two groups according to the presence or absence of epileptic seizures. Mann-Whitney statistical test was used. RESULTS: Forty-nine cases were included, there were 73.45% female, with an age between 3 and 28 years (micro=17.00 years; s=5.01 years). Seizures (13/26.50%) were the most frequent manifestation followed by headache (13/26.50%) and ischemic stroke (6/12.25%). Cerebral vasculites were the most frequent alteration in neuroimage. The abnormalities of EEG were characterized by asymmetry of the electric cerebral activity, diffuse disorganized background activity, focal epileptiform discharges in the right central-temporal region, generalized paroxysmal of 3 Hz spike-waves, and bursts of theta-delta slowness activity in the right parietal-occiptal region. The statistic analysis showed no significantly difference between age of onset of symptoms and the risk of seizures (p 0.675) as well as between time of the disease and the risk of seizures (p 0.436). CONCLUSION: Neurologic manifestations, in special epileptic seizures, are frequent in systemic lupus erythematosus. Age of onset of symptoms and the time of disease did not increase the risk of epileptic seizures in this disease.

Epileptic seizures and EEG features in juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus / Crises epilépticas e características do EEG em pacientes com lúpus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil

INTRODUCTION: Juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus is more incident in female affecting different systems including the central nervous system. The aim of this study was to check the incidence of seizures and electroencephalographic features in these patients. METHOD: It was analyzed all patients with juvenile systemic lupus erythematosus referred to the Pequeno Príncipe Hospital in Curitiba, PR, Brazil, in the year of 2007. The patients were submitted to EEG and subdivided into two groups according to the presence or absence of epileptic seizures. Mann-Whitney statistical test was used. RESULTS: Forty-nine cases were included, there were 73.45 percent female, with an age between 3 and 28 years (µ=17.00 years; s=5.01 years). Seizures (13/26.50 percent) were the most frequent manifestation followed by headache (13/26.50 percent) and ischemic stroke (6/12.25 percent). Cerebral vasculites were the most frequent alteration in neuroimage. The abnormalities of EEG were characterized by asymmetry of the electric cerebral activity, diffuse disorganized background activity, focal epileptiform discharges in the right central-temporal region, generalized paroxysmal of 3 Hz spike-waves, and bursts of theta-delta slowness activity in the right parietal-occiptal region. The statistic analysis showed no significantly difference between age of onset of symptoms and the risk of seizures (p 0.675) as well as between time of the disease and the risk of seizures (p 0.436). CONCLUSION: Neurologic manifestations, in special epileptic seizures, are frequent in systemic lupus erythematosus. Age of onset of symptoms and the time of disease did not increase the risk of epileptic seizures in this disease.

INTRODUÇÃO: Lupus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil é doença mais freqüente no sexo feminino afetando múltiplos sistemas, incluindo o sistema nervoso central. O objetivo deste estudo foi avaliar a incidência de crises epilépticas e de alterações eletrencefalográficas nestes pacientes. MÉTODO: Foram avaliados todos os pacientes com lupus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil encaminhados para o Hospital Pequeno Príncipe em Curitiba, PR, Brasil, no ano de 2007. Os pacientes foram submetidos a EEG e subdivididos em 2 grupos conforme a presença ou não de crises epilépticas. A análise foi realizada através do teste estatístico de Mann-Whitney. RESULTADOS: 49 casos foram incluídos, sendo 73,45 por cento do sexo feminino, com idade variando entre 3 e 28 anos (µ=17,00 anos; s=5,01 anos). Crises epilépticas (13/26,50 por cento) foram a manifestação neurológica mais freqüente, seguidas de cefaléia (13/26,50 por cento) e acidente vascular cerebral isquêmico (6/12,25 por cento). Vasculite cerebral foi a alteração de imagem mais freqüente. As alterações no EEG foram caracterizadas por assimetria da atividade elétrica cerebral, desorganização difusa da atividade de base, descargas epileptiformes na região centro-temporal direita, paroxismos generalizados de espícula-onda à 3 Hz e surtos de onda lenta na faixa delta-teta na região parieto-occipital direita. A análise estatística não demonstrou diferença significativa entre a idade de início dos sintomas e risco de crise epiléptica (p 0,675) e nem entre tempo de evolução da doença e risco de crise epiléptica (p 0,436). CONCLUSÃO: Manifestações neurológicas, particularmente crises epilépticas, são freqüentes no lupus eritematoso sistêmico juvenil. A idade de início dos sintomas e o tempo de duração da doença não aumentam o risco de crises epilépticas nesta doença.