Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
Pivot Concepts:   Target Concepts:
Query: UMLS:C1762617 (weakness)
 37,932 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Opioid abuse is common in Iran. In 2005, a new version of locally produced illicit opioid vials, so called Norgesic, appeared in the illicit market, which gained popularity rapidly and led to an improvement of stigmatizing the general appearance of dependent cases. Later, some cases suffered Cushing's-like problems. A prospective case series was designed to evaluate 18 Norgesic-dependent subjects who volunteered for abstinence therapy in a rehabilitation clinic from November 1, 2005, to December 30, 2005. In this study, we aimed to describe the clinical and paraclinical findings in detail and define the potential determinants of this Cushing's syndrome outbreak. History, physical examination, plasma cortisol level, and urine screen tests were used to describe the patients. All subjects were male with a mean (SEM) age of 29.8 +/- 1.6 years. The opioid-dependence period was 8.4 +/-0.9 years. In an average of 4.7 +/- 0.3 months, subjects increased their usage to 5.5 +/- 0.5 vials a day. Patients claimed to gain weight. Striae were seen in 38.9%, previously documented psychological problems in 33.3%, weakness in 27.8%, high systolic blood pressure in 22.2%, moon face in 16.7%, hirsutism in 11.1%, extensive dermal infection in 11.1%, gynecomastia in 5.6%, back pain in 5.6%, insomnia in 5.6%, and lack of potency in 5.6%. Their cortisol level, on average, was 4.8 +/- 1.1 microg/dL. Hepatitis C virus was positive in 22.2%. Urine-screening tests were positive for morphine and negative for buprenorphine. In conclusion, these new vials contain steroids as well as opioids. This combination could be more dangerous than opioids themselves.
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PMID:A new illicit opioid dependence outbreak, evidence for a combination of opioids and steroids. 1951 47

Triad of leukoencephalopathy, cerebral calcifications and cysts (LCC) is a recently reported rare disease named 'Labrune syndrome' after the first case was reported in 1996 by Labrune et al. Herein, we report a case of a 36-year-old man with mild right-sided weakness and seizures for 5 years. CT of brain revealed extensive calcification involving bilateral basal ganglia, right thalamus and bilateral deep cerebellar nuclei. A supratentorial cystic lesion with blood fluid level was seen in left occipitotemporal region. MRI examination revealed diffuse symmetric white matter hyperintensity suggesting leukoencephalopathy. On follow-up, patient reported improvement in the weakness and no further seizure episodes. However, follow-up of MRI revealed persistence of lesions. Differential diagnosis considered were parasitic infections (hydatid, cysticercosis), Coat's plus disease and causes of diffuse cerebral calcification like Fahr's disease and post-radiotherapy/chemotherapy. Serology for parasitic infections was negative. No history of radiotherapy or chemotherapy in the past could be elicited in the history. Another close differential is Coat's plus disease which can mimic LCC pathologically.
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PMID:A case of leukoencephalopathy, cerebral calcifications and cysts. 2234 26