Lamotrigine for Treating Anger in Veterans With Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.

Lamotrigine is an antiepileptic drug that was Food and Drug Administration approved in 2003 for use in the maintenance treatment of bipolar I disorder to delay the time to recurrence of new mood episodes. The mechanism by which lamotrigine achieves its therapeutic effect in the treatment of bipolar disorder is unknown. Here, we report on 2 Veterans with combat-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) endorsing significant anger, aggression, and agitation, who were treated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, but whose residual symptoms of anger and aggression were ultimately successfully managed with lamotrigine augmentation.

Association of calcified carotid atheromas visualized on panoramic images and aortic arch calcifications seen on chest radiographs of postmenopausal women.

Background: Occult atherosclerotic disease is the leading cause of death among older women. The authors hypothesized that women with calcified carotid artery plaque (CCAP) visualized on panoramic images were more likely to have aortic arch calcifications (AAC) that were visible on chest radiographs (CRs), a risk indicator of experiencing cardiovascular events, than would matched cohorts who did not have atheromas.

Methods: The authors obtained the CRs of 36 female veterans (≥ 50 years) who had CCAP and atherogenically risk-matched them to those of 36 women without CCAP.

Complex imaging features of accidental cerebral intraventricular gadolinium administration.

Gadolinium diethylenetriamine pentaacetic acid (Gd-DTPA) is a contrast agent commonly used for enhancing MRI. In this paper, the authors report on 2 cases of postoperative inadvertent administration of Gd-DTPA directly into a ventriculostomy tubing side port that was mistaken for intravenous tubing. Both cases demonstrated a low signal on MRI throughout the ventricular system and dependent portions of the subarachnoid spaces, which was originally believed to be CSF with areas of T1 shortening in the nondependent portions of the subarachnoid spaces, and misinterpreted as basal leptomeningeal enhancement and meningitis.

Clinical Case-based Retrieval Using Latent Topic Analysis.

Clinical reporting is often performed with minimal consideration for secondary computational analysis of concepts. This fact makes the comparison of patients challenging as records lack a representation in a space where their similarity may be judged quantitatively. We present a method by which the entirety of a patient's clinical records may be compared using latent topics.

Innominate artery occlusive disease: sonographic findings.

Objective: The objective of this study was to report the sonographic abnormalities in a group of patients with angiographically proven innominate artery stenosis and occlusion.

Materials And Methods: A review of all cerebrovascular sonograms at our institutions was undertaken to identify patients with complete or partial flow reversal in the right vertebral artery and reversal or midsystolic deceleration of flow in any one of the three major segments of the right carotid system (common, internal, or external carotid artery). The distribution and appearance of these abnormalities was evaluated, and the presence or absence of tardus-parvus waveforms was noted in any segment of the right carotid artery.

Sonographic NASCET index: a new doppler parameter for assessment of internal carotid artery stenosis.

Background And Purpose: Established Doppler parameters for carotid stenosis assessment do not reflect North American Symptomatic Carotid Endarterectomy Trial (NASCET)-style methodology. We derived a Doppler parameter, termed sonographic NASCET index (SNI), and hypothesized that the SNI would provide greater angiographic correlation and better accuracy in predicting stenosis of 70% or greater than that of currently used peak systolic velocity (PSV) measurements.

Methods: Inclusion criteria of angiographically proved carotid stenoses of 40-95% and measured proximal and distal internal carotid artery Doppler PSV values were established.

Accuracy of contrast-enhanced MR angiography in predicting angiographic stenosis of the internal carotid artery: linear regression analysis.

Background And Purpose: We sought to assess whether contrast-enhanced MR angiography is able to predict the degree of angiographic stenosis of the internal carotid artery within a clinically acceptable margin of error, thereby decreasing the need for angiography. In addition, we sought to assess whether adding ultrasound peak systolic velocity (PSV) as an additional regressor improves the accuracy of prediction.

Methods: A retrospective review of our institution's records for a 4-year period was conducted to identify all patients who had undergone evaluation of their carotid arteries using digital subtraction angiography, contrast-enhanced MR angiography, and ultrasonography.