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Query: UMLS:C0012833 (dizziness)
 9,689 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Permanent or transient reduction of the blood flow to the brain is often responsible for dizziness and occasionally sensorineural hearing loss. So far the diagnosis of this condition has been made by angiography, either carotid or vertebral arteriography, but there is a justified reluctance of subjecting unselected patients to this invasive procedure. It is the purpose of this paper to present a new approach to the diagnosis of cerebral vascular insufficiency based on a three-step protocol. The two initial steps are formed by noninvasive techniques and may be used for the selection of those cases requiring additional diagnostic procedures. 1) Cerebral hemodynamic evaluation provides a physiologic assessment of the direct carotid and indirect carotid and vertebral blood flow. It includes ocular plethysmography and ophthalmodynamometry obtained with the patient supine and erect, without and during carotid compression. 2) Computerized tomography allows an evaluation of the brain substance and of the changes produced by vascular insufficiency such as brain atrophy, infarcts and encephalomalacia. A new form of radiographic assessment based on a dynamic evaluation of regional blood flow will be introduced in this paper. 3) Carotid and vertebral arteriograms are performed only on these cases demonstrating a significant cerebral vascular insufficiency by the previous tests and in cases where corrective surgery is contemplated.
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PMID:Vertebrobasilar insufficiency. 49 1

A rare syndrome, Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome (DDMS), with a diagnostic conundrum, and the way it was solved is presented. A 13-year-old boy presented with recurrent seizures for the past 10 years. He had been treated with anticonvulsant medication which was satisfactory at first but later the seizures recurred. Recently, the frequency of the seizures increased with preictal dizziness and postictal drowsiness. Physical examination revealed mild left hemiparesis and left deviated gait irregularity. He was mentally alert but had not achieved all the developmental milestones as compared to normal child of his age. CT and MRI scan of the head showed hemiatrophic cerebral parenchyma with prominent sulci and encephalomalacia. 24-hour intensive video EEG monitoring revealed suppression of alpha rhythm and local slow wave activity on the side of the atrophic hemisphere. PET-CT showed highly functional left cerebral hemisphere and less functional right cerebral hemisphere. The patient underwent functional hemispherectomy under neurophysiological monitoring and the nonfunctional brain tissues were resected while selectively preserving the functional areas detected by fMRI and PET-CT scan. During follow up, the patient was seizure free as well as without difficulties in performing his daily activities and communications. Functional hemispherectomy for DDMS patient has a good prognosis.
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PMID:Acquired cerebral hemiatrophy: Dyke-Davidoff-Masson Syndrome - a case report. 2334 79

Vertebrobasilar insufficiency leading to posterior circulation infarcts caused by congenital hypoplasia of the bilateral transverse foramina at the C2 level, affecting the caliber and flow of the bilateral distal cervical vertebral arteries in an adult, has not been previously reported. A 41-year-old male presented with episodic dizziness for a period of 1 year prior to consultation. Computed tomography angiography of the head and neck demonstrated congenital hypoplasia of the bilateral C2 transverse foramina, with absence of the vertebral arteries in each of the foramina and collateral reconstitution of diminutive intracranial vertebral artery segments. Brain MRI showed postinfarction encephalomalacia in the bilateral cerebellar hemispheres. The patient was considered not a surgical or endovascular candidate and was managed conservatively with antiplatelet therapy. Congenital anomalies of the bilateral cervical transverse foramina may present with vertebrobasilar insufficiency and infarction in adulthood.
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PMID:Congenital Bilateral C2 Transverse Foramina Stenosis Causing Adult-Onset Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency and Posterior Circulation Stroke. 2862 12