No abstract

This study was performed to investigate the serum and hair zinc levels in patients epilepsy diagnoses who were intended to be put on valproic acid (VA) monotherapy and had never ingested antiepileptics before. A total of 16 patients having normal growth, development and nutrition was selected as Group 1, and Group 2 was made up of 10 patients who had received VA monotherapy for 2 yrs or more and had normal growth, development, and nutrition characteristics. A control group (Group 3) was formed of 15 subjects who applied to the hospital for upper respiratory tract disorders. Serum and hair samples were taken for zinc assays from the Group 1 patients on the d 0, 15, 30, 45, 60, 75, and 180. Groups 2 and 3 were sampled only once, and zinc levels were determined. We found that both serum and hair zinc levels in Group 1 were higher than those of Group 2 and control group before the beginning of VA therapy, but they returned to normal during VA treatment. There was no zinc deficiency, and zinc replacement treatment may therefore be considered as unnecessary.

Between May 1988 and November 1992 the data from 52 patients with tuberculous meningitis (TBM) were noted down for their symptoms and signs, BCG vaccines, PPD tests; clinical, laboratory, radiologic and microbiologic findings. These data were discussed by means of literature knowledge. Cranial computed tomography (CT) demonstrated hydrocephalus (HC) in 98% of the patients. There was a statistically significant difference among the clinical stages on admission in respect to prognosis (P < 0.05). In addition, there was also a significant relationship between prognosis and HC (P < 0.05). However, we did not find any significant relationship between parenchymal involvement, basilar meningitis and prognosis (P > 0.05).

A patient is reported with a suprasellar tuberculoma which imitated a craniopharyngioma on cumputed tomography scan and magnetic resonance imaging of the brain. This lesion developed during irregularly used antituberculous therapy and caused endocrinologic disorders 3 years after the original diagnosis of tuberculous meningitis. Surgery was performed to confirm the diagnosis and also to decompress the optic pathways. Five months later, the lesion disappeared completely after appropriate antituberculous treatment.

Two sisters aged 12 and 13 applied to our hospital with complaints of jerking tonic contraction triggered by sudden noise. Diffuse bilaterally polyspike-wave discharges appeared on waking electroencephalography and during that time a startle-induced tonic contraction was seen. Their neurological examinations and neuro-radiological imaging were normal except for hyperreflexia. We presented these cases because of being rare.