Myasthenia gravis: pathophysiology,diagnosis, differential diagnosis and management

Myasthenia gravis is an autoimmune disorder caused by impaired synaptic transmission at the neuromuscular junction. The characteristic signs and symptoms of this disease manifest as increasing muscle fatigue. This article reviews myasthenia gravis with an emphasis on the pathophysiology, systemic and ocular manifestations, diagnostic testing, and management of this disease.     

The diagnosis and differential diagnosis of Cushing's syndrome

Cushing's syndrome is defined as the symptoms and signs of glucocorticoid excess, but the precise diagnosis may be difficult to establish and harder to localise. The clinicial, biochemical and imaging features of the syndrome are discussed in the light of our own extensive experience and the published literature. We describe the optimal diagnostic routines currently recommended in major centres, and analyse the sensitivities and specialities of the various tests employed. Only by means of establishing a precise diagnosis can the disorder be successfully treated.     

Histological differential diagnosis of aseptic bone-necrosis

Differentiation between traumatic and vascular aseptic bone-necrosis is a serious problem in everyday practice. This paper considers the theoretical background of differential diagnosis.     

经颅超声诊断及鉴别诊断帕金森病

帕金森病(PD)早期临床表现不典型,如能早期诊断、积极治疗,有可能减缓病程进展.因此,早期明确诊断、积极治疗是非常必要的.经颅超声成像(TCS)是一种新的非侵入性超声成像技术,发现PD患者的黑质(SN)区回声增强,认为这些回声增强区的性质与SN区的铁含量增高有关(1).结合近几年国外对TCS检查在PD早期诊断及鉴别诊断中的应用、优点及局限性的研究做一综述.     

Frontonasal tumors: their diagnosis and management.

Fifty-three patients with frontonasal tumors were seen in a 17 -year period. Of these patients, 33 were females (62 percent) and 50 were caucasians (94 percent). The correct diagnosis was made preoperatively in 87 percent of the cases. Eighty-five percent of the patients were children, and most of the lesions (83 percent) were developmental anomalies rather than true neoplasms. The most common lesions were dermoids (17), hemangiomas (16), and encephaloceles (9), but 13 different types of lesions were encountered. The treatment of all is surgical excision, and a cooperative effort by the neurosurgeon and the plastic surgeon is required in some cases.     

Metastasizing carcinoma in a medieval skeleton: differential diagnosis and etiology

The paper describes the skeleton of an aged adult male from the Middle Ages who most probably suffered from a bronchogenetic carcinoma. The differential diagnosis is based on macroscopic and microscopic examination, X-ray studies, and trace element analysis. Hypothesis for the etiology of the disease are discussed.     

Nonallergic asthma; differential diagnosis and treatment

A classification of asthma into allergic and nonallergic has gained support from the more recent studies on the underlying causes of the disease. The majority of instances of nonallergic asthma occur after middle life and result from recurrent infections of the upper and lower respiratory tract. Status asthmaticus is a frequent complication of infectious asthma. Chronic and intractable asthma may be present also in a patient with allergic asthma complicated by a superimposed infection of the sinuses, bronchi and lungs. There are many secondary or precipitating causes that may bring on asthmatic paroxysms. The most important of these are acute respiratory infections, mechanical and chemical irritants, autonomic imbalance, hormonal deficiencies and psychogenic influences. These secondary causes play a more important role in nonallergic asthma because of the greater tendency to chronicity in this form of the disease. The effective treatment of chronic asthma depends largely on the successful control of the secondary or precipitating causes of the asthmatic attacks. The introduction of the antibiotics and corticosteroids in the treatment of infectious asthma has supplied potent weapons to combat the disease. The use of these therapeutic agents makes possible the control of two of the important pathologic lesions of asthma-bronchial infection and bronchial inflammation. At present combined antibiotic and cortisone or hydrocortisone therapy of asthma seems to be the most rational method of preventing the disease from becoming chronic and intractable. Their value in infectious asthma is due to their anti-infective and antiflammatory action. When prolonged treatment is essential, combined therapy also lessens the dangers arising from the presence of masked infections.