Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C0036572 (seizures)
 80,221 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

We report a case of a 48-yr-old woman who underwent surgery because of papillary oxyphilic thyroid carcinoma pT3. After total thyroidectomy, we administered 2960 MBq (131)I for ablation of the residual tissue. initial follow-up visits showed no clinical, radiological or scintigraphic evidence of residual or metastatic thyroid tissue. Serum thyroglobulin levels (Tg) and (131)I whole-body scintigraphy were negative. Three years after thyroidectomy, the patient experienced seizures, and as a consequence a brain tumor was removed. It was an undetected metastasis of the primary thyroid carcinoma. Histological examinations showed that neither the primary tumor nor the metastasis produced any Tg. With this fact in mind and the knowledge of negative (131)I whole-body scans we had to concentrate on radiological (CT and MRI scans) and nonspecific scintigraphic methods such as 201TI whole-body scintigraphy in our management of the patient. Further follow-up demonstrated multiple metastasis by 201TI whole-body scan (mediastinum, bones and soft tissue), and most of them have been removed by surgery. This case report demonstrates that, in addition to (131)I whole-body scans and measurement of serum Tg, the use of nonspecific tracers like 201TI is important to detect (131)I and/or Tg negative metastases.
 ...
PMID:Thallium-201 uptake with negative iodine-131 scintigraphy and serum thyroglobulin in metastatic oxyphilic papillary thyroid carcinoma. 947 25

Brain metastases occur in 20-40% of patients with cancer and their frequency has increased over time. Lung, breast and skin (melanoma) are the commonest sources of brain metastases, and in up to 15% of patients the primary site remains unknown. After the introduction of MRI, multiple lesions have outnumbered single lesions. Contrast-enhanced MRI is the gold standard for the diagnosis. There are no pathognomonic features on CT or MRI that distinguish brain metastases from primary malignant brain tumors or nonneoplastic conditions: therefore a tissue diagnosis by biopsy should be always obtained in patients with unknown primary tumor before undergoing radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy. Some factors are prognostically important: a high Performance Status, a solitary brain metastasis, an absence of systemic metastases, a controlled primary tumor and a younger age. Based on these factors, subgroups of patients with different prognosis have been identified (RPA class I, II, III). Symptomatic therapy includes corticosteroids to reduce vasogenic cerebral edema and anticonvulsants to control seizures. In patients with newly diagnosed brain metastases prophylactic anticonvulsants should not be used routinely. The combination of surgery and whole-brain radiotherapy (WBRT) is superior to WBRT alone for the treatment of single brain metastasis in patients with limited or absent systemic disease and good neurological condition. Complete surgical resection allows a relief of intracranial hypertension, seizures and focal neurological deficits. Radiosurgery, alone or in conjunction with WBRT, yields results which are comparable to those reported after surgery followed by WBRT, provided that lesion's diameter does not exceed 3-3.5 cm. Radiosurgery offers the potential of treating patients with surgically inaccessible metastases. Still controversial is the need for WBRT after surgery or radiosurgery: local control seems better with the combined approach, but overall survival does not improve. Late neurotoxicity in long surviving patients after WBRT is not negligible; to avoid this complication patients with favorable prognostic factors must be treated with conventional schedules of RT, and monitoring of cognitive functions is important. WBRT alone is the treatment of choice in patients with single brain metastasis not amenable to surgery or radiosurgery, and with an active systemic disease, and in patients with multiple brain metastases. A small subgroup of these latter may benefit from surgery. The response rate of brain metastases to chemotherapy is similar to the response rate of the primary tumor and extracranial metastases, some tumor types being more chemosensitive (small cell lung carcinoma, breast carcinoma, germ cell tumors). New radiosensitizers and cytotoxic or cytostatic agents, and innovative technique of drug delivery are being investigated.
 ...
PMID:Management of brain metastases. 1238 50

Cerebral metastases are frequently observed in patients with systemic carcinoma as indication for new progress of the disease. Neurological deficits or seizures indicating cerebral metastases reduce the disease-related living conditions of the patients. Improving quality of life and survival time is the overriding goal of an early treatment after the diagnosis of cerebral metastases. Contemporary treatment include surgical removal of the cerebral metastases followed by whole brain irradiation and in some cases additional systemic chemotherapy for the primary tumor. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that whole brain radiation following surgical removal improves the quality of life and the survival time in patients with cerebral metastasis. From January 1, 1994 to December 31, 2000, a total of 139 patients (mean age 59 +/- 2.3 years, m : f = 84 : 55) with cerebral metastases were investigated. Disease-related living conditions were assessed by Karnofsky score, the median time of follow-up was 11 months. For the analysis, patients were divided into groups with and without radiation therapy. Additionally, groups of patients with singular and two brain metastases were defined. In patients with singular brain metastases neither the survival time nor disease-related living conditions during the remaining life time was increased by postoperative whole brain irradiation. Almost all patients died due to the progression of the primary tumor. Patients with more than one metastases seemed to have a slight but not significant benefit from irradiation therapy after surgical removal of all metastases. In conclusion, these results indicate that an uncritical irradiation therapy of neurocranium after surgical removal of cerebral metastases is not beneficial in terms of survival time or disease-related living conditions.
 ...
PMID:[Influence of postoperative radiation therapy of cerebral metastases on survival time and disease related to living condition]. 1287 55

