Diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) is a life-threatening complication of type 1 diabetes mellitus in children. Despite the presence of dehydration, hypertension occurs in a significant proportion of children with DKA. There is a lack of clarity in the literature regarding the management of hypertension in patients with paediatric DKA. Herein, we report the case of an adolescent boy who presented with DKA and severe hypertension. His neurological status was closely monitored. There was a gradual decline in his blood pressure with an improvement in the pH over the next 72 hours. The combination of severe DKA and hypertension can be a challenging clinical dilemma, especially regarding fluid management. Studies on severe DKA in children are exacting, given the rarity of this condition. A multi-centre study is suggested to provide a meaningful analysis of this aspect of DKA.
Diabetic Ketoacidosis ; Hypertension ; Dehydration ; Hypovolemia ; Child

No abstract available.
Emotional Intelligence ; Humans ; Students, Medical

PURPOSE: The brainstem plays an important role in the control of micturition, and brainstem strokes are known to present with micturition dysfunction. Micturition dysfunction in cases of lateral medullary infarction (LMI) is uncommon, but often manifests as urinary retention. In this study, we investigated the neuro-anatomical correlates of urinary retention in patients with LMI. METHODS: This was a hospital-based retrospective study conducted in the neurology unit of a quaternary-level teaching hospital. Inpatient records from January 2008 to May 2018 were searched using a computerized database. Cases of isolated LMI were identified and those with micturition dysfunction were reviewed. MRI brain images of all patients were viewed, and individual lesions were mapped onto the Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space manually using MRIcron. Nonparametric mapping toolbox software was used for voxel-based lesion-symptom analysis. The Liebermeister test was used for statistical analysis, and the resultant statistical map was displayed on the MNI template using MRIcron. RESULTS: During the study period, 31 patients with isolated LMI were identified. Their mean age was 48 years and 28 (90%) were male. Six of these patients (19%) developed micturition dysfunction. All 6 patients had urinary retention and 1 patient each had urge incontinence and overflow incontinence. In patients with LMI, the lateral tegmentum of the medulla showed a significant association with urinary retention. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with isolated LMI, we postulate that disruption of the descending pathway from the pontine micturition centre to the sacral spinal cord at the level of the lateral tegmentum results in urinary retention.
Brain ; Brain Stem ; Hospitals, Teaching ; Humans ; Infarction ; Inpatients ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging ; Male ; Neurology ; Retrospective Studies ; Spinal Cord ; Stroke ; Urinary Incontinence, Urge ; Urinary Retention ; Urination

STUDY DESIGN: Descriptive cross-sectional study. PURPOSE: To determine the frequency of lumbosacral transitional vertebrae (LSTV) in patients with low back pain (LBP) and the role of iliolumbar ligament (ILL) origin from L5 in LSTV cases. OVERVIEW OF LITERATURE: Transitional vertebrae are developmental variants of the spine. LSTV is a common congenital abnormality, and failure to recognize this anomaly may result in serious consequences during surgery. METHODS: All patients aged 11–90 years of either gender with LBP for any duration, who presented for X-ray and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the lumbosacral spine, were included. X-rays of the lumbosacral spine in anteroposterior and lateral views were acquired. In addition, T1- and T2-weighted sagittal and axial MRI was performed. Images were evaluated on a workstation. RESULTS: Of 504 patients, transitional vertebrae were observed in 75 patients (15%). Among them, 39 (52%) patients had Castellvi type III and 36 (48%) patients had Castellvi type II. However, on MRI, 42 (56%) patients had O'Driscoll type II, 18 (24%) patients had O'Driscoll type IV, and 15 patients (20%) had O'Driscoll type III. ILL origin from L5 was significantly higher (n=429, 100%) among patients with a normal lumbosacral junction than among patients with a transitional lumbosacral junction (n=22, 29.3%) (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: LSTV occurs at a high frequency in patients with LBP. Furthermore, in the presence of LSTV, the ILL is not a reliable marker for the identification of L5.
Congenital Abnormalities ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Humans ; Ligaments ; Low Back Pain* ; Lumbar Vertebrae ; Magnetic Resonance Imaging* ; Prevalence* ; Radiography* ; Spine*