Browsing by Author "Menon, D"

Now showing 1 - 5 of 5
  • Item
    A novel association of ocular neuromyotonia with brainstem demyelination: Two case reports
    (MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS JOURNAL, 2014) Menon, D; Sreedharan, SE; Gupta, M; Nair, MD
    Ocular neuromyotonia (ONM) is a rare disorder of ocular mal-alignment in which painless, transient spontaneous or gaze-induced abnormal deviation of the eye manifests as episodic diplopia. With only a few cases reported in the literature, ONM mostly follows months to years after cranial irradiation for sellar or suprasellar lesions. Here we present two patients with this rare ocular condition, secondary to brainstem demyelination, the association of which is hitherto unreported in the literature. Both patients were 15-year-old girls who presented to us with episodic forced-eye deviation with diplopia. Examination during these attacks revealed ONM involving the superior rectus and medial rectus in the first and second patient, respectively. There was clinical evidence of intrinsic brainstem involvement with downbeat nystagmus and skew deviation in one patient without any other cerebellar or long tract signs. MRI showed evidence of demyelination involving the brainstem in both, with CSF showing positive immunological markers and with positive aquaporin-4 antibody in one patient. Both patients responded remarkably to immunomodulatory therapy and are asymptomatic at follow-up. That ONM can occur with brainstem demyelination has not been reported in the literature. This association may help in explaining the pathophysiology of ONM as secondary to segmental demyelination.
  • Item
    An audit of the predictors of outcome in status epilepticus from a resource-poor country: a comparison with developed countries
    (EPILEPTIC DISORDERS, 2016) Hassan, H; Rajiv, KR; Menon, R; Menon, D; Nair, M; Radhakrishnan, A
    Aim. Status epilepticus is a neurological emergency with significant morbidity and mortality. This study describes the clinical profile, treatment, and predictors of outcome of status epilepticus in a tertiary referral centre in a developing country and aims to highlight the similarities and differences from data available from the western world. Methods. A retrospective analysis of data of patients treated for status epilepticus was conducted from prospectively maintained records, between January 2000 and September 2010. The demographic data, clinical profile and investigations (including neuroimaging and EEG), aetiology, treatment, and outcomes were studied and compared with data available from the western world. Results. The analysis included 108 events in 84 patients. A single episode of status epilepticus was treated in 72 patients (86%) and multiple status epilepticus events, ranging from two to six per patient, were managed in 12 patients (14%). Mean age was 24.1 +/- 20.3 years and 63% were males. The types of status epilepticus included convulsive status in 98 (90.7%), non-convulsive status in seven (6.5%), and myoclonic status in three (2.8%). The majority of events (60%) were remote symptomatic, 16% were acute symptomatic, 16% were of unexplained aetiology, and 8% were progressive symptomatic. In 85 events (79%), status epilepticus could be aborted with first and second-line drugs. The remaining 23 events (21%) progressed to refractory status epilepticus, among which, 13 (56%) were controlled with continuous intravenous midazolam infusion. Case fatality rate was 11%, neurological sequelae were reported in 22%, and 67% returned to baseline. Acute symptomatic status, older age, altered sensorium at the time of admission, and delayed hospitalisation were predictors of poor outcome. Conclusions. Aetiologywas the most important determinant of outcome of status epilepticus, as in reports from the western world, with remote symptomatic aetiology secondary to gliosis being the most common. Treatment delay was frequent and adversely affected the outcome.
