Browsing by Author "Medeiros, L"
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- Brachial Plexus Cyst in a Patient with Multifocal Motor NeuropathyPublication . Sousa, AP; Alves, P; Maia, B; Medeiros, L
- Contralateral Upper Limb Weakness Following Botulinum Toxin A Injection for Poststroke SpasticityPublication . Camões- Barbosa, A; Mendes Ribeiro, I; Medeiros, LBotulinum toxin type A has been approved for spasticity management in poststroke patients. The adverse effects are generally of two types: those related to local injection; and those related to the systemic effects from spread of the toxin. Contralateral weakness after botulinum toxin A treatment is a rarely reported adverse effect. We report the case of a 33-year-old female who had been receiving regular injections of incobotulinum toxin A due to spasticity of the right limbs after a hemorrhagic stroke. A switch was made to abobotulinum toxin A with an overall conversion ratio of 1:3.83. The patient presented contralateral upper limb paresis, especially of the deltoid muscle, in the second week post-injection. The electroneuromyography showed neuromuscular block due to botulinum toxin A. She recovered completely after eight months. A switch between different formulations of botulinum toxin type A should prompt caution when carrying out unit conversions. Distant side effects may appear, including paresis in the contralateral limbs.
- Mielite TransversaPublication . Monteiro, T; Esperança, P; Baptista, I; Medeiros, L; Cândido, JOs autores apresentam três casos de mielite transversa de instalação aguda em doentes jovens, salientando a possível gravidade do quadro neurológico, a necessidade de excluir uma causa potencialmente tratável e a controvérsia da terapêutica com corticosteroides.
- Outcomes in Guillain-Barré Syndrome Following a Second Therapeutic Cycle – A Single-Centre Retrospective Observational StudyPublication . Faustino, P; Coutinho, M; Brum, M; Medeiros, L; Ladeira, FIntroduction: The treatment of Guillain-Barré Syndrome (GBS) with intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) or plasma exchange (PE) reduces time to clinical recovery. Although sometimes used in clinical practice, the benefit of a second treatment cycle is of unproven benefit. Aims: Our aim was to compare GBS prognosis in patients treated with one or two cycles of IVIg or PE. Methods: We selected patients with electrophysiological studies compatible with acute inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy or acute motor-sensory axonal neuropathy, from January 2018 to December 2020 in our hospital. Our primary outcome was any improvement in the Guillain-Barré Syndrome Disability Score (GBS-DS) at a mean of twelve weeks. We compared patients treated with one or two treatment cycles with a binary regression. Results: We included twenty-six patients, 65.4% with the classical presentation and 30.8% were treated with two cycles. Patients treated with two cycles presented a higher basal GBS-DS (median 4; IQR 1-5) compared with the group of patients treated with one cycle (median 3; IQR 1-5), p = 0.01. The remaining basal characteristics were similar between groups. The two-cycle treatment regimen did not associate with an improvement in GBS-DS (OR 0.28, 95% CI 0.03-2.35, p = 0.24). Likewise there was no benefit in the need for intensive care unit (OR 2.0, 95% CI 0.37-10.92, p = 0.42) or mechanical invasive ventilation (OR 10.2, 95% CI 0.86-120.96, p = 0.66). Discussion: Our analysis reinforces the recent literature data regarding the absence of benefit of two treatment cycles in patients with GBS.
