Project description:A 3.5 year-old cat was admitted to the University of Melbourne Veterinary Teaching Hospital for chronic vomiting. Abdominal ultrasonography revealed a focal, circumferential thickening of the wall of the duodenum extending from the pylorus aborally for 3 cm, and an enlarged gastric lymph node. Cytology of fine-needle aspirates of the intestinal mass and lymph node revealed an eosinophilic inflammatory infiltrate and numerous extracellular septate acute angle branching fungal-type hyphae. Occasional hyphae had globose terminal ends, as well as round to oval blastospores and germ tubes. Candida albicans was cultured from a surgical biopsy of the duodenal mass. No underlying host immunodeficiencies were identified. Passage of an abrasive intestinal foreign body was suspected to have caused intestinal mucosal damage resulting in focal intestinal candidiasis. The cat was treated with a short course of oral itraconazole and all clinical signs resolved.
Project description:Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is characterized by the accumulation of excess cholesterol in tissues including the artery wall and tendons. We describe a patient with homozygous FH who presented with asymptomatic cholesterol granuloma of the brain. The patient's plasma low-density lipoprotein cholesterol level was remarkably responsive to combination hypolipidemic therapy with statin plus ezetimibe. This case illustrates another potential complication of whole-body cholesterol excess and underscores the differences in phenotype and in response to therapy among patients with FH.
Project description:Purpose:To report a case of orbital cholesterol granuloma and discuss the orbital findings seen in this entity. Observation:A 38-year-old male presented with an 8-month history of progressive left upper lid ptosis and hypoglobus. Clinical examination was significant for 3 mm of hypoglobus and restricted supraduction in the left eye. Contrasted computed tomography imaging revealed a well-circumscribed lesion in the superotemporal orbit causing extensive bone erosion that appeared to arise from the lacrimal gland. An incisional biopsy was performed, and histopathological evaluation demonstrated fibrovascular tissue surrounding a mixture of histiocytes and cholesterol clefts, consistent with a cholesterol granuloma. Conclusions and importance:Orbital cholesterol granulomas are rare lesions that are predominantly found in the superotemporal orbit. These lesions can be associated with marked bony changes in the superotemporal fossa that can be mistaken for a lacrimal gland neoplasm; however, bony erosion is a hallmark of this lesion and should be considered on the differential diagnosis of any lacrimal gland mass with extensive bony erosion.
Project description:Background:Cholesterol granulomas (GC) of the petrous apex are benign cystic lesions that occur due to a foreign body reaction to blood by-products and cholesterol crystals. They cause erosion and expansion of the petrous apex and lead to cranial nerve deficits. Case Description:We present an operative video of a 28-year-old male whose work-up for horizontal diplopia revealed a right petrous apex GC. He originally underwent a subtemporal and later a transmastoid approach at outside institutions before he presented to us with diplopia due to recurrence. An endoscopic transsphenoidal transclival approach was done for drainage and resection of the GC. The patient did well and his diplopia resolved. A follow-up MRI showed no recurrence of the granuloma. Conclusion:This case illustrates an endoscopic transsphenoidal transclival approach for a recurrent petrous apex CG, which may lead to symptom resolution if done in a timely fashion.
Project description:A 9-year-old, neutered male, domestic shorthair cat from Arizona, was presented for evaluation of a 7-day history of hind limb paraparesis that progressed to paraplegia. There was no history of respiratory abnormalities. Neurologic examination supported localization of a T3-L3 myelopathy. Computed tomography (CT) revealed an expansile widening of the spinal canal dorsal to L4 associated with a strongly contrast-enhancing mass. Moreover, CT series of the thorax revealed a diffuse miliary pulmonary pattern, as well as tracheobronchial, sternal, and cranial mediastinal lymphadenomegaly. Transthoracic lung lobe and sternal lymph node fine needle aspiration revealed pyogranulomatous inflammation with Coccidioides spp. spherules and endospores. A suspected diagnosis of spinal coccidioidomycosis was made; fluconazole (10.9 mg/kg PO q12h) treatment was initiated, and decompressive neurosurgery was performed. The granuloma was removed en bloc and histopathology revealed marked, chronic-active, pyogranulomatous myelitis with intralesional Coccidioides spp. spherules with endosporulation. Serum anti-Coccidioides spp. antibody titer results revealed a negative IgM and a positive IgG (1:4). The cat was treated with fluconazole for 445 days and examined at various time points, with the last examination 2 years after initial presentation. The cat returned to full ambulation with only mild functional deficits of the right hind limb. In conclusion, this report documents the diagnosis, treatment, and long-term follow up of a cat with a compressive Coccidioides spp. spinal cord granuloma. This case highlights the importance of including coccidioidomycosis as a differential diagnosis for cats with peracute hindlimb paraplegia that have lived in or traveled to regions where Coccidioides spp. is endemic, and demonstrates the potential for a good long-term outcome with decompressive neurosurgery and antifungal therapy.
