Postgraduate medical journal
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A 24 year old white woman presented with sudden onset of flaccid quadriparesis and hypokalaemia. She was later found to be thyrotoxic. Paralysis resolved with potassium supplements, and after initiation of antithyroid medication she had no further episodes of hypokalaemic paralysis. To the best of the authors' knowledge, and after a Medline search, thyrotoxic periodic paralysis has not been described previously in a white woman.
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Acute encephalitis constitutes a medical emergency. In most cases, the presence of focal neurological signs and focal seizures will distinguish encephalitis from encephalopathy. Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis is a non-infective inflammatory encephalitis that may require to be treated with steroids. ⋯ The emergence of unusual forms of zoonotic encephalitis has posed an important public health problem. Vaccination and vector control measures are useful preventive strategies in certain arboviral and zoonotic encephalitis. However, we need better antiviral therapy to meet the challenge of acute viral encephalitis more effectively.
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It is a paradigm in cancer treatment that early detection and treatment improves survival. However, although screening measures lead to a higher rate of detection, for small bulk localised prostate cancer it remains unclear whether early detection and early treatment will lead to an overall decrease in mortality. ⋯ There have been major changes in treatment over the last two decades with the use of more humane treatment and developments in both chemotherapy and radiation. In this article we review the natural history and management of prostate cancer.