Marchiafava-Bignami disease (MBD) is characterized by cerebral white matter lesions associated with chronic alcoholism. Premortem diagnosis of MBD is usually based on history and clinical manifestations. We report a case of acute MBD in which diffusion-weighted MRI (DWI) showed high signal intensities along the white matter including the corpus callosum. DWI may be useful in premortem diagnosis of acute MBD.
Alcoholism ; Corpus Callosum ; Diffusion ; Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Humans ; Leukoencephalopathies ; Marchiafava-Bignami Disease

No abstract available.
Brain Diseases ; Hashimoto Disease ; Memory ; Neuroimaging ; Seizures ; Vasculitis

PURPOSE: Population studies have reported that sensitization to inhalant allergens is rare in young children; however, most subjects in those studies had little or no symptoms or signs highly suggestive of allergic diseases. The aim of the present study was to assess the prevalence of sensitization to inhalant allergens in young children with symptoms and/or signs of allergic disease. METHODS: We analyzed the results of all specific IgE tests performed at our hospital laboratory in children younger than 6 years presenting with symptoms and/or signs highly suggestive of allergic diseases between 2008 and 2013. Specific IgE tests for Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, Alternaria alternata, German cockroach, cat dander, egg white or egg yolk, milk, peanut, and soybean were performed on 295 children; a specific IgE concentration > or =0.35 or > or =0.2 IU/mL was considered positive. We also compared allergen sensitization rates using the two cutoff values. RESULTS: One hundred eighty-one children (61.4%) were positive to at least 1 allergen tested and 53 children (18.9%) were positive to at least 1 inhalant allergen when a specific IgE concentration > or =0.35 IU/mL was considered positive. The children were more likely to have asthma or allergic rhinitis when they were sensitized to any inhalant allergen, particularly house dust mites. The prevalence of sensitization to inhalant allergens increased with age (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the prevalence of polysensitization among different age groups, but sensitization to both inhalant and food allergens significantly increased with age. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that specific IgE tests to common inhalant allergens, particularly the house dust mites, may be considered when performing blood screening tests for young children presenting with symptoms and/or signs of allergic diseases.
Allergens* ; Alternaria ; Animals ; Asthma ; Blattellidae ; Cats ; Child* ; Dander ; Dermatophagoides farinae ; Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus ; Egg White ; Egg Yolk ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Laboratories, Hospital ; Mass Screening ; Milk ; Prevalence ; Pyroglyphidae ; Rhinitis ; Soybeans

PURPOSE: Childhood asthma has a considerable social impact and economic burden, especially in severe asthma. This study aimed to identify the proportion of childhood asthma severity and to evaluate associated factors for greater asthma severity. METHODS: This study was performed on 667 children aged 5–15 years with asthma from the nationwide 19 hospitals in the Korean childhood Asthma Study (KAS). Asthma was classified as mild intermittent, mild persistent, and moderate/severe persistent groups according to the National Asthma Education and Prevention Program recommendations. Multinomial logistic regression models were used to identify the associated factors for greater asthma severity. RESULTS: Mild persistent asthma was most prevalent (39.0%), followed by mild intermittent (37.6%), moderate persistent (22.8%), and severe persistent asthma (0.6%). Onset later than 6 years of age (adjusted odds ratio [aOR], 1.69 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 1.92 for moderate/severe persistent asthma) tended to increase asthma severity. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (aOR, 1.53 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 1.85 for moderate/severe persistent asthma), and current dog ownership with sensitization to dog dander (aOR, 5.86 for mild persistent asthma; aOR, 6.90 for moderate/severe persistent asthma) showed increasing trends with greater asthma severity. Lower maternal education levels (aOR, 2.32) and no usage of an air purifier in exposure to high levels of outdoor air pollution (aOR, 1.76) were associated with moderate/severe persistent asthma. CONCLUSIONS: Modification of identified environmental factors associated with greater asthma severity might help better control childhood asthma, thereby reducing the disease burden due to childhood asthma.
Air Filters ; Air Pollution ; Animals ; Asthma ; Child ; Dander ; Dogs ; Education ; Environmental Exposure ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Odds Ratio ; Ownership ; Risk Factors ; Smoke ; Social Change ; Tobacco