RESUMO
The biological characterization of bloodstream forms of eleven Trypanosoma cruzi cloned stocks, corresponding to two genetically similar clonets (19 and 20) and one distant clonet (39), according to multilocus enzyme electrophoresis analysis, showed dissimilar parasitemia in an experimental isogenic mouse model. While clonet 39 stocks gave low parasitemias, clonets 19 or 20 stocks gave high parasitemias, independently of the inocula (10(2) and 10(4) bloodstream forms) used. High parasitemia did not always associate with greater mortality. Statistical studies on mortality using a low inocula showed significantly higher mortality with clonet 39 stocks when compared to clonets 19 or 20 stocks. Finally, in order to confirm the identity of each stock studied, typing by molecular karyotype was performed before inoculating mice.
Assuntos
Doença de Chagas/mortalidade , Parasitemia/mortalidade , Trypanosoma cruzi/genética , Animais , Doença de Chagas/parasitologia , Feminino , Masculino , Camundongos , Camundongos Endogâmicos C3H , Fatores SexuaisRESUMO
Wilson disease is an inborn error of copper metabolism that has neurological and hepatic manifestations. We report a 13 years old girl and a 12 years old boy with Wilson disease. In both patient, brain computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging showed marked involvement of basal ganglia and other deep gray nuclei. Considering that this is a treatable disease, it should be included in the differential diagnosis of the so called "striatal necrosis of childhood".
Assuntos
Degeneração Hepatolenticular/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Criança , Feminino , Degeneração Hepatolenticular/complicações , Degeneração Hepatolenticular/tratamento farmacológico , Humanos , Masculino , Doenças do Sistema Nervoso/etiologia , Penicilamina/uso terapêutico , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios X , Vitamina K/uso terapêuticoRESUMO
BACKGROUND: It has been postulated that in Chile, transient ischemic attacks (TIA) are much less frequent than in Caucasian populations. A lesser frequency of these attacks would be due to a higher frequency of intracranial atheromas, whereas an abundance of TIA would be a result of a higher prevalence of extracranial atheromas. AIM: To study the history of TIA in a group of Chilean patients with an acute episode of cerebrovascular disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred forty nine patients admitted to a Neurology service of a public hospital in Santiago, with an acute stroke, were studied. Patients and close relatives were interrogated about previous symptoms of TIA using a structured questionnaire. RESULTS: One hundred nine patients had an ischemic and 40 patients a hemorrhagic stroke. Twenty patients with ischemic stroke had a history of TIA (18%). Fifteen out of 74 patients without a cardiac source of emboli (20%) and five out of 35 cases with an embolic source (14%) had a TIA preceding their stroke. Three out of 40 patients (8%) with hemorrhagic stroke had a history of TIA. CONCLUSIONS: This study does not support nor reject the hypothesis of a Chilean pattern of cerebrovascular disease unlike that found in Northern Caucasians.
Assuntos
Transtornos Cerebrovasculares/epidemiologia , Ataque Isquêmico Transitório/epidemiologia , Doença Aguda , Adulto , Idoso , Idoso de 80 Anos ou mais , Chile/epidemiologia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Estudos Retrospectivos , Fatores de RiscoRESUMO
Orthostatic tremor is characterized by a fine tremor of lower limb muscles that produces instability while standing still and alleviates on walking or sitting. We report two patients, aged 54 and 72 years old, in whom the tremor caused falls. The clinical features, a negative neurological examination, the alleviation on walking or sitting and the good response to clonazepam allowed the diagnosis. This disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of standing still instability.
Assuntos
Perna (Membro)/fisiopatologia , Equilíbrio Postural , Postura , Tremor/fisiopatologia , Idoso , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Tremor/diagnósticoRESUMO
Wilson's Disease is an inherited disorder of copper metabolism. We report 16 patients (6 males) with the disease; 6 had hepatic involvement exclusively, 4 had neurological involvement, 3 had a neurological and hepatic involvement and 3 were asymptomatic. The age onset was 9 years for hepatic and 17 years for neurologic involvement. The mean delay in diagnosis was 14 months. Chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis and fulminant hepatic failure were the clinical forms of liver disease. Patients with neurologic disorders had behavioral disturbances and extrapyramidal manifestations such as dystonia and parkinsonism. Patients had a good response to penicillamine, except 3 that died of liver complications, in whom the treatment was delayed or discontinued. We conclude that this metabolic disease must be suspected in pubertal children and in adults of less than 30 years old with liver disease of unknown origin or behavioral alterations associated to an extrapyramidal syndrome.
Assuntos
Doenças do Sistema Nervoso Central/diagnóstico , Degeneração Hepatolenticular/diagnóstico , Hepatopatias/diagnóstico , Adolescente , Adulto , Ceruloplasmina/análise , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Cobre/sangue , Cobre/urina , Feminino , Degeneração Hepatolenticular/complicações , Degeneração Hepatolenticular/tratamento farmacológico , Degeneração Hepatolenticular/genética , Humanos , Fígado/patologia , Masculino , Penicilamina/uso terapêutico , Gravidez , Piridoxina/uso terapêutico , Estudos Retrospectivos , Tomografia Computadorizada por Raios XRESUMO
A 62 years old male with a slowly progressive focal myopathy is presented. He had noticed weakness in the lower limbs for three years and weakness in the upper limbs for one year. He had bilateral atrophy of quadriceps and biceps muscles, absence of knee jerks and hypertrophy of the calves. Needle EMG showed myopathic motor units. Hystological study was compatible with muscular dystrophy. The clinical and laboratory characteristics of this patient are in keeping with what has been described as "Quadriceps Myopathy" as a form of a muscular dystrophy.
Assuntos
Distrofias Musculares/diagnóstico , Biópsia , Eletromiografia , Humanos , Perna (Membro) , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Músculo Esquelético/patologiaRESUMO
Neuroacanthocytosis is a syndrome characterized by extrapyramidal neurologic manifestations such as chorea, dystonia, parkinsonism or tics and acanthocytosis in the blood smear. It is often associated with self aggression (lips and tongue bites) and arreflectic amyotrophy of the extremities. Three adult patients with the characteristic neurologic manifestations of the syndrome, acanthocytosis in the blood smear and normal plasma lipoproteins are presented. Kell antigen was negative in all the patients. Two patients presented as a Gilles de la Tourette syndrome and one as a familiar Chorea. The diagnosis must be suspected in adult patients with extrapyramidal manifestations and in whom the blood smear shows the presence of acanthocytosis. This is the first report of neuroacathocytosis in Chile and the second in a group of patients of hispanic origin.