Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0018681 (headache)
 56,091 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Fifty-three cases of brain abscess were treated at Mackay Memorial Hospital from January 1991 through December 2001. The ages ranged from 2 weeks to 84 years, with a peak at 40 to 50 years (11/53, 21%). The male to female ratio was 1.8:1 (34 males, 19 females). The most common presenting symptoms were fever (30/53, 57%), headache (29/53, 55%), and changed mental status (24/53, 45%). The duration of symptoms before hospitalization ranged from several hours to 2 months. A shorter duration of symptoms was associated with poor outcome. The common predisposing factors were otic infection (10/53, 19%), penetrating head trauma and neurosurgery (10/53, 19%), and bacterial endocarditis (5/53, 9%). The leading underlying diseases were diabetes mellitus (12/53, 23%) and/or liver cirrhosis (6/53, 11%), and both were independently associated with increased risk of mortality. Computed tomographic scanning and magnetic resonance imaging facilitated early diagnosis and proper management. Surgical intervention was used together with antibiotics in 33 (62%) of 53 patients in whom the average abscesses diameter was 3.75 cm (range, 2-6 cm). The remaining 20 (38%) patients whose average abscesses diameter was 2.3 cm (range, 1-3.5 cm) were treated with antibiotics only. Culture of material drained from abscesses isolated 27 microorganisms from 19 (58%) of the 33 patients, 81% (22/27) of which were aerobic and 19% (5/27) anaerobic bacteria. The most common pathogen was alpha-hemolytic Streptococcus spp. (6/27, 22%). Most of the patients with Klebsiella pneumoniae isolated from brain abscess, cerebrospinal fluid, and blood cultures were diabetic. A high mortality rate (9/20, 45%) was found in patients with medical treatment. A high index of suspicion is needed for the early diagnosis of brain abscess, particularly in patients with predisposing factors. In this series, early diagnosis using computed tomography and/or magnetic resonance scanning, optimal timing of surgery, and appropriate use of antibiotics were associated with improved outcome.
 ...
PMID:Brain abscess: clinical analysis of 53 cases. 1288 65

A 23-year-old woman presented with a history of some months of malaise, anorexia, fever and behavioural changes. She had been examined by a general physician on repeated occasions before coming to the hospital. After physical examination and laboratory investigations, she was sent home. She returned to the hospital the same day with increased drowsiness and headache. Additional diagnostic procedures were performed. An echocardiography showed vegetations on the mitral valve. A CT scan of the brain showed a left frontotemporal haemorrhage. Infective endocarditis with septic embolisation to the brain, which resulted in a cerebral haemorrhage, was diagnosed. The patient was admitted and intravenous antibiotics were administered. Because of haemodynamic instability, a mitral valve replacement was performed on the fifth day of admission. The patient recovered well postoperatively. Four weeks later, she was found in a comatose condition. She died as a result of a second intracerebral haemorrhage, which was probably caused by a mycotic aneurysm. An important lesson to be learned from this case is that endocarditis should be considered in patients with a long history of anorexia, weight loss, malaise and fever, especially when a heart murmur is present. Secondly, if intracranial haemorrhage has occurred in patients with infective endocarditis, therapeutic options should always be discussed with a neurosurgeon, even in those cases where the probability of a mycotic aneurysm is low.
 ...
PMID:[Clinical reasoning and decision making in practice. A 23 year old woman with malaise, anorexia, fever and behavior changes]. 1549 47

The aim of the study was the analysis of the patients with bacterial meningitis and brain abscess who were treated in the Department of Infection Disease and Hepatology of Medical University in Lodz in years 1996-2005. We reviewed their clinical presentation, bacteriology treatment and outcome retrospectively. Among 135 patients who were confirmed cases of bacterial meningitis 16 identified as having brain abscesses. The prevalence rate of brain abscesses significantly increased in years: 2004-2005. The common predisposing factors were otic and teeth infections, sinusitis, penetrating head trauma, and bacterial endocarditis. Solitary abscess was found in 56% of the cases while in 44% of the cases multiple abscess were found. The most common presentation: headache, fever and neurological deficit were present in 37% of the cases. 75% of patients were disqualified from early neurosurgical intervention and antibiotic therapy were recommended. The antibiotic therapy was effective only in 1 patient. The mortality rate was 38% and 56% of the survivors had late neurological defects. The prevalence rate of brain abscesses significantly increased in years 2004-2005. Over all mortality was very high and antibiotic therapy hasn't been effective treatment in brain abscess at the late stage of its evolution. The early neurosurgical intervention is recommended. Late neurosurgical intervention strongly influences poor outcome in patients with brain abscess.
 ...
PMID:[Brain abscess: analysis of prevalence and clinical course]. 1696 78