Coagulation disorders are common in cancer patients. In patients with solid tumors, a low-grade activated coagulation can result in systemic and cerebral arterial or venous thrombosis. Cancer treatments may also contribute to this coagulopathy, which usually, but not exclusively, occurs in the setting of advanced malignant disease. There may be TIAs or cerebral infarctions. Because of the widespread distribution of cerebral thromboses, there may be a superimposed encephalopathy; sometimes this is the only sign. Concurrent systemic thrombosis is present in many patients and is a useful clue to the diagnosis. In cerebral venous occlusion, the initial symptom is usually a headache. Except for cerebral intravascular coagulation that is unassociated with NBTE, neuriomaging studies usually demonstrate one or more parenchymal infarctions. MRI or MRV may demonstrate venous thrombosis. The laboratory evidence of coagulopathy is difficult to distinguish from the asymptomatic coagulopathy that often accompanies advanced cancer, and the test results must be interpreted cautiously. NBTE can be diagnosed by transesophageal echocardiography. There is no established treatment for the thrombotic coagulopathy associated with cancer, but anticoagulation should be considered. In leukemia and lymphoma, the coagulopathy is typically acute DIC that can lead to systemic and brain hemorrhages. It is especially common in acute myelogenous leukemias. The clinical signs of cerebral hemorrhage are fulminant and may be fatal. The bleeding usually occurs in the brain or subdural compartment, and rarely in the subarachnoid space. The diagnosis can be suspected by the clinical setting and by systemic thrombosis or hemorrhage. It can be established by examination of the peripheral smear, the platelet count, and tests of coagulation function. Therapy of acute DIC is controversial and should be individualized for the clinical setting. Cerebrovascular disorders can complicate metastatic or primary tumor in the brain, skull, dura, or leptomeninges. The clinical signs of infarction are indistinguishable from other causes of stroke, except that tumor-related venous occlusion will usually first produce signs of increased intracranial pressure. The diagnosis of tumor-related infarction can usually be established by neuroimaging studies that show infarction and may show extracerebral sites of tumor. CSF examination is useful in diagnosing leptomeningeal metastasis. A search for lung or cardiac tumor should be performed when embolic tumor infarction is suspected. Primary or metastatic tumors in the brain or dura may hemorrhage, producing the initial clinical signs of the brain tumor or a change in chronic signs induced by the tumor. There are helpful clues to a neoplastic hemorrhage on brain CT or MRI scans. The brain hemorrhage may require evacuation and the underlying tumor will usually require additional antineoplastic treatment. Hyperleukocytosis (extreme elevation of the cell count) in acute myelogenous leukemia is a less common cause of brain hemorrhage in recent years because of improved methods to lower the cell count. Cerebral arterial or venous thrombosis is sometimes the result of cancer therapy. The attribution of thrombosis to chemotherapy in many published cases is only speculative, because carefully conducted prospective studies that include investigation for other thrombotic causes are not available. The best-known associations with thrombosis are L-asparaginase, which is typically used in the induction therapy of acute lymphocytic leukemia, and combination hormonal therapy and chemotherapy for breast cancer. Radiation to the head and neck, typically administered for head and neck epithelial cancers or lymphoma, may result in delayed carotid atherosclerosis. The distribution of stenosis or occlusion is within the radiation portal and is typically more extensive than is atherosclerosis that develops in the absence of radiation. Small clinical series suggest that surgical treatment is equally effective as in nonirradiated carotid atherosclerosis. In children, the cerebral vessels can be affected by brain radiation resulting in stenosis or occlusion. Brain hemorrhages can result from chemotherapy effects on the hemostatic system or a microangiopathic anemia. Hemorrhages from radiation-induced vascular abnormalities are rare. Opportunistic infections, especially fungal infections, can complicate cancer or its treatment. Septic cerebral emboli may result in focal cerebral signs, seizures, or encephalopathy. Sometimes there is an associated hemorrhagic vasculitis or cerebritis. Rarely, mycotic aneurysms may bleed. A high index of suspicion is needed to diagnose fungal infection because of the difficulty in culturing the organism from the blood or CSF. A clinician can usually establish the cause of stroke in the cancer patient by performing a careful review of the clinical setting--including the type and extent of cancer and the type of antineoplastic therapy--in which the stroke occurred. Systemic thrombosis, embolism, or hemorrhage can be a clue to the cause, and appropriate neuroimaging and coagulation studies to aid in the diagnosis are available. Therapy may ameliorate symptoms or prevent further episodes. The identification of one of these unusual stroke syndromes that leads to the diagnosis of an occult and treatable cancer can be particularly rewarding.
 ...
PMID:Cerebrovascular complications in cancer patients. 1269 Jun 49

