Ophthalmoplegic migraine: migraine or oculomotor neuropathy?

BACKGROUND: Ophthalmoplegic migraine (OM) is a rare condition characterized by the association of headaches and an oculomotor nerve palsy. The third cranial nerve is commonly involved in recurrent attacks, whereas involvement of the sixth and fourth nerves is uncommon. It is still debated whether an uncontrolled migraine or an oculomotor neuropathy may be the primary cause of ophthalmoplegic migraine. CASES: We report two patients affected by OM with normal magnetic resonance imaging findings and a history of uncontrolled migraine before an attack of OM. CONCLUSION: The cases reported allow us to hypothesize that OM may be considered a form of migraine rather than a cranial neuralgia. It is possible that different factors such as inflammatory or structural factors, may represent a vulnerability of the nerve during a severe migraine attack causing ophthalmoplegia

Electronic baropodometry in patients affected by ocular torticollis

AIMS: To evaluate, by means of electronic baropodometry (EB), the postural findings in patients affected by ocular torticollis. METHODS: Posturographic analysis (length of the sway path, sway area, and mean velocity) was made in 54 patients with IV palsy, Duane Syndrome, or rectus superior palsy (group A) and compared with a control group of 45 healthy subjects (group B). The test was performed with both eyes open, then both closed, then with the affected eye open, and finally with the healthy eye open. RESULTS: With both eyes open or closed, the length of the sway path, the sway area, and mean velocity were significantly increased in group A compared with group B (P<0.0001). When the open eye was the one with the muscular paresis, the length of the sway path was significantly increased as compared with the healthy eye (P<0.0001), and the sway area was increased too (P<0.029). No statistical differences were observed mean velocity according to which eye was open (P=NS). CONCLUSIONS: EB is a useful instrument for studying secondary postural anomalies in patients affected by OT

Cells with Characteristics of Cancer Stem/Progenitor Cells Express the CD133 Antigen in Human Endometrial Tumors

Purpose: Cancer stem cells represent an attractive therapeutic target for tumor eradication. The present study aimed to determine whether CD133 expression may identify cells with characteristics of cancer stem/progenitor cells in human endometrial tumors. Experimental Design: We analyzed 113 tumor samples for CD133/1 expression by flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and semiquantitative reverse transcription - PCR. CD133(+) cells were isolated and used to assess phenotypic characteristics, self-renewal capacity, ability to maintain CD133 expression and form sphere-like structures in long-term cultures, sensitivity to chemotherapeutic agents, gene expression profile, and ability to initiate tumors in NOD/SCID mice. Results: Primary tumor samples exhibited a variable degree of immuno reactivity for CD133/1, ranging from 1.3% to 62.6%, but stained negatively for other endothelial and stem cell-associated markers. Isolated CD133(+) cells expanded up to 4.6-fold in serum-replenished cultures and coexpressed the GalNAc alpha 1-O-Ser/Thr MUC-1 glycoform, a well-characterized tumor-associated antigen. Dissociated bulk tumors formed sphere-like structures; cells grown as tumor spheres maintained CD133 expression and could be propagated for up to 12 weeks. CD133(+) cells purified from endometrioid adenocarcinomas were resistant to cisplatin-induced and paclitaxel-induced cytotoxicity and expressed a peculiar gene signature consisting of high levels of matrix metalloproteases, interleukin-8, CD44, and CXCR4. When serially transplanted into NOD/SCID mice, CD133(+) cells were capable of initiating tumor formation and recapitulating the phenotype of the original tumor. Conclusions: CD133 is expressed by human endometrial cancers and might represent a valuable tool to identify cells with cancer stem cell characteristics