Subretinal neovascularization associated with retinochoroidal coloboma.

PURPOSE: To report a case of subretinal neovascularization associated with retinochoroidal coloboma. METHODS AND RESULTS: A 44-year-old female presented with metamorphopsia in her right eye for 4 weeks. Funduscopic examination revealed bilateral inferior retinochoroidal coloboma. Fluorescein angiography disclosed foci of subretinal neovascularization at the margin between the colobomatous defect and the normal-appearing retina. Five month later, multiple small areas of subretinal hemorrhages were noted. The hemorrhage was gradually absorbed. Six years after initial presentation, subretinal hemorrhage did not recur and her right VA was 0.2. CONCLUSIONS: Ophthalmologists should be aware of this rare but important complication of retinochoroidal coloboma.

A pilot study on benign partial epilepsy in children with complex partial seizures.

In a review of 145 children with partial onset epilepsy, the authors were able to determine a focus of children whose complex partial seizures (CPS) ran a benign course, who had no identifiable lesion on scanning and whose EEG focus was not fixed, but tended to shift. The authors suggest that a benign form of CPS in children can be recognised.

Transient seizure remission in intractable localization-related epilepsy.

We sought to elucidate the clinical features of transient seizure remission in intractable cryptogenic or symptomatic localization-related epilepsy of childhood onset. Transient seizure remission has been reported to occur in mesial temporal sclerosis or focal cortical dysplasia, but few reports have focused on this phenomenon. We retrospectively scrutinized the temporal profiles of seizure frequency of 99 patients with intractable localization-related epilepsy by reviewing their medical charts. Ten patients (10%) had transient seizure remissions that lasted for 2 years or longer. When an appropriate antiepileptic agent was administered, seizure remission occurred within 1-18 months. Without any triggering factors, the seizures recurred abruptly in seven patients and gradually in three. Epileptiform discharges on electroencephalography disappeared during the transient remission in seven patients and reappeared in five of them after recurrence. After recurrence, no antiepileptic agent was able to control the seizures. In comparison with those without transient seizure remission, these 10 patients tended to have normal intelligence and a positive family history for epilepsy. Transient seizure remission occurs in a variety of pathologic changes and may be a result of an interaction between the progressive nature of some types of epileptogenic foci and an effect of the antiepileptic drugs.

MRI findings in patients with symptomatic localization-related epilepsies beginning in infancy and early childhood.

We studied MRI findings in patients with symptomatic localization-related epilepsy (S-LRE) beginning in infancy and early childhood and their relation to some clinical features. MRI findings were investigated in 183 patients with S-LRE beginning before 6 years of age. S-LRE was defined as an epileptic syndrome manifesting with only partial seizures at least for a certain period during the clinical course, having specific neuroimaging abnormalities considered to be related to epileptic seizures, moderate or severe mental retardation, or cerebral palsy. The timing of injury was divided into the following four groups; prenatal, perinatal, postnatal and unknown. It was presumed prenatal in 56 patients (31%), perinatal in 25 (14%), postnatal in 32 (18%) and unknown in 70 (38%). The median age at the onset of partial seizures was 24 months in the congenital (prenatal and unknown) group, 39 months in the perinatal group and 25 months in the postnatal group. The onset of partial seizures was later in the perinatal group than in the congenital group. There were no significant differences in the other clinical characteristics among groups except for more frequent association of cerebral palsy in the perinatal group than in the congenital group. Our study suggests that congenital (prenatal and unknown group) disorders may be most common in patients with S-LRE beginning in infancy and early childhood. The onset of partial seizures occurred later in the perinatal group.

Identification of the zinc-binding protein specifically present in male rat liver as carbonic anhydrase III.

A zinc (Zn)-binding protein that is present specifically in the livers of male adult rats was detected by HPLC with in-line detection by mass spectrometry (ICP MS). The Zn-binding protein was purified on Sephadex G-75 and G3000SW HPLC columns. and was identified as carbonic anhydrase III (CAIII) based on the amino acid sequence of a peptide obtained on lysyl endopeptidase digestion. CAIII is expressed as one of the major Zn-binding proteins in the livers of male rats in an age-dependent manner, a comparable amount of Zn to that of copper, Zn-superoxide dismutase (Cu,Zn-SOD) being bound to CAIII at 8 weeks of age. Castration at 4 or 8 weeks of age was shown to reduce Zn bound to CAIII to 47.5% of the sham-operated control level, suggesting that the sex-dependent expression of CAIII is partly regulated by a sex hormone, androgen. The concentration of CAIII in the livers of Long-Evans rats with a cinnamon-like coat color (LEC rats), an animal model of Wilson disease, was also estimated as Zn bound to CAIII and shown to be lower than that in Wistar rats before the onset of hepatitis. The concentration of CAIII was decreased specifically by repeated injections of cupric ions without the Cu,Zn-SOD concentration being affected.

Hawaii Asian-American response to the Staying Healthy After Fifty program.

A nationwide project conducted by the American Association of Retired Persons, the American Red Cross, and the Dartmouth Institute for Better Health to disseminate a health promotion program for older adults included a study to test its ability to serve different ethnic minorities. This article reports how the Staying Healthy After Fifty Program, designed for the general United States population, was introduced into the State of Hawaii, how it was adapted for use with two Asian-American groups, the Japanese and Filipinos, and on the benefits reported by participants. To determine the appropriateness and effectiveness of the adapted SHAF program, a quasi-experimental design, involving a test group and a comparison group whose members completed questionnaires at three points in time, was used. The results of the data collected from the Hawaiian population were consistent with the results of the general U.S. population skills, health activities, and health care cost skills areas. Participants were very pleased with the course and its quality, as noted in the high ratings of course satisfaction.

Cognitive and health measures following early nutritional supplementation: a sibling study.

A battery of cognitive measures, an adjustment measure, and multiple health indices were obtained for sibling pairs who differed in the timing of their participation in the Special Supplemental Food Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) several years earlier, with participation during the perinatal period occurring for one sibling, but after one year of age for the other. Results indicated that the perinatally supplemented group showed significant enhancement of most intellectual and behavioral measures in the current home and school setting, including IQ, attention span, visual-motor synthesis, and school grade-point average when compared with the group supplemented later. Of the health assessments, most trends were in the expected direction, but only height for age values were significantly different for the two groups.