Chemo for Ovarian Cancer May Prevent Paraneoplastic Encephalitis

DOCTORS here have come up with a treatment approach for a rare condition associated with tumours in the ovary, and have recommended it as the way to go in a scientific journal.

The condition, known as paraneoplastic encephalitis, is an acute inflammation of the brain which sets in when an ovarian cancer triggers the patient's over-active immune system to attack the brain.

The patient may then suffer from fits, confusion or have memory problems. Left untreated, permanent and severe brain damage or death can result.

Doctors here recommend that chemotherapy be considered as one of the main treatments for ovarian cancer in patients showing symptoms of paraneoplastic encephalitis.

From treating five such cases here, they have found that chemotherapy seems to prevent the immune system from attacking the brain.

This is a departure from the traditional practice of removing ovarian tumours through surgery only, preferred because chemotherapy given to a woman of reproductive age can cause infertility.

- straits times.

clinical case: 15yo boy with staggering gait

A 15 year old boy was referred to a neurologist when he complained of difficulty in running and developed a staggering gait, poor articulation in speech and clumsiness in the hands during an 8 month period. These symptoms were recalled to be like that of his uncle who became similarly disabled in his early 20's and confined to a wheelchair before finally becoming bedridden.

The physical examination revealed an unsteady, broad-based stance and sudden lurching when walking which was accompanied by a "slapping" sound made by the feet. Loss of vibratory and position sense was observed bilaterally in all extremities. There was a tremor of the upper extremity as the patient reached for objects. Speech was slurred, slow and with an uneven pattern. Hyporeflexia was present but there was only a slight indication of muscle atrophy though there were bilateral Babinski signs.

____________________ taken from http://networkedblogs.com/p22220776 _________________

typically, friedrich's ataxia manifests itself via the 4 following ways:

+ve babinski test (bilat) ==> pyramidal tract
loss of position and movement (deep sensory loss) --> posterior column
staggering gait, poor articulation in speech + clumsiness ==> cerebellar
loss of sense of vibration ==> peripheral neuritis

the first sign to appear is usually difficulty in walking. cause of death is usually
due to cardiac problems. possible complications include carbohydrate intolerance (20%) and diabetes mellitus (10%)

BOO

its christmas, yay.