Ovidiu BAJENARU

Latest posts by Ovidiu BAJENARU (see all)

An Uncommon Cause of Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis - October 7, 2016
Symptomatic „Migraine with Aura” Due to Occipital Arteriovenous Malformation or “Headache Attributed to Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)” Associated with Simple Partial Seizures in an Adolescent Patient – Case Presentation – - December 21, 2015
Gray Matter Changes in Demyelinating Disease: Correlations with Clinical Scores - December 21, 2015

Articles signed on MÆDICA, JCM:

An Uncommon Cause of Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis

MÆDICA - a Journal of Clinical Medicine | Vol. 11, nr. 3, 2016

Catalina COCLITU, Athena MERGEANI, Teodora PARVU, Octaviana RUSU, Andrei CIOBOTARU, Ovidiu BAJENARU and Florina ANTOCHI

ABSTRACT

Considering that currently Romania has the highest tuberculosis incidence in Europe, the recognition of the infection is an acknowledged health issue. Central nervous system tuberculosis accounts for approximately 1% of all cases of tuberculosis. Longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis is a contiguous inflammatory lesion of the spinal cord which involves three or more spinal segments. In tuberculosis, spinal cord involvement is rare and is usually rather due to radiculomyelitis or spinal tuberculoma, and only very rare due to longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis.
We present the case of a 52-year-old man referred to our department for progressive neurological deficits due to a longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis. After a thorough work-up we diagnosed the patient with longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis secondary to infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis.
Keywords: Central nervous system tuberculosis, longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis

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Symptomatic „Migraine with Aura” Due to Occipital Arteriovenous Malformation or “Headache Attributed to Arteriovenous Malformation (AVM)” Associated with Simple Partial Seizures in an Adolescent Patient – Case Presentation –

MÆDICA - a Journal of Clinical Medicine | Vol. 10, nr. 4, 2015

Adina ROCEANU, Florina ANTOCHI and Ovidiu BAJENARU

ABSTRACT

Arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) of the brain consist in a network of dilated vessels that form an abnormal communication between the arterial and venous system. The clinical presentation of AVM could be with acute haemorrhagic stroke, due to their rupture or with seizures or recurrent headache.

We present the case of 12 year old male child who was admitted in our clinic for „migraine with visual aura”-like episodes with visual positive phenomena. On cerebral MRI (T1, contrast enhancement) we found a right occipital arterio-venous malformation of 2-3 cm in diameter. The patient was referred to gamma knife stereotactic radiosurgery treatment.

Keywords: arteriovenous malformations, symptomatic migraine, gamma knife

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Gray Matter Changes in Demyelinating Disease: Correlations with Clinical Scores

Mihaela ONU, Adina ROCEANU, Victor FERASTRAOARU and Ovidiu BAJENARU

ABSTRACT

Background and Purpose: Recent MR studies have shown that, in multiple sclerosis, selective regional, but not global gray matter atrophy occurs in multiple sclerosis. Our aim was to identify specific areas of gray matter volume changes and explore the relationship between atrophy and clinical motor outcomes.

Methods: Nine patients with relapsing remitting MS and 9 matched healthy controls were recruited. The Multiple Sclerosis Functional Composite was administered. For MR acquisitions, a GE- Genesis-Signa, 1.5T MR system, was used. A voxel-based morphometry (VBM), subcortical structures segmentation (FIRST) and volumetric (SIENAx) FSL tools were used in the study.

Results: Group comparison showed atrophy for several gray matter regions. The most important volume reductions were found for subcortical deep gray matter areas. Correlations with clinical scores were checked and specific gray matter areas showed significant volume reductions associated with motor scores (9-hole peg time and 25-feet walk time) and EDSS (Expanded Disability Status Scale).

Conclusion: We performed a voxelwise analysis of gray matter changes in MS and found a more prominent atrophy for the subcortical structures than for cortical gray matter. Using an additional analysis (FIRST and SIENAx segmentation/volumetry) we were able to confirm the VBM results and to quantify the degree of atrophy in specific structures.

Specific gray matter regions which volume reductions correlate with 25-feet walk, 9-hole peg times and EDSS suggest that 25-feet walk time is the best predictor of disease progression in terms of gray matter reduction.

Keywords: gray matter, voxel based morphometry, segmentation, volumetry, multiple sclerosis

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Neurotoxicity of Immunosuppressive Therapies in Organ Transplantation

Daniela ANGHEL, Radu TANASESCU, Ana CAMPEANU, Ioana LUPESCU, Giulio PODDA and Ovidiu BAJENARU

ABSTRACT

Immunosuppressive agents have revolutionized clinical transplantation medicine, allowing the avoidance of immune system attack on the transplanted graft. Nevertheless, the use of medications such as cyclosporine, tacrolimus and others also brought the side effects of these drugs. Early identification of drug-induced neurotoxicity in transplanted patients and of its specific causes is important, not only because of patient’s poor clinical status but because of concomitant systemic and metabolic disorders which may obscure symptoms. Treatment and prognosis are highly dependent on the type of complication and it’s early recognition. This review focuses on the clinical entities of neurotoxicity caused by immunosuppressive drugs in transplanted patients.

Keywords: immunosuppressive drugs, posttransplant states, neurotoxicity

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Evolution of Internal Carotid Artery Occlusion in Non-Traumatic Carotid Dissection

Octavia RUSU, Mihai VASILE, Ovidiu BAJENARU and Florina ANTOCHI

ABSTRACT

Cervical artery dissection is becoming a more frequently identified cause of ischemic stroke among the young and middleaged patients. The pathogenesis of non-traumatic dissection has not been yet entirely elucidated, but certain risk factors have been reported. We present the case of a young patient with ischemic stroke in the middle cerebral artery territory secondary to internal carotid artery dissection and occlusion, in whom we identified two rarely incriminated risk factors: migraine and recent infection (pneumonia).

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Chronic Migraine – New Treatment Options

Adina ROCEANU, Florina ANTOCHI and Ovidiu BAJENARU

ABSTRACT

Chronic migraine (CM) is defined as headache occurring more than fifteen days/month for at least three consecutive months, with headache having the clinical features of migraine without aura for at least eight days per month.

Recently, new treatment options became available in chronic migraine patients.

Topiramate is effective in chronic migraine, in the presence or absence of medication overuse, and/or other migraine prophylaxis.

Efficacy of onabotulinumtoxin A as a preventive treatment of chronic migraine has been shown in the PREEMPT studies.

Occipital nerve stimulation (ONS) is an invasive treatment for refractory chronic headaches. ONS has encouraging results in refractory chronic migraine patients in commercially funded, multi-centre randomized trials

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Endocarditis and Stroke

Nicolae GRECU, Cristina TIU, Elena TERECOASA and Ovidiu BAJENARU

ABSTRACT

Endocarditis is an important, although less common, cause of cerebral embolism. All forms of endocarditis share an initial common pathophysiologic pathway, best illustrated by the non-bacterial thrombotic form, but also a final potential for embolization. Stroke associated with endocarditis has signifficant mortality and morbidity rates, especially due to the frequent concomitant multiple sites of brain embolization.

In this article we aim to briefly review endocarditis with a focus on stroke as a complication, while also presenting case correlates from our department.

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Articles signed on MÆDICA, JCM:

An Uncommon Cause of Longitudinally Extensive Transverse Myelitis

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