Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0851184 (thinning)
 11,252 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Previous studies have shown that the concentrations of 3', 5' cyclic adenosine monophosphate (cAMP) and 3', 5' cyclic guanosine monophosphate (cGMP) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), brain, or both, are increased by melanotropic peptides and catechol amines, and by cholinergic agents. The present study measured the concentrations of cAMP, cGMP, and melanotropic activity in the CSF of normal patients and in 136 subjects with various neurologic diseases. In normal lumbar CSF, concentrations (ave +/- SD) were: cAMP, 21 +/- 8 mM; cGMP, 2.4 +/- 0.5 mM; melanotropic activity, 17 +/- 6 units/100 ml. Concentrations of cAMP, cGMP, and melanotropic activity did not differ significantly (P is less than .05) from normal in the following categories of adult and pediatric patients: back pain due to vertigo of unknown cause; cerebral atrophy; cerebral vascular disease; and brain tumor subdural hematoma not causing increased ventricular pressure. Nine children with retarded psychomotor development caused by diffuse brain disease (infection, trauma, hemorrhage, degenerative process, long-standing hydrocephalus with thinning of the cerebral mantle) had subnormal levels of cAMP and melanotropic activity. These two variables were significantly correlated in the entire series of CSF samples (r=+0.55, P is less than .005). cGMP was elevated in the ventricular fluid of adult and pediatric patients when the ventricular pressure was abnormally elevated. The nucleotide's level rose as high as 50 X normal when ventricular pressure exceeded 300 mm H2O. The concentration of ventricular cGMP was proportional to that of ventricular pressure (r=+0.76, P is less than .005). The correlation was similar regardless of the type of hydrocephalus (congenital or acquired, communicating or obstructive), the age of the patient, or the nature of the underlying disease.
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PMID:Observations on the cyclic nucleotide concentrations in human cerebrospinal fluid. 18 45

The clinical and radiological findings in six extradural and nine intradural arachnoid cysts are discussed in relation to previous reports. Only two cysts failed to opacify during positive contrast myelography; in both cases Myodil was used and in one of them contrast medium had entered the cyst on delayed films taken at 24 h. Pain was always improved and generally cured by operation, only two patients having some residual backache. There was permanent improvement of neurological function in only eight cases. The factors associated with poor permanent recovery after surgical treatment were: 1) very marked thinning of the spinal cord by the cyst, and 2) relatively longer duration of paresis--only one case had paresis for under 2 years (mean 4.8 years) compared with only two cases for over 1 year (mean 2 years) in those with good recovery.
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PMID:Spinal arachnoid cysts: clinical and radiological correlation with prognosis. 706 14

Notalgia paresthetica refers to an isolated mononeuropathy involving chronic localized itch or paresthesia most often at the skin of the scapula or surrounding regions. There are no specific skin manifestations except those arising from chronic scratching and rubbing. The specific etiology remains unknown; however, it has been theorized that the neuropathic itch is caused by sensory nerve entrapment involving the posterior rami of the T2 to T6 nerve root. The entrapment is due to degenerative changes in the vertebrae. We report here a particular case of notalgia paresthetica in a 55-year-old woman. The patient visited our hospital for tingling pain around the left inferior angle of the scapula. Pruritus was first reported seven years ago with tingling pain developing only four months ago. There were no specific skin lesions observed except for excoriation and vague hyperpigmentation. A skin biopsy revealed only epidermal thinning with pigmentary incontinence. The patient was treated with 600 mg of gabapentin daily as well as capsaicin cream. The response was deemed unsatisfactory.
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PMID:Neuropathic itch of the back: a case of notalgia paresthetica. 2496 42

Ankylosing spondylitis is associated with back pain and fatigue and impacts mobility but can be treated with tumor necrosis factor inhibitors (TNFi). The differential effects of TNFi treatment on multiple symptoms and the brain is not well delineated. Thus, we conducted a 2-part study. In study 1, we conducted a retrospective chart review in 129 ankylosing spondylitis patients to assess TNFi effects on pain, fatigue, motor function, mobility, and quality of life (QoL). After at least 10 weeks of TNFi treatment, patients had clinically significant improvements (>30%) in pain (including neuropathic pain), most disease and QoL factors, and normalized sensory detection thresholds. However, residual fatigue (mean = 5.3) was prominent. Although 60% of patients had significant relief of pain, only 22% of patients had significant relief of both pain and fatigue. Therefore, the preferential TNFi treatment effect on pain compared with fatigue could contribute to suboptimal effects on QoL. Part 2 was a prospective study in 14 patients to identify TNFi treatment effects on pain, fatigue, sensory and psychological factors, and brain cortical thickness based on 3T magnetic resonance imaging. Centrally, TNFi was associated with statistically significant cortical thinning of motor, premotor, and posterior parietal regions. Pain intensity reduction was associated with cortical thinning of the secondary somatosensory cortex, and pain unpleasantness reduction was associated with the cortical thinning of motor areas. In contrast, fatigue reduction correlated with cortical thinning of the insula, primary sensory cortex/inferior parietal sulcus, and superior temporal polysensory areas. This indicates that TNFi treatment produces changes in brain areas implicated in sensory, motor, affective, and cognitive functions.
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PMID:Tumor necrosis factor inhibitor therapy in ankylosing spondylitis: differential effects on pain and fatigue and brain correlates. 2559 51

The lateral transpsoas approach to access the vertebrae obviates the need for an approach surgeon and minimizes muscular disruption, thus allowing for quicker recovery. Several reports on the lateral transpsoas procedure have described few complications. However, the development of an unsightly and painful abdominal flank bulge is a largely under-recognized and very rare complication of the lateral transpsoas approach. A 59-year-old man suffered from back pain and bilateral posterior leg pain. Computed tomography (CT) scan and MRI showed retrolisthesis at L3-4, L2 wedge vertebrae with kyphosis, left L4 screw loosening, and L3-4 disc herniation with central canal stenosis. L2 corpectomy and L3-4 DLIF and posterior fusion to T12 for kyphosis correction were performed. For the lateral approach, resection of the T11 rib was performed. One month later, he developed left abdominal flank bulging below the lateral approach site, which was aggravated by walking, coughing, defecating, constipation, and eating. CT scan showed left abdominal flank bulging accompanied by abdominal muscle thinning. We believe that this complication is caused by denervation of the abdominal musculature after injury to the T11 intercostal nerves.
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PMID:Abdominal Flank Bulging after Lateral Retroperitoneal Approach: A Case Report. 2866 21