Central nervous system (CNS) infections may involve the meninges, brain and/or spinal cord. The most common etiologic agents are Streptococcus pneumoniae, group B Streptococci, Neisseria meningitidis, Haemophilus influenzae, and Listeria monocytogenes. CNS is characterized by specific structure and function. Despite a unique system of brain barriers and autonomous immune system, CNS is very sus...

BACKGROUND Given after brain injury (TBI), progesterone reduces cerebral oedema and facilitates functional recovery. Progesterone analogues have been synthesized for use in many medical conditions and exhibit different chemical and biological properties. Medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) is widely used in clinical practice, but oestrogen/MPA combinations may increase the risk of stroke and card...

Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome is an increasingly recognised clinico-radiological entity, associated with several medical conditions (such as systemic arterial hypertension) and characterised by seizures, altered mental status, headaches, and visual symptoms. Magnetic resonance imaging is a key component in this diagnosis, with hyperintense foci in T2-weighted images, correspondin...

BACKGROUND Several previous studies have shown that circulating levels of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) are elevated in patients with advanced congestive heart failure. However, the relationship between circulating levels of TNF and severity of peripheral oedema in these patients has not been previously evaluated. AIMS To investigate the relationship between circulating levels of TNF, and...

BACKGROUND Oedema is a sine qua non for the diagnosis of kwashiorkor yet the mechanisms leading to oedema remain ill defined. AIMS To relate the plasma concentration of radical promoting 'free' iron to the degree of oedema in patients with kwashiorkor. SETTING University teaching hospital. PATIENTS Fifteen children with kwashiorkor, nine of whom had severe and six of whom had a moderate d...

important sign of ill health in clinical medicine. It may occur in the lungs (pulmonary oedema), the abdominal cavity (ascites) and other body cavities (synovial, pericardial and pleural effusions) but in this article only peripheral (subcutaneous) oedema is discussed. In medical practice peripheral oedema tends to get pigeonholed according to possible systemic or peripheral causes eg heart fai...

OBJECTIVES MRI bone oedema has been observed in early and advanced RA and may represent a cellular infiltrate (osteitis) in subchondral bone. We studied MRI scans from RA patients undergoing surgery, seeking to identify regions of bone oedema and examine its histopathological equivalent in resected bone. METHODS Preoperative contrast-enhanced MRI scans were obtained in 11 RA patients schedule...

Bietti crystalline retinal dystrophy is a rare, inherited disorder whose hallmark is the presence of retinal crystal deposits associated with later chorioretinal degeneration. This condition may rarely be complicated by the development of cystoid macular oedema leading to rapid visual decline. Currently, treatment options for this complication of Bietti dystrophy are limited and the visual prog...