Bedside ultrasound in early diagnosis of neurogenic heterotopic ossification in patients with acquired brain injury.

Objective: To illustrate ultrasound (US) and power Doppler US (PDUS) aspects of neurogenic heterotopic ossification (NHO) in consecutive patients with severe acquired brain injury, to evaluate the role of bedside US and PDUS in early diagnosis of NHO, to study incidence and outcome of NHO in this neurorehabilitative setting.

Methods: Ninety-two consecutive patients with severe acquired brain injury underwent clinical and laboratory screening to pose suspect of NHO. In 6/92 patients bedside US examination confirmed the clinical suspect of NHO.

Bedside ultrasonography of musculoskeletal complications in brain injured patients.

Introduction: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of bedside ultrasonography (US) in early diagnosis of musculoskeletal complications (MSC) of acquired brain injuries, to describe its incidence and US features in a neurorehabilitation setting.

Materials And Methods: All 163 patients admitted in tertiary-level neurorehabilitation unit with diagnosis of stroke or severe brain injury (SBI), with symptoms or signs of musculoskeletal pathology, underwent bedside US.

Results: MSC were diagnosed in 51.

Oropharyngeal dysphagia after stroke: incidence, diagnosis, and clinical predictors in patients admitted to a neurorehabilitation unit.

Objective: We analyzed patients with stroke in a neurorehabilitation unit to define incidence of dysphagia, compare clinical bedside assessment and videofluoroscopy (VFS), and define any correlation between dysphagia and clinical characteristic of patients.

Methods: In all, 151 consecutive inpatients with recent ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke were enrolled.

Results: Dysphagia was clinically diagnosed in 62 of 151 patients (41%).

[A case of beriberi on the threshold of the year 2000].

The authors report a case of beriberi due to a deficit in thiamine, which became apparent in a young Chinese woman with polyneuropathy, distal oedema and epigastralgia. Parenteral administration of thiamine lead to the virtually complete resolution of symptoms.

[The use of interferon-beta in the treatment of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia].

The authors report two cases of essential mixed cryoglobulinemia (EMC) manifested by purpura, fatigue and arthralgia. After a corticosteroid treatment which proved a complete failure, beta-interferon therapy was started. This caused rapid improvement of the clinical picture without relevant side effects.