Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome: Case series and review of the literature. / Síndrome de leucoencefalopatía posterior reversible: serie de casos y revisión de la literatura.

OBJECTIVE: To describe clinical manifestations, antecedents, comorbidities and associated treatments, imaging findings, and follow-up in patients with posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome. METHODS: A retrospective, descriptive analysis of admitted patients was performed between June 2009 and May 2014 in a third-level care hospital. We evaluated age, sex, comorbidities, symptoms, values of blood pressure at admission, renal function, medication and time elapsed until the disappearance of symptoms. RESULTS: Thirteen patients were included. In all, 77% of them had a history of hypertension at baseline and 85% had impaired renal function. The most prevalent comorbidity was renal transplantation, and 85% had deterioration of renal function. Five of the patients had undergone renal transplantation. The most common clinical manifestation was seizures. All had subcortical lesions and bilateral parietooccipital involvement was the finding most frequently observed. CONCLUSION: This syndrome should be taken into account in the differential diagnoses of patients presenting with acute neurological syndromes and the abovementioned risk factors.

Características polisomnográficas nocturnas y otras variables relacionadas, en pacientes adultos mayores / Nocturnal polysomnbnographic characteristics and other related variables in elderly patients

Se cree que los ancianos necesitan dormir menos. Sin embargo, no es la necesidad de sueño sino la capacidad de dormir lo que disminuye con la edad, en paralelo a la mayor prevalencia de enfermedades cardiovasculares o metabólicas, o de depresión. Poco se ha descripto sobre los hallazgos polisomnográficos de esta población. En el presente estudio analizamos los hallazgos polisomnográficos en pacientes mayores de 65 años. Se realizó un estudio descriptivo a partir del análisis de una base de datos de 551 pacientes mayores de 65 años evaluados entre junio de 2013 y diciembre de 2014. Todos los sujetos se realizaron una polisomnografía (PSG) nocturna de 6 horas de duración. Las variables analizadas fueron: latencia de sueño (LS), eficacia de sueño (ES), latencia de fase REM (Lat R), % de R, índice de apneas hipopneas (IHA) y movimientos periódicos de piernas durante el sueño (PLMS). Se dividió la población en 3 grupos: G1: de 65 a 70 años; G2: 71 a 75; G3: mayor de 75 años. Se analizaron los datos de la serie general y las diferencias intergrupos. El IHA se incrementó con la edad y resultó más severo en los pacientes mayores de 75 años en relación con el grupo de menor edad. El incremento del IAH no se asoció a un incremento del índice de masa corporal ni a mayor somnolencia diurna. (AU)

It is believed that the elderly need less sleep. However, it is not the need for sleep but the ability to sleep that decreases with age, in parallel to the increasing prevalence of cardiovascular or metabolic disease, or depression. Little has been described about the polysomnographic findings of this population, hypothesizing that there are several alterations that prematurely corrected could improve the quality of life as the years go by. We analyzed the polysomnographic findings in patients over 65 years of age. A descriptive study was carried out based on the analyses of a database of 551 patients over 65 years of age evaluated between June 2013 to December 2014. All subjects underwent nocturnal PSG of 6 hours duration. The polysomnographic variables analyzed were: sleep latency (LS), sleep efficiency (ES), latency R phase (Lat R), % R, Apneas Hypoapneas Index (AHI) and Periodic Limb Movements of Sleep (PLMS). The population was divided into 3 groups: G1: from 65 to 70 years G2: 71 to 75, G3 greater than 75. AHI increased with age, being more severe in patients over 75 years of age in relation to the younger age group. The increase in AHI was not associated with an increase in Body Mass Index (BMI) or greater daytime sleepiness. (AU)

[Stroke. are there any difference between patients with or without patent foramen ovale in left atrial appendage systolic function?]. / Accidente cerebrovascular. ¿existen diferencias en la funcion sistolica de la orejuela de la auricula izquierda entre pacientes con y sin foramen oval permeable?