A 74-year-old Filipino man presented with new-onset partial-complex seizures. Eight months earlier he had a subtotal gastrectomy for adenocarcinoma classified as T1 N0M0 stage IA. He was irradiated. Two months later, he became confused and developed rhythmic, seizure-like movements of the extremities. A head CT revealed a 2 cm. right frontal lobe mass. On MRI, the mass exhibited ring enhancement and was surrounded by edematous white matter. The patient denied headache, weakness or constitutional symptoms. CT of the chest and abdomen revealed no evidence of metastatic spread or other abnormalities. His seizures were controlled with fosphenytoin and dexamethasone. Preoperatively the frontal lobe lesion was considered most likely to be either a metastatic or primary tumor. Resection of the frontal lobe lesion revealed a firm gliotic cystic mass. Crush preparations and frozen sections showed acute and chronic inflammation, gliosis, fibrosis, and many foreign body giant cells reacting to parasitic larval tissue. Intact and necrotic larval parts were surrounded by gliotic brain tissue containing foreign body giant cells, macrophages, and lymphocytes. However, eosinophils were not seen. Finally a refractive fragment resembling a hooklet and a fragmented scolex were identified that made a diagnosis of cysticercosis certain.
 ...
PMID:January 2004: elderly Filipino man with frontal lobe tumor. 1544 90

Brain metastases represent the most common intracranial neoplasia. The lung, breast and kidney are the primary tumor locations most often associated with brain metastasis. Seizures and neurological impairment are typical manifestations of neoplastic cerebral dissemination, which, when untreated, usually lead to death within a few months. In this review, we discuss whole brain radiotherapy, surgical resection and stereotactic radiosurgery as the currently used therapeutic options for renal cell cancer metastasis in the brain.
 ...
PMID:[Brain metastases in cases of renal cell carcinoma]. 1718 91

We describe a man of 59 years old, a smoker (20 cigarettes per day), without any pathologic background, with epilepsia partialis continua, with a relatively sudden appearance in the last 6 weeks. We wanted to find the cause of these prolonged focal seizures. The initial diagnosis of emergency was that of right side hemiballismus. The initial diagnosis on admission was prolonged right brachial myoclonus. Initially I was thinking of primary tumor or secondary one but paraclinic examinations excluded this diagnosis. After 5 months I repeated cerebral MRI scan which revealed left neoplasm of cavum. After another 6 months head and neck MRI described left rhinopharyngeal neoplasm with laterocervical adenopathies, cerebral metastases secondary to bronchopulmonary cancer with mediastinal invasion. The epilepsia partialis continua preceded by one year the primary neoplastic process.
 ...
PMID:[Paraneoplastic syndrome presenting as epilepsia partialis continua]. 1829 93

The paraneoplastic syndrome caused by Ma2/Ta antibodies alone (not in conjunction with Ma1 or Ma3 antibodies) varies in presentation from classic limbic encephalitis. The Ma2 syndrome may present with symptoms referable to the brainstem, diencephalon, and limbic system. These clinical symptoms are accompanied by MRI changes and abnormal electroencephalographic findings. It is important to recognize when the encephalitic syndrome is secondary to Ma2 paraneoplastic antibodies, as the patients improve or stabilize most often when the underlying carcinoma is treated. Treatment of the paraneoplastic syndrome begins with recognition of the symptoms, such as memory impairment, seizures, sleep disturbances, bradykinesia or hypokinesia, and eye movement abnormalities. If a primary tumor is discovered during the workup, it should be removed and treated with the most up-to-date oncologic treatment available. In addition to oncologic treatment, the syndrome may be treated with an immunosuppressant regimen to optimize the neurologic outcome. Leaving the patient untreated will result in decline and eventual death from the cancer itself or from complications of the paraneoplastic syndrome.
 ...
PMID:Treatment of anti-Ma2/Ta paraneoplastic syndrome. 1909 36

Meningiomas are extraaxial tumors that arise from the arachnoid layer of the meninges. Seizures are the most common clinical sign in dogs; cats more often present with mentation changes, vision loss, and gait abnormalities. Meningiomas in both species grow slowly and have an insidious onset of clinical signs. These tumors are more likely to be malignant in dogs. Surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy can target the primary tumor, whereas steroids and anticonvulsants are confined to treating secondary effects of the tumor. Surgery is the preferred primary option for cats because the tumor can be excised completely in most cases. If the meningioma cannot be resected in its entirety, radiation therapy can increase survival time.
 ...
PMID:Intracranial meningioma in dogs and cats: a comparative review. 1974 52

The authors report here 2 cases of subacute-onset encephalitis with N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antibodies. One had a paraneoplastic syndrome associated with a neuroblastoma, whereas the other had no primary tumor. This disease was originally described as a paraneoplastic syndrome in young women with ovarian teratoma. The clinical features of both children resembled the typical symptoms reported for older patients with this disease: psychomotor deterioration, movement disorders, and seizures. One of the reported cases is the first known case of paraneoplastic encephalitis with NMDA antibodies in a child with neuroblastoma. Both cases described here were younger than any of the previously reported cases. Consistent with recently published series, this report suggests that the spectrum of symptoms of encephalitis with NMDA receptor antibodies is probably wider than previously thought.
 ...
PMID:Expanding spectrum of encephalitis with NMDA receptor antibodies in young children. 1983 74


<< Previous 1 2 3 4 Next >>