1.The efficacy and safety of Chai Hu Shu Gan San as an adjuvant drug for selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors in the treatment of post-stroke depression: A meta-analysis
Chenglin Wang ; Jiguo Gao ; Beilin Zhang ; Rensheng Zhang ; Chao Wang ; Xinyuan Li ; Heqian Du ; Chunkui Zhou ; Shaokuan Fang
Neurology Asia 2019;24(3):215-227
Post-stroke depression often seriously affects the prognosis and quality of life of patients and many
clinical trials had shown that Chai Hu Shu Gan San (柴胡疏肝散) combined with selective serotonin
reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) had good efficacy and minor side effects. We aimed to conduct this metaanalysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Chai Hu Shu Gan San as an adjuvant drug for SSRI in
treating post-stroke depression. We searched PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, Wanfang, China
Biology Medicine disc (CBM), Chongqing VIP, and CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure)
from their date of foundation to December 15, 2018. Literature screening, data extraction and quality
assessment were conducted by two authors independently. The data synthesis and analysis were
performed by using Review Manager (RevMan) 5.3 software and sensitivity analysis was conducted
to assess the robustness of the results. Finally, a total of 22 articles were included. The meta-analysis
confirmed the advantages of the combination of SSRI and Chai Hu Shu Gan San, mainly from four
aspects: the Hamilton Depression (HAMD) scale score (MD=3.66; 95% DI=2.33-4.98; p<0.001),
the Modified Edinburgh Scandinavian Stroke Scale (MESSS) score (MD=4.87; 95% CI=2.32-7.43;
p<0.001), the efficacy rate (OR=3.50; 95% CI =2.61-4.69; p<0.001) and the incidence of adverse
reactions (OR=0.28; 95% CI=0.17-0.46; p<0.001). No significant publication bias was observed, and
sensitivity analysis suggested a good stability of the results. According to the present evidence, we
concluded that Chai Hu Shu Gan Sa
2.Toxoplasmosis presenting with multiple cranial nerve palsies and cavernous sinusitis: A case report
Jing Liu ; Beilin Zhang ; Lexiang Cui ; Teng Zhao ; Ren sheng Zhang ; Hongchao Liu ; Heqian Du ; Jiguo Gao ; Shaokuan Fang
Neurology Asia 2019;24(2):171-173
Toxoplasmosis is a worldwide zoonosis caused by an intracellular protozoan parasite, Toxoplasma
gondii. We report here a diabetic patient who was diagnosed as toxoplasmosis with multiple cranial
nerve palsies and cavernous sinusitis. A 37-year-old male presented with an 11-day history of gingival
pain, one day history of ptosis and diplopia. He has been having diabetes mellitus for 6 years, and has
a history of contact with cats. After admission, his symptoms worsened with right 3rd to 7th cranial
nerve palsies. The brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed cavernous sinusitis in the right
sellar region. Serology for toxoplasma was positive for IgM and negative IgG. The patient was treated
with oral clindamycin (900 mg/day) and dexamethasone (15 mg/day). The right visual acuity and
lid-conjunctival swelling improved after 3 days. At follow-up after a month, the movement of the
right eye significantly improved. This case demonstrate the rare occurrence of multiple cranial nerve
(3rd to 7th) palsies from toxoplasmosis cavernous sinusitis, which is a potentially treatable condition.