INTRODUCTION: The aim of this study was to evaluate the systolic function of the left atrial appendage (LAA) in a group with and without patent foramen ovale (PFO) who suffered ischemic cerebrovascular events. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between September 2010 and October 2011, 17 patients were referred for transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) after suffering a stroke. PFO was defined as the passage of at least one bubble through atrial septum with bubble test. We compared systolic velocity in the appendage between patients with and without PFO and a control group. RESULTS: Were 8 women and 9 men, mean age 54.1 ± 19.5 years and 8 patients were under 55 years of age. All patients had suffered a ischemic cerebrovascular events, 41.2% had stroke, 52.9% transient ischemic attack and amaurosis fugax 5.9%. In the assessment of TEE, 11.8% had atrial septal aneurysm and 35.3% PFO. Mean LAA systolic velocity was 66.3 ± 20.3 cm / sec. There was no difference in systolic velocity of the LAA between patients with and without PFO (67.5 ± 11.8 cm / sec vs 65.7 ± 24.3 cm / sec respectively, p = 0.87). The control group of 8 patients, 5 women and 3 men, mean age 39.5 ± 18 years, had a LAA systolic velocity of 77.6 ± 28.9 cm / sec, no significant differences with ischemic patients. CONCLUSION: There were no differences in systolic function of the LAA between patients with and without PFO with ischemic cerebrovascular event.

Introducción: El objetivo del presente trabajo fue comparar la función sistólica de la orejuela de la aurícula izquierda (OAI) en un grupo de pacientes con y sin foramen oval permeable (FOP) quienes sufrieron eventos cerebrovasculares isquémicos. Material y métodos: Entre septiembre de 2010 y octubre de 2011, 17 pacientes fueron enviados para la realización de un ecocardiograma transesofágico (ETE) por haber sufrido un accidente cerebrovascular (ACV). Se definió FOP al pasaje de al menos una burbuja a través del septum interauricular con test de burbujas. Se comparó la velocidad sistólica en la orejuela entre los pacientes con y sin FOP y con un grupo control. Resultados: Fueron 8 mujeres y 9 hombres, con una edad media de 54,1 ± 19,5 años. Todos los pacientes habían sufrido un evento cerebrovascular isquémico, el 41,2% habían tenido ACV, el 52,9% crisis isquémica transitoria y el 5,9% amaurosis fugaz. En la evaluación con ETE, el 11,8% tuvo aneurisma del septum interauricular y el 35,3% FOP. La velocidad sistólica media de la OAI fue 66,3 ± 20,3 cm/seg. No hubo diferencia en la velocidad sistólica de la OAI entre pacientes con o sin FOP (67,5 ± 11,8 cm/seg vs 65,7 ± 24,3 cm/seg respectivamente, p= 0,87). El grupo control compuesto por 8 pacientes, 5 mujeres y 3 hombres, con una edad media de 39,5 ± 18 años, tuvo una velocidad sistólica de la OAI de 77,6 ± 28,9 cm/seg, sin diferencias significativas con los pacientes isquémicos. Conclusión: No hubo diferencias en la función sistólica de la OAI entre pacientes con y sin FOP con eventos cerebrovasculares isquemicos.

Trastornos respiratorios durante el sueño y riesgo de accidentes cerebrovascular: valor del indice de disturbios respiratorio y de la hipoxemia nocturna como predictores de morbilidad cerebrovascular / Respiratory disorders during the dream and cerebro-vascular risk of accidents: value of the respiratory index of disturbances and of the night hipoxemia as(like) predictores of cerebro-vascular morbidity

El sindrome de apnea obstructiva del sueño (SAOA) es un desorden común, caracterizado por colapso repetitivo de la via aérea durante el sueño, que afecta al menos al 4 por ciento de los hombres y al 2 por ciento de las mujeres de edad adulta. Estudios previos han sugerido que el SAOS podría ser un importante factor de riesgo electrofisiológicas asociadas al trastorno respiratorio podría determinar un ritmo circadiano en el inicio del ACV e incrementar el riego de muerte de súbita, especialmente durante el sueño. El tratamiento con presión positiva continua ambulatoria (CPAP) en la vía aérea, es considerado en la actualidad como el tratamiento de elección de esta patología. A pesar de los estudios realizados a la fecha, el efecto del SAOS como un factor de riesgo para ACV y el potencial efecto protector de su tratamiento con CPAP aún no ha sido estudiado en población Latinoamericana. El objetivo de este trabajo fue determiar si el SAOS es un factor de riesgo independiente para ACV. Se analizó la evolución de 451 pacientes consecutivos adultos de ambos sexos, los que fueron evaluados previamente por polisomnografia nocturna con oximetria incluyéndose en el protocolo de estudio el análisis de diferentes factores de riesgo conocidos de ACV

[Inclusion body myositis. Report of 4 cases]. / Miositis por cuerpos de inclusión. Comunicación de cuatro casos.

