ABSTRACT
The clinical data of 4 patients with atypical neurosyphilis (NS) mimicking viral encephalitis (VE) admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital from July 2015 to January 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. All the 4 patients were males with an average age of (43±8) years. The patients manifested with mental and behavior disorders and cognitive impairment. Three patients had epilepsy and 1 patient had fever. The treponemal pallidum particle agglutination (TPPA) , fluorescent treponemal antibody-absorption test (FTA-ABS) -IgG and toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST) were all positive in blood and the cerebral spinal fluid (CSF) , and white blood cell count and protein level in CSF were all evaluated. The head MRIs were all abnormal, 3 of which showed hyperintensity in fluid attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted image located in limbic system and 1 showed hyperintensity in the bilateral cortex and the subcortical areas. All patients improved evidently and the lesions became smaller after penicillin treatment. Atypical NS mimicking VE is rare, and at early diagnosis and timely treatments can contribute to a good clinical prognosis.
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The clinical manifestations,serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) results,EEG and imaging findings of 4 cases of encephalitis with positive leucine-rich glioma inactivated protein 1 (LGI1)antibody admited from March 2017 to January 2019 were retrospectively analyzed.All 4 patients were males with a mean age of (42±17) years.Two patients had faciobrachial dystonic seizure(FBDS)as the main symptom,and 3 patients had epilepsy.There were normal blood sodium and no memory deficits in all 4 patients.The LGI1 antibody was positive in the serum and negative in the CSE.The longest diagnosis time was 5 months.The head MRIs were normal in 3 patients;and abnormal signals in the right basal ganglia were found in one case,and the lesicl became smaller after the treatment.Chest CT,abdominal CT,and pelvic CT did not detect tumors.All patients were treated with gamma globulin and glucocorticoids,they all had good prognosis.LGI1 antibody-positive encephalitis is mainly characterized by epilepsy. ldentifying FBDS would be helpful for early diagnosis.Timely treatments often result in good clinical prognosis.
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Objective:To investigate the characteristics of Parkinson's disease (PD)combined with orthostatic hypotension (OH)and the impact of the condition on cognitive function.Methods:A total of 210 PD patients admitted to Beijing Tiantan Hospital were consecutively enrolled.Demographic data and clinical characteristics were recorded.Patients were divided into the PD with OH (PD-OH)group and the PD without OH (PD-NOH)group based on blood pressure values measured in both the supine and upright positions.Cognitive function of PD patients was evaluated using the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE)and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA)scales.Results:Of 210 PD patients, 68 (32.4%)had OH.Patients in the PD-OH group had a higher mean age (69.7±8.9 years vs.62.1±11.3 years), longer disease duration [5.0 (3.0-8.0)years vs.4.0 (2.0-6.0)years], a higher incidence of diabetes (30.9% vs.17.4%), higher levels of fasting blood glucose (5.3±1.1 mmol/L vs.5.0±1.0 mmol/L)and glycated hemoglobin A1c (6.1±0.9% vs.5.7±0.7%), and more advanced Hoehn-Yahr staging [stage 2.5 (2.0-3.0) vs.stage 2.0 (1.5-2.5)]than the PD-NOH group ( P<0.05). The total scores of the MMSE and MoCA scales were lower in the PD-OH group than in the PD-NOH group (25.1±4.9 scores vs.26.8±4.0 scores, 19.4±5.4 scores vs.21.4±5.3 scores, P<0.05). A comparison of each cognitive domain of the MMSE scale between the two groups revealed that the scores of attention and calculation (3.7±1.7 scores vs.4.2±1.3 scores), delayed recall (2.1±1.0 scores vs.2.5±0.8 scores)and visuospatial ability (0.6±0.5 scores vs.0.7±0.5 scores)were lower in the PD-OH group than in the PD-NOH group ( P<0.05). A comparison of each cognitive domain of the MoCA scale between the two groups displayed that the scores of visuospatial and executive function (2.4±1.6 scores vs.2.9±1.7 scores)and delayed recall (1.3±1.4 scores vs.2.3±1.6 scores)were lower in the PD-OH group than in the PD-NOH group ( P<0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed that age ( OR=1.061, 95% CI: 1.022-1.102, P=0.002)and score of delayed recall of the MoCA scale ( OR=0.690, 95% CI: 0.498-0.955, P=0.025)were independent related factors for PD-OH. Conclusions:Compared with patients without OH, PD-OH patients are older and have a longer duration, increased disease severity, and a higher incidence of and more serious diabetes mellitus.Age is an independent related factor for PD-OH.Cognitive function is significantly impaired in PD-OH patients, and delayed recall is an independent related factor for PD-OH.
