Advances in medical sciences
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The objective was to investigate the clinical features of schizencephaly in children with spastic cerebral palsy. ⋯ Schizencephaly occurred more often in patients with spastic hemiplegia. Early detection of brain abnormalities in children with cerebral palsy may help in the prognosis and in the introduction of appropriate therapy.
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The central role of IgE in allergic inflammation in asthma has provided a rationale for the development of omalizumab, the humanized monoclonal anti-IgE antibody. The aim of the study was to determine the effect of omalizumab treatment on changes in airway inflammatory process and eotaxin in exhaled breath condensate in patients with persistent severe allergic asthma. ⋯ Downregulation of eotaxin expression in the airways through limitation of eosinophilic inflammation could be essential in the beneficial effect of anti-IgE therapy with omalizumab in asthma patients.
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Randomized Controlled Trial Comparative Study
The analgesic and antiemetic efficacy of gabapentin or ergotamine/caffeine for the treatment of postdural puncture headache.
We investigated the analgesic and antiemetic efficacy of gabapentin or ergotamine/caffeine (Cafergot), in addition to conservative treatment consisting of bed rest and adequate fluid intake, for the treatment of postdural puncture headache (PDPH). ⋯ Gabapentin significantly reduced pain, nausea and vomiting compared to Cafergot in patients with PDPH. Lastly, we hypothesize that the gabaergic action of gabapentin, perhaps combined with other mechanisms, such as calcium channel blockade, may be responsible for its remarkable effects on PDPH.
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Retroperitoneal abscesses are uncommonly encountered clinical entities and they represent serious surgical infections associated with significant mortality rates because of their insidious clinical manifestations and diagnostic difficulty. The source of retroperitoneal infections is usually an organ contained within or abutting the retroperitoneum, usually the kidney and the microorganisms most commonly isolated are gram-negative bacilli. ⋯ Treatment of retroperitoneal abscesses includes identification and treatment of underlying conditions, intravenous antibiotics and adequate surgical drainage of all well-defined collections. We present a rare case of retroperitoneal abscess caused by monomicrobial Streprococcus mutans infection and discuss the possible pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis and treatment.