Baseline Characteristics and Predictive Factors of Intravenous Immunoglobulin Response in Drug and Device Refractory Gastroparesis Symptoms.

Introduction: Intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) has been shown in a small pilot series to be helpful for some patients with gastroparesis that is refractory to drugs, devices, and surgical therapies. Many but not all patients have serologic neuromuscular markers. We hypothesize that those patients with serologic markers and/or longer duration of therapy would have better responses to IVIG.

Update on Inclusion Body Myositis.

Purpose Of Review: While sporadic inclusion body myositis (sIBM) is the most common acquired muscle disease after age 50, the pathogenesis of this disease is still poorly understood. In this review, we discuss our current state of knowledge in sIBM and provide an update on our current understanding of its pathophysiology and management.

Recent Findings: Lines of evidence in support of an inflammatory pathogenesis include inflammatory infiltrates in the target organ, NFκB activation, cytokine response, MHC I upregulation, and cN1A antibody.

Cajal Cell Counts are Important Predictors of Outcomes in Drug Refractory Gastroparesis Patients With Neurostimulation.

Background And Aims: Cajal cells serve as the pacemaker cells of the gastrointestinal tract and regulates peristalsis. On the baisis of that fact, it has been hypothesized that a decrease in Cajal cells can lead to gastroparesis and other motility issues. Treatment with medications has a limited efficacy and most resort to gastric electrical stimulation (GES) devices for symptomatic relief.

Intravenous immunoglobulin in drug and device refractory patients with the symptoms of gastroparesis-an open-label study.

Background: Gastroparesis is a complex clinical entity; many aspects of which remain unknown. Although most patients have idiopathic, diabetic, or postsurgical gastroparesis, many are thought to have measurable neuromuscular abnormalities. Immunotherapy has recently been utilized to treat suspected autoimmune gastrointestinal dysmotility.

Optic nerve morphology as marker for disease severity in cerebral palsy of perinatal origin.

Background: It is difficult to predict the neurologic outcome and ambulatory status in children with perinatal neurologic insult until 2-5years age. This study aims to correlate clinical optic nerve head (ONH) findings-cupping, pallor and hypoplasia, with gestational period and neurologic (motor) outcomes in patients with cerebral palsy (CP) from perinatal insults.

Methods: 54 consecutive patients with CP from perinatal insults were enrolled.