Ideggyogy Szemle
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There is a lack of data on the impact on health related quality of life of peripheral neuropathic pain in Hungary. The main aims of the study were to assess the health related quality of life of non-diabetic PeNP patients identified in general practices through screening, and to assess the relationship between condition specific pain scores and health state utilities. ⋯ Non-diabetic PeNP pain has a huge negative impact on health related quality of life. Although PeNP is a serious chronic condition, the disease burden is seriously underestimated, both on the level of individuals and society, due to the fact that patients are rarely identified.
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Adjacent segment disease (ASD) occurs with a probability of 30% in the lumbar spine following spinal fusion surgery. Usually advanced degenerative changes happen cranially to the fused lumbar segment. Thus, secondary spinal instability, stenosis, spodylolisthesis, foraminal stenosis can lead to the recurrence of the pain not always amenable to conservative measures. ⋯ A cage with large volume results in excellent annulus fibrosus tension, immediate stability and provides large surface for bony fusion. A stand-alone cage construct can be supplemented with lateral screw/rod/plate fixation. The advantage of the new technique for the treatment of ASD includes minimal blood loss, short operation time, significantly less postoperative pain and much lower complication rate.
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Gabapentin is an antiepileptic drug approved for adjunctive therapy for partial seizures. We report a case of a patient who had thrombocytopenia with the dose of 2400 mg/day of gabapentin. The causal relationship between gabapentin and thrombocytopenia was revealed by dramatic increase in thrombocyte count following the cessation of the gabapentin treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first case report with a hematopoietic side effect of gabapentin.
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Chronic administration of antiepileptic drugs without history of unprovoked epileptic seizures are not recommended for epilepsy prophylaxis. Conversely, if the patient suffered the first unprovoked seizure, then the presence of epileptiform discharges on the EEG, focal neurological signs, and the presence of epileptogenic lesion on the MRI are risk factors for a second seizure (such as for the development of epilepsy). Without these risk factors, the chance of a second seizure is about 25-30%, while the presence of these risk factors (for example signs of previous stroke, neurotrauma, or encephalitis on the MRI) can predict >70% seizure recurrence. ⋯ Beacuse ZNS can be administrated once a day, it is an optimal drug for maintaining patient's compliance and for those patients who have a high risk for developing a non-compliance (for example teenagers and young adults). Due to the low interaction potential, ZNS treatment is safe and effective in treating epilepsy of elderly people. ZNS is an ideal drug in epilepsy accompanied by obesity, because ZNS has a weight loss effect, especially in obese patients.
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Neuropathic pain is considered as a special type of different pain conditions. It's pathophysiological basis and treatment is completely different from the nociceptive pain. The first comprehensive therapeutic guidelines published approximately a decade ago recommended tricyclic antidepressants, anticonvulsants and opioids. ⋯ Opioids are in the second or third line. There seems to be no major development in the pharmacological treatment of the neuropathic pain compared to the earlier recommendations. High quality studies of head to head comparisons and effectiveness of combination therapy are still lacking.