European neurology
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Lead poisoning in both its acute and chronic forms has been recognised since the second century BCE. Lead colic, anaemia, renal tubulopathies and motor neuropathies are well recognised. This paper sketches the early history and remembers the important contribution of Henry Burton, who described the gums to be bordered by a narrow leaden-blue line, about the one-twentieth part of an inch in width, whilst the substance of the gum apparently retained its ordinary colour and condition. The sign though inconstant, is still a valuable clinical clue.
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Case Reports
Medial medullary infarct aggravates central poststroke pain caused by previous lateral medullary infarct.
Although the pathogenesis of central poststroke pain (CPSP) remains obscure, interactions between the spinothalamic tract and lemniscal sensory tract may be involved in its pathogenic mechanism. ⋯ This observation has implications regarding the pathogenesis of CPSP. CPSP may be related to hyperexcitation of the spinothalamic pathway by the reticulothalamic system, which in turn is modulated by the medial lemniscus pathway.
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Migraine is a common disorder with a relatively high burden of disease from the perspective of both society and the individual patient. Optimizing the use of prophylactic treatment may decrease the frequency and severity of attacks thus reducing the burden of disease. In this regard, topiramate has been found to be as effective as propranolol in the prevention of migraine attacks. ⋯ Monthly preventive medication cost and price per migraine attack reduced were used as measures. In comparison with propranolol and flunarizine, topiramate was identified as being the most costly option for migraine prophylaxis with a monthly drug cost of USD 24.97-45.04 as compared with propranolol (USD 1.72-6.87) and flunarizine (USD 6.09-12.18). Current treatment options would appear to offer better value for money in achieving effective migraine prophylaxis unless additional benefits can be identified for topiramate in this patient group.
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Anterior cerebral artery A1 segment hypoplasia is an uncommon fetal variant of the circle of Willis. The frequency of this congenital variation is 1-13% as derived from angiograms and autopsy reports. Impaired collateral blood flow through the circle of Willis is a recognized risk factor for ischemic stroke. ⋯ The overall incidence of A1 variation in our experimental group was 15.0% (n = 42, agenesis/hypoplasia = 18/24), which was statistically higher than in the control group (n = 12). The majority (n = 30, 71.42%) had ipsilateral striatal lacunar infarctions. Based on our results, A1 agenesis/hypoplasia appears to be a risk factor contributing to ischemic stroke, especially to strokes in arteries penetrating the striatal area.
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Letter Case Reports
Long-term effect of gabapentin in stiff limb syndrome: a case report.