Polyneuropathy includes a lot of diseases damaging peripheral nerves. It shows roughly the same areas on both sides of the body, featuring weakness, numbness, and burning pain. Polyneuropathy is known to usually begin in the hands and feet and progress to the arms and legs. Sometimes it can involve other parts of the body such as the autonomic nervous system. Lots of causes can induce acute or chronic polyneuropathy, so finding the original cause is most important for the treatment of polyneuropathy. There are too many different types of polyneuropathies to be discussed in this review, so we will discuss some of various acquired polyneuropathies such as diabetic neuropathy, vasculitic neuropathy, alcoholic neuropathy, Vitamin B12 deficiency neuropathy, and drug-induced neuropathy, with special focus on symptoms, pathogenesis, diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis.
Alcoholic Neuropathy ; Arm ; Autonomic Nervous System ; Burns ; Diabetic Neuropathies ; Diagnosis* ; Foot ; Hand ; Hypesthesia ; Leg ; Peripheral Nerves ; Polyneuropathies* ; Prognosis* ; Vitamin B 12 Deficiency

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common form of dementia. Although uncountable clinical trials have been done to develop the treatment of AD, there are a couple of drugs that can be used only for symptomatic treatment. Therefore, many studies based on the amyloid cascade hypothesis and the tauopathy hypothesis are still ongoing. After the failure of numerous huge Phase III clinical trials, arguments on those hypotheses have arisen and efforts to establish other possible therapeutic strategies based on diverse plausible mechanisms associated with AD have been done as well. One of the new therapeutic targets for AD is the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K)/AKT pathway. In this review, questions on the two hypotheses, the definition of the PI3K/AKT pathway, the relationship between the pathway and AD, and the possibility of the modulation of the pathway as a new therapeutic strategy for AD will be discussed briefly.
Alzheimer Disease* ; Amyloid ; Dementia ; Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase ; Tauopathies

We herein reported a typical case of erythroplasia of Queyrat in a 35-year-old male patient who had a 6 month-duration of a erythroplastic lesion on the glans penis and coronal sulcus. He was treated 5% 5-fluorouracil cream under occlusion twice a day for 10 days. Three months after treatment, no erythroplastic lesion was found and rebiopsy showed marked improvement histopathologically.
Adult ; Erythroplasia* ; Fluorouracil* ; Humans ; Male ; Penis

Telomeres are located at the end of chromosomes. They are known to protect chromosomes and prevent cellular senescence. Telomere length shortening has been considered an important marker of aging. Many studies have reported this concept in connection with neurodegenerative disorders. Considering the role of telomeres, it seems that longer telomeres are beneficial while shorter telomeres are detrimental in preventing neurodegenerative disorders. However, several studies have shown that people with longer telomeres might also be vulnerable to neurodegenerative disorders. Before these conflicting results can be explained through large-scale longitudinal clinical studies on the role of telomere length in neurodegenerative disorders, it would be beneficial to simultaneously review these opposing results. Understanding these conflicting results might help us plan future studies to reveal the role of telomere length in neurodegenerative disorders. In this review, these contradictory findings are thoroughly discussed, with the aim to better understand the role of telomere length in neurodegenerative disorders.

Highly reproducible and consistent ischemic stroke models are critical for obtaining more confident data. To date, the infarct variation of several ischemic rat models is considerable. Therefore, many factors related to outcome variation and infarct growth must be controlled. Among various infarct models of rodents, intraluminal filament model is common by virtue of its consistency of the success rate and the outcomes. Recently more long-term evaluation of functional and imaging outcomes is considered in terms of clinical practice. Concise and subsequent outcome assessment could result in the improvement of translational stroke research. We recommend that the researchers should remember the guidelines addressed by the Stroke Therapy Academic Industry Roundtable (STAIR) and the Good Laboratory Practice (GLP).
Animals ; Rats ; Rodentia ; Stroke ; Virtues

Acute otitis media (AOM) is one of the most common childhood infectious diseases. Despite antibiotic treatment for AOM, AOM and its complication still continue to develop. Acute mastoiditis is a serious complication of AOM and epidural abscess constitutes the commonest of all intracranial complication of AOM. Neurological complication of acute mastoiditis are rare but can be life threatening. Their presentation may be masked by the use of antibiotics. We report the rare case of acute otitis media progressing to acute mastoiditis, epidural abscess formation and lateral sinus thrombophlebitis caused by Streptococcus pneumoniae in a child. She was admitted with acute otitis media with fever. Despite proper antibiotics, acute mastodititis and epidural abscess were developed, and after surgical drainage and antibiotics therapy she was recovered without sequalae.
Anti-Bacterial Agents ; Child ; Communicable Diseases ; Drainage ; Epidural Abscess* ; Fever ; Humans ; Lateral Sinus Thrombosis ; Masks ; Mastoid* ; Mastoiditis* ; Otitis Media ; Streptococcus pneumoniae*

No abstract available.
Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated* ; Vaccination*