A 41-year-old right-handed man with bicuspid aortic valve and a 3-month history of chronic fever and weight loss presented with sudden onset of severe headache. Computerised tomography of the head revealed a right basal ganglia haemorrhage. Further investigation documented Streptococcus mitis bacteraemia, a fusiform right middle cerebral artery aneurysm, and an abscess at the base of the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. The patient subsequently died when repeat aneurysmal haemorrhage resulted in cerebral herniation and brain death while on antibiotic therapy. Infectious intracranial aneurysms (IIAs) are uncommon but severe complications of bacterial endocarditis. Several case series have been published evaluating the management of IIAs, but no randomised controlled trials exist to guide treatment decisions. Improved diagnostic techniques, microvascular neurosurgical approaches, and endovascular therapies hold the promise of improved outcomes in the future. This difficult case is used to show an approach towards the management of IIAs complicating bacterial endocarditis based on a review of the published work.
 ...
PMID:A dangerous dilemma: management of infectious intracranial aneurysms complicating endocarditis. 1706 23

We report a case of multiple signal loss lesions detected by T2* weighted image associated with bacterial endocarditis. A 23 year-old woman, who had undergone surgical closure of ventricular septal defect at age 2, suffered headache and general fatigue after dental treatment. She was admitted to another institution, and examinations revealed bacterial endcarditis. She was transferred to our hospital, and underwent aortic valve replacement. After the valve replacement, CT revealed parenchymal hematoma in the left frontal lobe. CT angiography (CTA) and cerebral angiography (CAG) demonstrated an aneurysm at the distal branch of the left middle cerebral artery. T2* weighted image demonstrated multiple signal loss lesions, which were not revealed by CAG and CTA. We speculated that these signal loss lesions were thrombosed mycotic intracranial aneurysms. She underwent left frontotemporal craniotomy, and the aneurysm was resected. Mycotic aneurysms are rare neurovascular lesions but their mortality and morbidity are high, so careful follow-up examinations are required. T2* weighted image was useful to detect mycotic aneurysms and plan the surgical strategy.
 ...
PMID:[Case of specific MRI T2* weighted image associated with bacterial endocarditis]. 1880 Jun 33

Both isolated angiitis of the central nervous system (IAN) and bacterial endocarditis (BE) may present with similar clinical and auxiliary findings. The differentiation is extremely important because of the different treatment regimens. We compared the findings of six patients with biopsy-proven IAN with the data of six patients with BE. Patients with IAN were younger (27-62 years) and presented with multiple strokes (n = 4), intracerebral hemorrhage (n = 1), epileptic seizures (n = 2), or encephalopathy (n = 1). All IAN patients had pathologic cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) findings (pleocytosis n = 5; protein elevation n = 4), and angiography revealed multilocular stenoses in two cases while digital subtraction angiography was normal in four. BE patients (32-77 years) presented multiple (n = 3) or single ischemic strokes (n = 2) or encephalopathy and headache (n = 2). While all patients showed inflammatory serum findings (C-reactive protein n = 6, leucocytosis n = 4), CSF-pleocytosis was present in two cases only. Angiography revealed a vasculitic pattern in two patients. The diagnosis of BE was established based on transesophageal echocardiography and blood cultures. Leptomeningeal and brain biopsies performed in two cases were normal. Both IAN and BE may present multiple strokes and encephalopathy. The frequency of a vasculitic pattern in angiography is similar in both conditions. While inflammatory serum findings are the rule in BE, pathologic CSF findings were present in all IAN patients. Transesophageal echocardiography and blood cultures should be performed in order to diagnose or exclude BE. Without brain biopsy, immunosuppressive therapy may be dangerous in suspected IAN.
 ...
PMID:Isolated angiitis of the CNS and bacterial endocarditis: similarities and differences. 1936 37