Project description:BackgroundAlthough meningioma is a benign tumour, it may cause significant morbidity. Obesity and diabetes are positively associated with meningioma. To evaluate the potential effects of obesity-related prediagnostic glucose, triglycerides and cholesterol on meningioma and of prediagnostic meningioma on these biomarkers, we conducted a cohort study.MethodsWe identified 41?355 individuals in the Apolipoprotein MOrtality RISk cohort with values for these biomarkers within 15 years before meningioma diagnosis, death, migration or the end of follow-up. We then estimated hazard ratios (HRs) and their interactions with time and age using Cox regression.ResultsMeningioma was diagnosed in 181 women and 115 men whose median follow-up time was 7 years. Fasting serum glucose level was inversely related to meningioma among women (Ptrend=0.0006) but not men (Ptrend=0.24). Prediagnostic diabetes was inversely related to meningioma in both sexes combined (HR=0.45, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.29-0.71), as was serum cholesterol within the year before diagnosis (HR=0.50, 95% CI 0.34-0.72).ConclusionsParadoxically, hyperglycaemia is inversely associated with meningioma in women. This finding does not necessarily negate the positive role of obesity or diabetes in meningioma development; rather, it may indicate that their effects depend on the stage of development. Furthermore, the prediagnostic tumour may reduce serum cholesterol levels.
Project description:We previously reported a mutation in the cholesterol biosynthesis gene, hydroxysteroid (17-beta) dehydrogenase 7 (Hsd17b7(rudolph)), that results in striking embryonic forebrain dysgenesis. Here we describe abnormal patterns of neuroprogenitor proliferation in the mutant forebrain, namely, a decrease in mitotic cells within the ventricular zone (VZ) and an increase through the remainder of the cortex by E11.5. Further evidence suggests mutant cells undergo abnormal interkinetic nuclear migration (IKNM). Furthermore, intermediate progenitors are increased at the expense of apical progenitors by E12.5, and post-mitotic neurons are expanded by E14.5. In vitro primary neuron culture further supports our model of accelerated cortical differentiation in the mutant. Combined administration of a statin and dietary cholesterol in utero achieved partial reversal of multiple developmental abnormalities in the Hsd17b7(rudolph) embryo, including the forebrain. These results suggest that abnormally increased levels of specific cholesterol precursors in the Hsd17b7(rudolph) embryo cause cortical dysgenesis by altering patterns of neurogenesis.
Project description:Several genetic defects of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway, including deficiency of the Excision Repair Cross-Complementing rodent repair deficiency, complementation group 1 (ERCC1), result in pre-mature aging, impaired growth, microcephaly and delayed development of the cerebellum. These phenotypes are recapitulated in Ercc1-knockout mice, which survive for up to 4 weeks after birth. Therefore, we analyzed cerebellar and hippocampal transcriptomes of these animals at 3 weeks of age to identify the candidate mechanisms underlying central nervous system abnormalities caused by inherited defects in NER. In the cerebellum, the most prominent change was the upregulation of genes associated with gliosis. Although Purkinje cell degeneration has been reported in some mouse strains with NER impairment, the transcripts whose downregulation is associated with Purkinje cell loss were mostly unaffected by the knockout of Ercc1. In the hippocampus, there was extensive downregulation of genes related to cholesterol biosynthesis. Reduced expression of these genes was also present in the neocortex of adult mice with reduced expression of ERCC1. These changes were accompanied by reduced mRNA expression of the transcription factor Sterol Regulatory Element Binding Transcription Factor-2 (SREBF2) which is a master regulator of cholesterol biosynthesis. The downregulation of forebrain cholesterol biosynthesis genes is a newly identified consequence of ERCC1 deficiency. Reduced cholesterol biosynthesis may contribute to the neurodevelopmental disruption that is associated with ERCC1 defects and several other NER deficiencies including Cockayne syndrome. In addition, this reduction may negatively affect the function of mature synapses.