- Quality of Life in Subjects with Upper- and Lower-Limb Spasticity Treated with IncobotulinumtoxinAPublication . Fheodoroff, K; Rekand, T; Medeiros, L; Koßmehl, P; Wissel, J; Bensmail, D; Scheschonka, A; Flatau-Baqué, B; Simon, O; Dressler, D; Simpson, DMBackground: We evaluated quality of life among subjects with upper- and lower-limb spasticity who received escalating doses of incobotulinumtoxinA (total body doses up to 800 U) in the prospective, single-arm, dose-titration TOWER study. Methods: In this exploratory trial, subjects (N = 155; 18-80 years of age) with upper- and lower-limb spasticity due to cerebral causes who were deemed to require total body doses of up to 800 U incobotulinumtoxinA received three consecutive injection cycles of incobotulinumtoxinA (400, 600, and up to 800 U), each with 12 to 16 weeks' follow-up. QoL was assessed using the EuroQol 5-dimensions questionnaire, three-level (EQ-5D), before and 4 weeks post-injection in each injection cycle and at the end of injection cycle 3. Results: The mean EQ-5D visual analog scale scores of 155 participants continuously improved from study baseline to 4 weeks post-injection in all injection cycles (mean [standard deviation] change 6.7 [14.1], 9.6 [16.3], and 8.6 [17.0] for injection cycles 1, 2, and 3, respectively; p < 0.0001 for all, paired sample t-test). In general, among those with a change in the EQ-5D rating of their condition, the proportion of subjects with 'improvement' was greater than that with 'worsening' for individual EQ-5D dimensions across all injection cycles. At the end of injection cycle 3, the proportion of subjects rating their condition as 'normal' increased from study baseline for all dimensions, and there was a ≥ 46% reduction in the proportion of subjects with a rating of 'severe impairment'. Conclusion: These preliminary results suggest that escalating incobotulinumtoxinA doses up to 800 U are associated with improvement in quality of life ratings in subjects with multifocal upper- and lower-limb spasticity, and form a basis for future comparator studies.
- A Role for Superficial Heat Therapy in the Management of Non-Specific, Mild-to-Moderate Low Back Pain in Current Clinical Practice: A Narrative ReviewPublication . Freiwald, J; Magni, A; Fanlo-Mazas, P; Paulino, E; Medeiros, L; Moretti, B; Schleip, R; Solarino, GLow back pain (LBP) is a leading cause of disability. It significantly impacts the patient's quality of life, limits their daily living activities, and reduces their work productivity. To reduce the burden of LBP, several pharmacological and non-pharmacological treatment options are available. This review summarizes the role of superficial heat therapy in the management of non-specific mild-to-moderate LBP. First, we outline the common causes of LBP, then discuss the general mechanisms of heat therapy on (LBP), and finally review the published evidence regarding the impact of superficial heat therapy in patients with acute or chronic non-specific LBP. This review demonstrates that continuous, low-level heat therapy provides pain relief, improves muscular strength, and increases flexibility. Therefore, this effective, safe, easy-to-use, and cost-effective non-pharmacological pain relief option is relevant for the management of non-specific mild or moderate low back pain in current clinical practice.
- Screening for Pompe Disease in a Portuguese High Risk PopulationPublication . Almeida, V; Conceição, I; Fineza, I; Coelho, T; Silveira, F; Santos, M; Valverde, A; Geraldo, A; Maré, R; Aguiar, TC; Mendonça, C; Martins, J; Medeiros, L; Barroso, C; Vieira, JP; Moreno, T; Negrão, L; Silva Dias, M; Lacerda, L; Evangelista, TPompe disease is a rare metabolic disorder with available enzymatic replacement therapy. Contrasting with the classic infantile form, the others subtypes have a heterogeneous presentation that makes an early and accurate diagnosis difficult. We conducted a prospective, multicenter, observational study to identify undiagnosed patients. During a one-year period, patients followed in Portuguese neuromuscular outpatient clinics with proximal muscle weakness affecting upper and/or lower limbs, hyperCKemia in two or more determinations or hypotonia and hyperCKemia, were screened for acid α-glucosidase deficiency by dried blood spots. Lysosomal acid-alpha-1,4-glucosidase activity was determined by tandem mass spectrometry and positive results were confirmed by molecular study. From the 99 patients screened, Pompe disease was confirmed in 4, with age of onset ranging from 2.5 to 48 years, all with limb girdle muscle weakness, corresponding to a frequency of 4% in our cohort and 4.9% of limb girdle muscle weakness. Screening for Pompe disease in high risk populations, using dried blood spots, was already performed in some European populations. Apart from two negative Scandinavian studies, positive cases were confirmed in 2.8-7.9% of patients presenting with limb girdle muscle weakness and in 0-2.5% with isolated hyperCKemia.