Ganglioglioma revealed by spontaneous intracerebral hematoma: A cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Gangliogliomas are rare tumors of the central nervous system. Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a frequent pathological event, rarely related to intracranial tumor. Here we report a cohort of 14 gangliogliomas, 3 of which were revealed by ICH. We also performed a systematic review of the literature on gangliogliomas revealed by ICH. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively collected data for all gangliogliomas operated on in our department between January 2015 and December 2019: clinical history, radiological data and outcome, with a special focus on gangliogliomas revealed by spontaneous ICH. All cases had pathological validation. For the systematic review, relevant studies were identified by systematic search of the scientific literature in PubMed. RESULTS: Fifteen patients underwent surgery for ganglioglioma during the study period. Six cases were revealed by seizures, 3 by headache, 1 by hydrocephaly and 1 by developmental disorder. Three patients (21%) had hemorrhagic presentation. All patients were male, aged 30 to 48 years, diagnosed with atypical ICH without vascular abnormality on cerebral angiogram. Conservative management was first decided. Diagnosis of ganglioglioma was made within 3 months for 2 patients and 9 years later for 1, after surgical removal and histological analysis. All hemorrhagic gangliogliomas were BRAF wild type. The systematic review of the literature identified 8 other cases of ganglioglioma revealed by ICH. CONCLUSION: ICH may be a mode of revelation of ganglioglioma, and ganglioglioma is a possible etiology of atypical ICH in young patients. Long-term imaging follow-up is mandatory in patients with unexplained ICH.

Quality of life issues for fibromyalgia patients.

OBJECTIVE: To collect information from patients with fibromyalgia syndrome (FMS) in regard to quality of life, impact of FMS, coping strategies, and what they want from their health care providers. METHODS: Two hundred seventy support group members in Washington, Illinois, and Pennsylvania completed an 85-item questionnaire. RESULTS: On a scale from 1 to 10 (10 being highest positive rating), patients ranked past quality of life as 8.6, present quality of life as 4.8, and future quality of life without FMS as 9.2. Respondents indicated that FMS has had a negative impact on personal relationships, career, and mental health. Many also reported a lack of social support. Most respondents reported a variety of coping responses including talking to friends, praying, exercise, hobbies, relaxation techniques, talking to a professional, and meditation. Patients reported needing more support, better educated health professionals, for people to believe that this disease exists, more funding for research, and better diagnostic tools. CONCLUSIONS: Health care workers need to be cognizant of the effect FMS has on quality of life. Treatment options should not be limited to prescription medication therapy. Patients are using a variety of methods to cope with their FMS symptoms, some positive, but others that are negative, and health care providers need to be alert to negative coping strategies such as alcohol and nonprescription medication abuse.

Sexual behaviors and safer sex practices of college students on a commuter campus.

The sexual behaviors and safer sex practices of college students at a midwestern commuter university are described. Responses from a student sample of 1,919 indicated that slightly more than 10% used condoms consistently. The most frequently cited reasons for not using condoms were monogamy (83%) and preferring other forms of birth control (31%). The leading reason for consistent condom use was fear of HIV infection (72%). Approximately 75% indicated they talked with their sexual partners about HIV prevention; women reported communicating significantly more often than men did (p < 0.0001). Seventy percent of the sample reported they had only one sexual partner during the past year. Students who had multiple partners during the past year were more likely to practice such unsafe sexual practices as not using condoms and not communicating about HIV prevention. Unsafe sexual practices occur on nontraditional university campuses just as frequently as they do on more traditional campuses, thus supporting the need for HIV prevention programs on every college and university campus.

PIP: Findings are presented from the survey of sexual behavior among 1919 students at a midwestern commuter university. Respondents were 18-57 years old, with 85.1% under age 30 years. 80.7% were White, 13.6% Black, 75.4% single, 20.8% married, and 97.3% self-reported heterosexual. 16% reported not having had sex in the past year, while 40% reported having sex at least once per week. 68.2% of the sexually active students reported being in monogamous relationships, and 15% reported having had at least 3 sex partners in the past year. Half of the sexually active students reported never using a condom, while 10.7% reported the consistent use of condoms during sexual intercourse. The most frequently cited reasons for not using condoms were monogamy (83%) and the preference of other forms of birth control (31%). The main reason for consistent condom use was fear of HIV infection (72%). Approximately 75% of respondents indicated that they discussed HIV prevention with their sex partners, with women reporting such partner communication significantly more often than men did. Students with multiple partners in the past year were more likely to practice unsafe sexual practices such as not using condoms and not communicating about HIV prevention. These findings suggest that risky sexual behavior occurs on both nontraditional and traditional university campuses.