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a primary inflammatory myopathy characterized by an older age at presentation. We describe four IBM cases fulfilling Mendell's diagnostic criteria. All patients were older than 60 years at diagnosis and the mean length of time from onset to diagnosis was 5.7 years. Two of them complained of leg weakness with unsteady gait and the other two, of upper limb weakness. Three patients had dysphagia, one of them had diaphragmatic paralysis and another had bilateral blepharoptosis. Histological sections of the muscle biopsy showed mononuclear cell invasion of nonnecrotic muscle fibers, rimmed vacuoles, intracellular amyloid deposits and 16-21 nm tubulofilaments by electron microscopy. Mitochondrial anomalies were found in two cases. Only one patient had transient response to steroid therapy. Our serie shows that clinical presentation of inclusion body myositis includes a broader spectrum than the classical description.

Miositis por cuerpos de inclusion: comunicacion de cuatro casos / Inclusion body myositis. Report of 4 cases

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a primary inflammatory myopathy characterized by an older age at presentation. We describe four IBM cases fulfilling Mendell's diagnostic criteria. All patients were older than 60 years at diagnosis and the mean length of time from onset to diagnosis was 5.7 years. Two of them complained of leg weakness with unsteady gait and the other two, of upper limb weakness. Three patients had dysphagia, one of them had diaphragmatic paralysis and another had bilateral blepharoptosis. Histological sections of the muscle biopsy showed mononuclear cell invasion of nonnecrotic muscle fibers, rimmed vacuoles, intracellular amyloid deposits and 16-21 nm tubulofilaments by electron microscopy. Mitochondrial anomalies were found in two cases. Only one patient had transient response to steroid therapy. Our serie shows that clinical presentation of inclusion body myositis includes a broader spectrum than the classical description.

Miositis por cuerpos de inclusión. Comunicación de cuatro casos. / [Inclusion body myositis. Report of 4 cases]

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a primary inflammatory myopathy characterized by an older age at presentation. We describe four IBM cases fulfilling Mendells diagnostic criteria. All patients were older than 60 years at diagnosis and the mean length of time from onset to diagnosis was 5.7 years. Two of them complained of leg weakness with unsteady gait and the other two, of upper limb weakness. Three patients had dysphagia, one of them had diaphragmatic paralysis and another had bilateral blepharoptosis. Histological sections of the muscle biopsy showed mononuclear cell invasion of nonnecrotic muscle fibers, rimmed vacuoles, intracellular amyloid deposits and 16-21 nm tubulofilaments by electron microscopy. Mitochondrial anomalies were found in two cases. Only one patient had transient response to steroid therapy. Our serie shows that clinical presentation of inclusion body myositis includes a broader spectrum than the classical description.

Miositis por cuerpos de inclusion: comunicacion de cuatro casos / Inclusion body myositis. Report of 4 cases

Inclusion body myositis (IBM) is a primary inflammatory myopathy characterized by an older age at presentation. We describe four IBM cases fulfilling Mendells diagnostic criteria. All patients were older than 60 years at diagnosis and the mean length of time from onset to diagnosis was 5.7 years. Two of them complained of leg weakness with unsteady gait and the other two, of upper limb weakness. Three patients had dysphagia, one of them had diaphragmatic paralysis and another had bilateral blepharoptosis. Histological sections of the muscle biopsy showed mononuclear cell invasion of nonnecrotic muscle fibers, rimmed vacuoles, intracellular amyloid deposits and 16-21 nm tubulofilaments by electron microscopy. Mitochondrial anomalies were found in two cases. Only one patient had transient response to steroid therapy. Our serie shows that clinical presentation of inclusion body myositis includes a broader spectrum than the classical description. (AU)