  • Item
    Early resective surgery causes favorable seizure outcome in malformations of cortical development
    (EPILEPSY RESEARCH, 2016) Radhakrishnan, A; Menon, R; Menon, D; Singh, A; Radhakrishnan, N; Vilanilam, G; Abraham, M; Thomas, B; Kesavadas, C; Varma, RP; Thomas, SV
    Purpose: We analyzed consecutive cases of a large cohort of the spectrum of malformations of cortical development (MCDs) including focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs) who underwent presurgical evaluation through our epilepsy program from January 2000-December 2010. We analyzed factors predicting surgical candidacy, predictors of seizure outcome and reasons for deferring surgery. Methods: 148 patients with MCD underwent detailed presurgical evaluation and 69 were operated. MCD was diagnosed based on characteristic findings in MRI and re-confirmation by histopathology in operated patients. Post-operative seizure outcome of non-operated and operated patients were assessed every 3 and 12 months and yearly intervals. Multivariate analysis and backward step-wise logistic regression analyzed factors predicting seizure outcome. Kaplan-Meier analysis predicted seizure-free survival rates. Results: 66.67% patients were seizure-free and aura-free at last follow-up. On multivariate logistic regression, the predictors of seizure freedom in operated MCDs were completeness of resection (odds ratio 8.2; 95% CI 1.43-64.96, p = 0.01), shorter duration of epilepsy (odds ratio 1.19, 95% CI 1.02-1.39, p = 0.02), and absence of spikes in post-operative EEG at one year (odds ratio 4.2; 95% CI 2.52-16.6; p <0.002). In FCD sub-group, shorter duration of epilepsy (11.1 versus 16.1 years, p = 0.03), absence of secondary generalized seizures (p = 0.05), absence of spikes in post-operative EEG on seventh day (p = 0.009) and one year (p = 0.002) were associated with favorable seizure outcome. Conclusion: Majority of patients with MCD and refractory epilepsy when operated early remains seizure free. Shorter duration of epilepsy is the single most important pre-operative variable and absence of spikes in post-operative EEG, predicts a long-term favorable seizure outcome. (c) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.
  • Item
    MALIGNANT MCA STROKE: EARLY OUTCOMES WITH AND WITHOUT DECOMPRESSIVE HEMICRANIECTOMY
    (INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF STROKE, 2016) Shetty, K; Sreedharan, SE; Sudhir, J; Menon, D; Nair, S; N, SP
  • Item
    Surgery for "Long-term epilepsy associated tumors (LEATs)": Seizure outcome and its predictors
    (Clin Neurol Neurosurg, 2016-02) Radhakrishnan, A; Abraham, M; Vilanilam, G; Menon, R; Menon, D; Kumar, H; Cherian, A; Radhakrishnan, N; Kesavadas, C; Thomas, B; Sarma, SP; Thomas, SV
    Objectives: “Long-term epilepsy associated tumors (LEATs)” by definition are tumors primarily causing drug-resistant seizures for two years or more. They include low-grade glial and glioneuronal tumors with normal life expectancy. We studied a large cohort of patients with LEATs who underwent surgery through our epilepsy program. Patients & methods: From 1998–2011, 105 patients with LEATs underwent surgery in our center. We utilized their data archived in a prospective registry to evaluate their electro-clinical-imaging characteristics affecting the long-term seizure outcome. Results: Of 105patients (age 3–50 years),meanage at surgery was 20 years andmeanpre-surgicalduration of epilepsy was 10.9 years. 66 (62.8%) had secondary generalized seizures. 82 had temporal tumors, 23 had extra temporal (13 frontal, 3 parietal, 2 occipital and 5 multilobar lesions) and four had associated hippocampal sclerosis. The interictal discharges and ictal onset were concordant to the lesion in 82 (78%) and 98 (93%) patients respectively. Lesionectomy and/or adjoining corticectomy or temporal lobectomy was done. Ganglioglioma was the most dominant pathological substrate in 61 (58%). During a mean follow-up of 7.5 years (range 3–16 years), 78/105 (74.2%) were seizure-free and 45 (57.4%) were totally off drugs. Secondary generalized seizures (p-0.02), temporal location of tumor (p-0.008) and spikes in third month post-operative EEG (p-0.03) caused unfavorable seizure outcome. A pre-surgical duration of epilepsy of more than 6.6 years caused less than optimal surgical outcome Conclusions: Early surgery should be considered a priority in LEATs. Presence of secondary generalized seizures is the single most important predictor of a poor seizure outcome