A case of Fusobacterium nucleatum endocarditis in an 80-year-old man is reported. The patient presented with a headache and nonspecific musculoskeletal symptoms and was misdiagnosed as having polymyalgia rheumatica. The diagnosis of bacterial endocarditis was delayed because of an insidious presentation, typical in infections with low virulence micro-organisms. The musculoskeletal symptoms, unresponsive to protracted corticosteroids, completely resolved with intravenous ampicillin treatment. Rheumatologic symptoms may hinder the correct diagnosis of subacute infective endocarditis. An atypical evolution of a common rheumatic disorder such as polymyalgia rheumatica should alert physicians to the possibility of bacterial endocarditis.
 ...
PMID:Fusobacterium nucleatum endocarditis mimicking polymyalgia rheumatica. 1973 33

Streptococcus mitis, an important member of viridans streptococci, is found in the normal flora of the oropharynx, gastrointestinal tract, female genital tract and skin. Although it is of low pathogenicity and virulence, it may cause serious infections in immunocompromised patients. Meningitis caused by S.mitis has been described in patients with previous spinal anesthesia, neurosurgical procedure, malignancy, bacterial endocarditis with neurological complications and alcoholics, but it is rare in patients who are previously healthy. In this report, a rare case of meningoencephalitis caused by S.mitis developed in a previously healthy child has been presented. A previously healthy eight-year-old girl who presented with fever, altered state of consciousness, and headache was hospitalized in intensive care unit with the diagnosis of meningitis. Past history revealed that she was treated with amoxicillin-clavulanate for acute sinusitis ten days before her admission. Whole blood count revealed the followings: hemoglobin 13 g/dl, white blood cell count 18.6 x 109/L (90% neutrophils), platelet count 200 x 109/L and 150 leucocytes were detected on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) examination. Protein and glucose levels of CSF were 80 mg/dl and 40 mg/dl (concomitant blood glucose 100 mg/dl), respectively. Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed widespread white matter lesions, and alpha-hemolytic streptococci were grown in CSF culture. The isolate was identified as S.mitis with conventional methods, and also confirmed by VITEK2 (bioMerieux, France) and API 20 STREP (bioMerieux, France) systems. Isolate was found susceptible to penicillin, erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, cefotaxime, vancomycin and chloramphenicol. Regarding the etiology, echocardiography revealed no vegetation nor valve pathology, and peripheral blood smear showed no abnormality. Immunoglobulin and complement levels were within normal limits. Ongoing inflammation in maxillary sinuses detected in brain MRI suggested that meningitis could be related to previous sinus infection. After 14 days of ceftriaxone treatment, the patient was discharged from the hospital with cure. The aim of this case presentation was to emphasize that S.mitis may cause meningitis and white matter lesions in previously healthy children with concomitant sinusitis.
 ...
PMID:[Meningitis and white matter lesions due to Streptococcus mitis in a previously healthy child]. 2209 Mar 6

We describe a retired physician who presented with visual disturbance and systemic symptoms. The presence of general malaise, headache and scalp tenderness, with raised inflammatory markers, suggested that giant cell arteritis (GCA) was the likely diagnosis. Rapid response to initial steroid therapy and histological evidence of inflammation in the temporal artery supported this diagnosis. The character of these visual symptoms was, however, atypical for GCA. The patient, who had heart valve disease, subsequently deteriorated and developed further symptoms warranting investigation of bacterial endocarditis. Retinal emboli are a recognised complication of endocarditis, which could account for these visual symptoms. Moreover, interpretation of the temporal artery biopsy is limited in the context of existing steroid therapy. Our patient was consequently diagnosed with bacterial endocarditis. This case reminds us to consider the wider differential diagnoses for headache, visual disturbance and systemic symptoms, where echocardiogram and blood cultures may be crucial to reach the diagnosis.
 ...
PMID:Visual disturbance with systemic symptoms: old lessons revisited. 2779 82


<< Previous 1 2