Revista de neurologia
-
Revista de neurologia · Sep 2008
[Clinical usefulness of transcranial Doppler ultrasound imaging in the diagnosis of cerebral vasospasm in subarachnoid haemorrhage. A validation study].
During the clinical course of aneurysmal subarachnoid haemorrhage, cerebral vasospasm is one of the most dreaded medical complications. AIM. To determine the usefulness of transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound imaging in diagnosing vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid haemorrhage (SAH) who were attended in a Stroke Unit. ⋯ Monitoring with TCD proved to be useful for diagnosing cerebral vasospasm in patients with a good initial clinical status.
-
Stiff-person (stiff-man) syndrome is characterised by symptoms of muscular rigidity and spasms, which are generally of an axial nature. Involuntary contractions of the agonist and antagonist muscles caused by activity of the motor units during rest are the main clinical and electrophysiological marker of the disease. The nature of the syndrome is considered to be autoimmune, with positive glutamic acid decarboxylase (anti-GAD) antibodies in most patients. These antibodies exert an influence over GABAergic transmission. ⋯ Anti-GAD antibodies are not exclusive to stiff-person syndrome and can also be found in a number of other autoimmune disorders. Other mechanisms which can also produce a dysfunction of the GABAergic system have also been suggested. The syndrome can be difficult to diagnose from the clinical point of view and it must therefore be borne in mind in patients who begin with unexplainable stiffness and spasms because it is a potentially treatable pathology.