OBJECT: The purpose of this study was to investigate that infection with group A[beta] hemolytic streptococcus may associate the mechanisms that cause or exacerbate some cases of Tourette's disorder and to evaluate the treatment effect of IG therapy, comparing between IG therapy and drug therapy. METHOD: The subjects were divided into three groups composing of the groups with increasing level of ASO titer and the group with normal level of ASO titer, treating with antipsychotics. Children with infection-triggered exacerbation of Tourette's disorder were assigned treatment with IVIG (400mg/kg/daily on 5 consecutive days) or antipsychotic drugs. Symptom severity was rated at baseline, and at 4weeks, at at 8weeks after treatment by use of standard assessment scale of tics. RESULTS: 1) The motor tic score, global severity scores and overall TS impairment rating scores of YGTSS in the group with incresing level of ASO titer were related with ASO titer. 2) Immune therapy was more effective in the group with incresing level of ASO titer than antipsychotic drug therapy. CONCLUSION: These results suggest that increasing level of ASO titer, resulting from group A[beta] hemolytic streptococcal infection has affected worsening the tic symptoms in Touette's disorder and in group with increasing level of ASO titer, IVIG therapy is more effective than drug therapy.
Antipsychotic Agents ; Child ; Drug Therapy ; Humans ; Immunoglobulins, Intravenous ; Streptococcal Infections ; Streptococcus ; Tics* ; Tourette Syndrome*

BACKGROUND: The authors present the results of a series of corpus callosotomies in 6 patients performed from 1998 to 2001 at the Samsung Medical Center. METHODS: Patients with medically intractable siezures, frequent drop attacks, poorly localized partial seizures with secondary generalization and generalized seizures were accepted as candidates (patients aged 14-29 years, 3 male and 3 female, with mean age at surgery of 18.6 years). Preoperatively, the frequency of seizures ranged from 2 to 600 per month. The standard microsurgical technique performed was a corpus callosotomy by the same surgeon under general anesthesia (anterior two-thirds corpus callosotomy was done in 4 cases, total callosotomy was done in 2 cases). In two cases, an additional cortical resection after electrocorticography using subdural electrode monitoring was carried out. The results were evaluated after a mean follow-up of 22 months (range, 4-34). We evaluated the effect of surgery according to the Engel classification. RESULTS: Complete freedom from seizures was noted in 2 cases (33%). More than 75% of reduction in seizure frequency was noted in 3 cases (50%). There was no significant reduction in frequency of seizure in one case. The highest rate of significant improvement was noted in the patients with drop attacks (75%(3/4)) and generalized tonic-clonic seizures (75%(3/4)). In one patient, pseudoaneurysm was complicated postoperatively but successful treatment was performed by endovascular procedure. Otherwise, there were no major postoperative complications except for brief mutism, slow activity and abnormal movement of one leg during the several weeks postoperatively. CONCLUSION: We conclude that corpus callosotomy is a safe alternative treatment for the medically intractable seizures, especially drop attack and generalized epilepsy.
Anesthesia, General ; Aneurysm, False ; Classification ; Corpus Callosum ; Dyskinesias ; Electrodes ; Endovascular Procedures ; Epilepsy* ; Epilepsy, Generalized ; Female ; Follow-Up Studies ; Freedom ; Generalization (Psychology) ; Humans ; Leg ; Male ; Mutism ; Postoperative Complications ; Seizures ; Syncope