Single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Introduction: Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is one of the best methods to identify changes in the corticospinal tract. We used single-pulse TMS at the beginning of the disease and in the follow-up in a group of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

Methods: We evaluated the corticospinal tract in the bulbar, upper, and lower regions in 55 patients with ALS, and we monitored them for a period of 24 months.

Neuroacanthocytosis: clinical, radiological, and neurophysiological findings in an Italian family.

We have studied three members of a family (mother and two siblings) where the mother and father were first cousins and who presented a history of progressive mental deterioration, hyperkinetic extrapyramidal disorders, and epileptic seizures. They underwent the following examinations: cupremia, cupruria, and level of ceruloplasmin, genetic analysis for SCA1, 2, 3, 6, dentato-rubric-pallido-luysian atrophy, and Huntington's disease, electromyography (EMG), electroencephalography (EEG), brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and investigation of acanthocytes with scanning electron microscopy. Genetic analysis was negative in all patients and acanthocytes were positive.

Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy: diffusion-weighted imaging and pathological correlations.

We examined MRI of two patients with progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML), including diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI), with calculation of apparent diffusion coefficients (ADC). The pathology findings of one patient were compared with those of MRI. The lesions had different ADC and DWI appearances, depending on the stage of the disease.

[Rhabdomyolysis and arterial hypertension caused by apparent excess of mineralocorticoids: a case report].

We report the case of a 61-year-old man who was referred to our Institution because of severe hypokalemia, rhabdomyolysis and high blood pressure. Severe hypokalemia may lead to rhabdomyolysis. The plasma aldosterone concentrations were low and the plasma renin activity was suppressed.

[Injury of the large vessels of the neck caused by radiation of neoplasms of the otorhinolaryngologic region: a study using Doppler echography].

Twelve patients undergoing radiotherapy for pharyngo-laryngeal neoplasms were compared to a control group by means of duplex-Doppler US in order to evaluate early and late radiation-induced damage to the main arterial vessels in the neck region. On first examination the case distribution regarding the presence/absence of preexisting vascular lesions was: no lesions (8.3%), mild (33.

[Radio-chemotherapy of inoperable malignant brain gliomas].

Numerous studies have proved the benefit of the use of postoperative radiotherapy in the treatment of malignant cerebral gliomas. The data concerning the efficiency of the treatment of unoperated gliomas are rather scarce. The data obtained in 28 cases of malignant cerebral gliomas, defined as inoperable and treated with radio-chemotherapy, are reported.

Primary brain malignant non-Hodgkin lymphoma: report of a case treated with chemotherapy in combination with radiotherapy.

Primary brain lymphomas are usually treated with surgery in combination with radiotherapy, whereas only a few cases have been treated with chemotherapy. We describe a case of a 68-year-old man with an immunoblastic primary cerebral lymphoma first treated with surgery and radiotherapy and subsequently with chemotherapy consisting of cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone (CHOP). In this case immunological study of the peripheral blood and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) lymphocytes confirmed that a primary brain lymphoma may be an intrinsic cerebral neoplasm with different forms of spreading within the central nervous system (CNS).