Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0011551 (depersonalization)
 1,117 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

A retrospective review of colloid cysts diagnosed from 1974 to 1986 emphasizes the presenting symptoms of these lesions, their surgical management, and the contribution of modern imaging techniques to their diagnosis and therapy. In this 12-year period, 84 patients (45 men and 39 women) had a colloid cyst diagnosed. The patients' mean age was 46 years (range, 7-82 years). Surgery was performed in 55 patients, 7 of whom had undergone prior surgery elsewhere. The surgical approaches used were transfrontal-transventricular, transcallosal, computer-assisted stereotactic aspiration and resection by stereotactic craniotomy, and shunting of cerebrospinal fluid without removal of the lesion. There was no operative mortality, but complications occurred in 15 patients (27%). Preoperative imaging showed hydrocephalus in 93% of the patients: severe in 43%, moderate in 36%, and mild in 14%. In the surgically treated group, the most common presenting symptoms were headache, change in mental status, ataxia, nausea and vomiting, visual disturbance, emotional lability/inappropriate affect, depersonalization, and hypersomnolence. Twenty-four patients for whom surgery was not recommended are being followed up closely. Most of these patients had normal ventricles. The symptoms in this group included headache, anxiety/nervousness, ataxia, memory impairment, visual disturbance, and seizures. Five autopsy cases of patients with colloid cysts were available during this period and were reviewed. Direct removal of colloid cysts can be accomplished with low morbidity and mortality, avoiding the frequent revisions and complications related to shunt procedures. There is a subgroup of colloid cysts that can be operated upon electively or followed up closely with serial imaging studies.
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PMID:Colloid cysts: experience with the management of 84 cases since the introduction of computed tomography. 271 77

We described the major diagnostic difficulties encountered in the case of a 25-year-old man with the pathological diagnosis of a germinoma. The patient initially developed an eating disorder at the end of 2003 and a character change ensued since the beginning of 2004. On admission in August 2004, his cardinal symptoms and signs included marked apathy, depersonalization, generalized muscle wasting, and decreased tendon reflexes. Brain T2-weighted (T2-WI) MR and FLAIR images showed high signal intensities in the suprasellar region and at the genu of the corpus callosum that extended along the sub-pia mater of the right anterior horn. These lesions showed mild enhancement on gadolinium-enhanced T1-WI. CSF examination revealed a mildly elevated level of protein and increased cell counts but did not show any malignant cells on repeated spinal tap. The patient's status remained practically unchanged till December 2004 when he developed diabetes insipidus. Soon afterward, the patient collapsed into akinetic mutism and developed corresponding new lesions at the tegmentum of the midbrain. These new lesions disappeared spontaneously and akinetic mutism regressed without any specific therapy. We tentatively diagnosed of neurosarcoidosis based on a characteristic progressive-regressive clinical course, CSF data, and radiological findings. Clinical symptoms and the enhanced masses on MRI were highly responsive to steroid therapy after which the patient was able to return home. However, disturbances in consciousness and tenacious vomiting recurred in September. Brain MRI revealed a markedly re-enlarged and easily enhanced mass at the right anterior horn, which extended into the cerebral aqueduct and resulted in obstructive hydrocephalus. On surgery, histopathological investigation revealed germinoma. This case highlights the need for careful discrimination between a slow growing germinoma and chronic granulomatous diseases of the brain such as neurosarcoidosis. Early histological investigation may be warranted in patients who present difficulties during differential diagnoses.
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PMID:[Germinoma presenting with personality and socio-behavioral abnormalities may challenge differential diagnoses]. 1871 99