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Objective To analyze the clinical characteristics of cerebral syphilitic gunma.Method The clinical characteristics,brain CT and MRI results and prognosis of 7 patients with cerebral syphilitic gumma admitted in Beijing Ditan Hospital from June 2012 to October 2016 were retrospectively analyzed.Results There were 5 females and 2 males in 7 patients.The symptoms or signs at onset were headache (n =5),increased white blood cells in cerebrospinal fluid (n =6) and increased protein contents in cerebrospinal fluid (n =6).Total 10 lesions were detected in 7 cases,including 7 in cerebral lobe,and 3 in cerebellum,corpus callosum or intercrural space.The brain MRI showed nodular reinforcement in 5 cases,irregular circular reinforcement in 2 cases and obvious edema around the lesions in 6 cases.The patients were given intravenous infusion of 400 million units common penicillin,q.4h for 2 wks,sequential intramuscular injection of 240 million units long-term penicillin q.w for 3 wks.Among 7 patients,1 case died,1 case showed symptomatic improvement and 5 cases obtained complete improvement with the significant imaging improvement.Conclusion Headache is the most common symptom at onset of cerebral syphilitic gumma,and the lesions mostly are located in the cerebral lobes with nodular enhancement in brain imaging,and the prognosis is generally good.
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Objective To investigate the role and neuroinflammatory mechanism of iron on dopamine ( DA) neurons in multiple primary midbrain cultures that mimic human substantia nigra pars compacta.Methods Ferrous chloride ( Fe2+ ) with the desired concentrations of 5,25 and 100 μmol/L was used to ( 1 ) treat primary midbrain neuron-microglia-astroglia cultures for 7 days and the numbers of DA neurons and total neurons were counted after tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) and neuron-specific neuclear protein neurons in 5,25 and 100 μmol/L Fe2 + -treated groups were 89%,70% and 55% of control group,and 25,100 μmol/L Fe2+ significantly decreased DA neuronal numbers compared with control group ( F = 12.047,P ＜0.01);DA neuronal bodies were shrunk and smaller,cytoplasmic stainings were reduced,neuronal dendrites were decreased;(2) The numbers of Neu-N ( + ) total neurons in 5,25 and 100 μmol/L Fe2+-treated groups were 100%,104% and 101% of control group and Fe2+ did not decrease DA neuronal numbers compared with control group (t =4.458,P ＞ 0.05 );5,25 and 100 μmol/L Fe2+-induced difference between total neurons and DA neurons were 11%,34% and 46%,and 25 and 100 (Amol/L Fe2+ produced significant difference(t =8.098,P ＜0.05;t = 11.218,P＜0.05);(3) In primary midbrain neuron-microglia-astroglia and neuron-astroglia cultures,the numbers of DA neurons in 25 μmol/L Fe+-treated group were 70% and 98% of control group,respectively.The difference between two groups was 28%,which was statistically significant (t =8.061,P＜0.05);The numbers of DA neurons in 100 μmol/L groups were 183%,190 % and 240% of control group,and 25 and 100 μmol/L Fe2 + significantly increased microglial numbers compared with control group ( F = 6.101,P ＜ 0.01 );dramatic changes of microglial morphology were indicated by the enlarged cell bodies and irregular shape.Conclusions Fe2 + provokes selective DA neuronal damage and microglia are the mediators of the neurotoxic effect,which may be due to microglial over-activation featured by the significant production of neurotoxic factors and morphological changes of microglia.This investigation cast a new light for PD therapy by inhibiting Fe2+ -induced neuroinflammation characterized by the microglial over-activation.