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Amyloid beta (Aβ) is the main component of amyloid plaques, which are deposited in the brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease (AD). Biochemical and animal studies support the central role of Aβ in AD pathogenesis. Despite several investigations focused on the pathogenic mechanisms of Aβ, it is still unclear how Aβ accumulates in the central nervous system and subsequently initiates the disease at the cellular level. In this study, we investigated the pathogenic mechanisms of Aβ using proteomics and antibody microarrays. METHODS: To evaluate the effect of Aβ on neural stem cells (NSCs), we treated primary cultured cortical NSCs with several doses of Aβ for 48 h. A 3-[4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl]-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide assay, trypan blue staining, and bromodeoxyuridine cell proliferation assay were performed. We detected several intracellular proteins that may be associated with Aβ by proteomics and Western blotting analysis. RESULTS: Various viability tests showed that Aβ decreased NSCs viability and cell proliferation in a concentration-dependent manner. Aβ treatment significantly decreased lactate dehydrogenase B, high-mobility group box 1, aldolase C, Ezrin, and survival signals including phosphorylated phosphoinositide 3-kinase, Akt, and glycogen synthase kinase-3β. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that several factors determined by proteomics and Western blot hold the clue to Aβ pathogenesis. Further studies are required to investigate the role of these factors.
Alzheimer Disease ; Amyloid* ; Animals ; Blotting, Western ; Brain ; Bromodeoxyuridine ; Cell Proliferation ; Central Nervous System ; Fructose-Bisphosphate Aldolase ; Glycogen Synthase ; Humans ; L-Lactate Dehydrogenase ; Neural Stem Cells* ; Plaque, Amyloid ; Proteomics ; Trypan Blue

BACKGROUND: Atlanto-axial dislocation (AAD) is a common complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Diverse or different patterns of neurological manifestations including brainstem signs, myelopathy, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, and radiculopathy are expected in each type of AAD. This study is designed for the evaluation of neurological manifes-tations of AAD in RA, and for the comparison of clinical profiles with radiological findings. METHODS: Thirty patients compatible with radiological criteria of AAD were selected. The age, sex, symptom duration, and neurological signs were evaluated in the clinical profiles. Based on the neurological signs, the patients were classified into three groups. Radiological classifications of AAD were done according to the direction of AAD (anterior, vertical, lateral, mixed) and degrees of dislocation (grade I, II, III). Correlational analysis was performed as a measure of association with the clinical profiles and radiological findings. RESULTS: Neurological manifestations were present/found in 50% of the patients. Each types of AAD were distributed into the following groups:; anterior - 76.7%, mixed - 13.3%, lateral -10%, pure vertical - 0% in our study. The various groups determined by the neurological signs may be correlated with the severity of AAD, especially in the anterior type (> 8mm) and mixed type. Neurological signs were not noted in the pure lateral type. Vascular signs such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) were more common in the anterior-AAD, but myelopathic or brainstem signs were more common in the mixed type. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse neurological findings exist in AAD. Different and characteristic manifestations are also noted in each type of AAD. Critical neurological signs including myelopathic, brainstem signs and VBI are prominent in severe anterior-AAD or mixed type.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Brain Stem ; Classification ; Dislocations ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations* ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency

BACKGROUND: Atlanto-axial dislocation (AAD) is a common complication of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Diverse or different patterns of neurological manifestations including brainstem signs, myelopathy, vertebrobasilar insufficiency, and radiculopathy are expected in each type of AAD. This study is designed for the evaluation of neurological manifes-tations of AAD in RA, and for the comparison of clinical profiles with radiological findings. METHODS: Thirty patients compatible with radiological criteria of AAD were selected. The age, sex, symptom duration, and neurological signs were evaluated in the clinical profiles. Based on the neurological signs, the patients were classified into three groups. Radiological classifications of AAD were done according to the direction of AAD (anterior, vertical, lateral, mixed) and degrees of dislocation (grade I, II, III). Correlational analysis was performed as a measure of association with the clinical profiles and radiological findings. RESULTS: Neurological manifestations were present/found in 50% of the patients. Each types of AAD were distributed into the following groups:; anterior - 76.7%, mixed - 13.3%, lateral -10%, pure vertical - 0% in our study. The various groups determined by the neurological signs may be correlated with the severity of AAD, especially in the anterior type (> 8mm) and mixed type. Neurological signs were not noted in the pure lateral type. Vascular signs such as vertebrobasilar insufficiency (VBI) were more common in the anterior-AAD, but myelopathic or brainstem signs were more common in the mixed type. CONCLUSIONS: Diverse neurological findings exist in AAD. Different and characteristic manifestations are also noted in each type of AAD. Critical neurological signs including myelopathic, brainstem signs and VBI are prominent in severe anterior-AAD or mixed type.
Arthritis, Rheumatoid* ; Brain Stem ; Classification ; Dislocations ; Humans ; Neurologic Manifestations* ; Radiculopathy ; Spinal Cord Diseases ; Vertebrobasilar Insufficiency