Swiss cheese brain

Abstract

Abstract-Objective:To better define, in women with headache, the relationship of depression and somatic symptoms to headache, characterized by diagnoses, frequency, and disability. Methods: At six headache specialty clinics, women with headache were classified using ICHD-II criteria, and frequency was recorded. A questionnaire addressing demographics, age at onset of headache, headache-related disability, somatic symptom, and depression severity was completed. Logistic regression was performed to measure the associations of headache frequency and headache-related disability with somatic symptom and depression severity. Results: A total of 1,032 women with headache completed the survey, 593 with episodic (96% with migraine) and 439 with chronic headache (87% with migraine). Low education and household income was more common in chronic headache sufferers and in persons with severe headache disability. Somatic symptom prevalence and severity was greater in persons with chronic headache and with severe headache-related disability. Significant correlation was observed between PHQ-9 and PHQ-15 scores (r ϭ 0.62). Chronic headache, severe disability, and high somatic symptom severity were associated with major depressive disorder (OR ϭ 25.1, 95% CI: 10.9 to 57.9), and this relationship was stronger in the subgroup with a diagnosis of migraine (OR ϭ 31.8, 95% CI: 12.9 to 78.5). Conclusions: High somatic symptom severity is prevalent in women with chronic and severely disabling headaches. Synergistic relationship to major depression exists for high somatic symptom severity, chronic headache, and disabling headache, suggesting a psychobiological underpinning of these associations.

Widespread enlarged perivascular spaces associated with dementia and focal brain dysfunction: case report

“…Only three case studies of patients with widespread enlarged PVS in the cerebral white matter who developed neurological symptoms have been previously reported [ 2 – 4 ]. In one case, a patient with bilateral lesions of enlarged PVS developed dementia [ 2 ], while a second patient developed transient encephalopathy triggered by a mild respiratory infection [ 3 ]. The third case developed dementia and focal signs, where posterior and mediotemporal cerebral lesions were associated with hemiparesis and homonymous hemianopsia [ 4 ].…”

Multiple bihemispheric cysts

“…Rarely, cases of wide-spread giant Virchow-Robin spaces can present as a ''Swiss cheese brain" [4]. The mechanism for such enlargement of perivascular spaces remains obscure [5].…”

“…Whole-brain enlargement of Virchow-Robin spaces is very rare and reported anecdotally [4]. A more common variant is striatal occurrence, termed ''Swiss cheese striatum" [9].…”

Neuropareidolia: diagnostic clues apropos of visual illusions

“…Macroscopic as well as microscopic aspects of several diseases have been traditionally compared with letters 5 , inverted letters 6 , comestibles such as orange 7 , mango 8 , rice grain 9 , onion-bulb 10 , pear 11 , tomato 12 , strawberry jam 13 , grapes cluster 14 , honeycomb 14 , and Swiss cheese 15 ; or objects such as a pencil 16 , corkscrew 17 , and candle flame 18 , or botanic aspects such as leaves 19 and bamboo 20 ; or a tooth 21 .…”